Stion Energy Services - the turn-key project development arm of Stion Corp of San Jose, CA, USA, which makes CIGS (copper indium gallium selenium) - recently completed the installation of the first utility projects in the State of Mississippi. A total of 1.5MW was installed at three different sites for Entergy Mississippi Inc.
One of the arrays - a 500kW system in Hinds County - is equipped with a single-axis tracking system that will generate 820,000kWh of power every year using Stion's solar modules. Two additional 500kW fixed-tilt arrays were installed in DeSoto County and in the City of Brookhaven. Collectively the three arrays will generate 2.2MW-hr of electricity on an annual basis for Entergy's customers in Mississippi.
Combining the benefits of a single-axis tracker with the increased performance benefits of the Stion module increases Entergy's return on investment, delivering better value as the solar modules produce more energy as they track the sun across the sky. "This maximizes the available light and increases power output of the system by 20% over the course of a Mississippi day," says Jim McGrath, VP of sales for Stion.
Entergy selected different locations throughout the state to test how panels perform in Mississippi's hot and humid climate. When the operating temperature of a solar panel increases, it starts to affect the module's energy production. In the hot Mississippi climate Stion systems are expected to produce 5% more per kW than silicon modules, primarily due to a low temperature coefficient of -0.26%/°C. Stion adds that its frameless modules provide additional value due to: no debris building up at the edge of the module (leading to better performance); and increased packaging density and a lighter-weight module (leading to lower transportation costs).
Entergy decided to work with Stion Energy Services, the only vertically integrated solar developer in the state. The modules were manufactured in Hattiesburg, MS, less than 100 miles from the installation sites, enabling Entergy to support the local economy as it tests the benefits of solar power.
"Solar energy will be an important part of the state's energy generation mix going forward, and we look forward to continuing to grow our manufacturing and project development efforts in Hattiesburg," says Frank Yang, Stion's VP of business development & marketing.
