Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant

Sarnia Solar
Location of the Sarnia Solar is in Southwestern Ontario
Country Canada
Location Sarnia, Ontario
Coordinates 42°56′16″N 82°20′30″W / 42.93778°N 82.34167°W / 42.93778; -82.34167Coordinates: 42°56′16″N 82°20′30″W / 42.93778°N 82.34167°W / 42.93778; -82.34167
Status Operational
Commission date December 2009
Construction cost $400 Million
Owner(s) Enbridge
Operator(s) First Solar O&M
Solar field
Type Flat-panel PV
Site area 1,100 acres (450 ha)[1]
Power generation
Units operational 1,300,000
Nameplate capacity 80 MWAC
Average generation 120 GWh

Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant near Sarnia, Ontario, is Canada's largest photovoltaic plant with an installed capacity of 97 MWP (80 MWAC).[2][3][4][5]

In 2009, Ontario introduced a feed-in tariff renewable energy payments program paying up to CDN 44.3 cents per kW·h for large ground arrays such as the Sarnia plant.[6] This makes Ontario's one of the top feed in tariff programs in the world.

Phase I (for 20 MW) was completed in December 2009.[7] Phase II (60 MW) was completed in September 2010 at a cost of C$300 million.[8][9][10] The project was developed by Enbridge.[11]

First Solar developed, engineered, and constructed the facility, and it will operate the Sarnia Solar Project for Enbridge under a long-term contract. Enbridge will sell the power output of the facility to the Ontario Power Authority pursuant to 20-year power purchase agreements under the terms of the Ontario government's Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program.

The plant covers 1,100 acres (445.2 ha) and contains about 635 acres (96.6 ha) of modules, which is about 1.3 million thin-film panels. The expected annual energy yield is about 120,000 MW·h, which if produced in a coal-fired plant, would require emission of 39,000 tonnes of CO2.

Timeline of the largest PV power stations in the world
Year(a) Name of PV power station Country Capacity
MW
1982 Lugo  United States 1
1985 Carrisa Plain  United States 5.6
2005 Bavaria Solarpark (Mühlhausen)  Germany 6.3
2006 Erlasee Solar Park  Germany 11.4
2008 Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park  Spain 60
2010 Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant  Canada 97
2011 Huanghe Hydropower Golmud Solar Park  China 200
2012 Agua Caliente Solar Project  United States 290
2014 Topaz Solar Farm(b)  United States 550
2015 Solar Star(b)  United States 579
2015 Longyangxia Dam Solar Park China850
Also see list of noteworthy solar parks
(a) year of final commissioning (b) capacity given in  MWAC otherwise in MWDC

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Solar energy in Canada.
  1. ↑ "Photovoltaic power stations - site footprints". Wiki-Solar. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  2. ↑ "Enbridge completes Sarnia solar farm". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  3. ↑ Sarnia Solar Farm
  4. ↑ CPS Energy ratchets up investment in solar
  5. ↑ Large-Scale PV Power Plants - Top50
  6. ↑ FIT program overview retrieved 2011 03 02
  7. ↑ Enbridge and First Solar Agree on 60 MW Renewable Energy Expansion at Sarnia
  8. ↑ Sarnia Project Celebration
  9. ↑ pvresources Retrieved 6 September 2010
  10. ↑ Sarnia Becomes Largest PV Farm
  11. ↑ eXenewable Project Profile Page - Sarnia, PV, Canada
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