Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar system maker Soitec of Bernin (Grenoble), France says that subsidiary Soitec Solar Development LLC has entered into a sales agreement with one of the largest providers of solar energy services in North America to sell 150MWAC of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) for a solar project under development in California.
In 2011, SDG&E entered into five PPAs with Soitec for 155MWAC requiring the use of Soitec’s CPV systems.
Construction of the project is subject to certain conditions pertaining to the transaction and, once the conditions have been fulfilled, Soitec expects to receive a CPV systems order from the designated engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) contractor. Upon completion, the project will deploy up to 83,400 CPV modules manufactured at Soitec’s San Diego factory.
The latest sales agreement demonstrates the interest generated by Soitec’s CPV technology in the US market, says the firm’s CEO André-Jacques Auberton-Hervé. Soitec notes that the ability of CPV technology to operate without cooling water and to withstand hot ambient temperatures with minimal environmental impact makes it suited to use in the desert areas of California.
“This is also an important milestone in executing Soitec’s strategic plan, as this agreement will provide significant demand to our US solar manufacturing operation,” adds Auberton-Hervé.
