Largest CPV Deal in EU with Generation Capacity to Power City of 40,000 Residents
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- SolFocus, a provider of
concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar energy solutions, today announced the
signing of a $103 million (euro 80M) agreement with EMPE Solar to install over
10 megawatts (MW) of CPV solar energy projects in several sites across
southern Spain by the end of 2010. SolFocus' CPV systems use a proven
combination of high-efficiency PV cells and advanced optics to provide high
solar energy yields at competitive costs for commercial, industrial, and
utility applications. This project will be the largest deployment of CPV
technology in Europe, and will be capable of meeting the domestic energy
requirements for a city of approximately 40,000 residents.
'CPV, with its high energy density and output, is an ideal solution for
the Spanish market, providing more clean, reliable energy with a small land
footprint and low lifetime cost,' said Gary D. Conley, CEO and Chairman of
SolFocus. Inc. 'As we continue to drive down costs towards becoming
competitive with fossil fuels, sophisticated partners like EMPE Solar will
play a critical role in breaking new ground throughout the Mediterranean.'
The SolFocus-EMPE deal comes after SolFocus recently completed two
utility-scale CPV projects for the Institute of Concentration Photovoltaic
Systems (ISFOC) in Spain. Through the 3 MW ISFOC project, SolFocus
demonstrated CPV's ability to scale to aggressive energy production targets
while showcasing the overall system reliability and efficiency.
Eduardo Goicoechea and Sebastian Sagues, Partners at EMPE Solar, explain:
'EMPE Solar seeks only the most innovative solutions to reduce electricity
production costs for our customers. SolFocus has proven its technology's value
in our region, and we are confident it will enable us to quickly achieve our
cost targets for carbon-free energy.'
CPV technology, a rapidly growing disruptive energy technology, is
targeted to the high solar resource areas of the world.