Semprius Inc of Durham, NC, USA, which designs and makes high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar modules, is to supply solar modules for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne's (PWR's) $2.3m award from the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) office of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The project is designed to demonstrate the high-performance and cost-effectiveness of HCPV technology for use at DoD installations as well as in other commercial and utility scale applications, says the firm.
As part of the project, PWR will install a 200 kilowatt solar system, with 2,400 Semprius modules mounted on dual-axis trackers, at California's Edwards Air Force Base. The system will produce over 400,000 kWh of electricity annually, enough to power approximately 40 homes.
"Having spent several years evaluating emerging PV technologies, we've selected Semprius because of the potential of their technology to drive down the cost of solar electricity significantly," said Randy Parsley, Renewable Energy Program manager at PWR. "We look forward to executing this project with Semprius to help the DoD begin to achieve its energy independence and energy security goals."
Semprius' solar modules are 33.9% efficient, and are the first to convert over one-third of the sun's energy into electricity, says the frim. In addition, Semprius-based systems can deliver up to 30% more energy than equivalent PV systems.
