Concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) solar system maker Soitec of Bernin, France has installed a CPV demonstration plant in the isolated village of Usib near Rehoboth in central Namibia. The 25kW installation has been connected to the grid of the national power utility, NamPower.
Soitec and NamPower have entered into a cooperative agreement in which Soitec has constructed and operates the plant and will transfer the knowledge gained as well as operations and maintenance duties to NamPower.
"Building a project such as this one allows us to demonstrate the real-world application of our CPV technology in hot and arid locations," says Gaetan Borgers, executive VP of Soitec Solar Division."Through our direct involvement, we also can express Soitec's commitment to improving educational opportunities and community life. Our environmentally friendly and cost-effective alternative-energy solution provides not only a reliable source of electricity, but also local jobs. We are actively deploying our CPV systems in high solar irradiation regions around the world, and Namibia is a perfect example of that strategy."
Usib is an isolated rural community with a school providing education and accommodations to more than 100 children from the surrounding area. Production from a small vegetable garden supplements the diet of the school's boarders. Additionally, Soitec's subcontractor Alensy has installed a solar water pump at the community garden to ensure there is sufficient water to irrigate up to one acre of crops. Funds from the sale of electricity generated by the power plant and injected into the grid will be credited to the school's electricity bill. The power plant will be in operation for at least 20 years.
CPV is the most efficient technology in the photovoltaic industry, achieving current energy-generating efficiencies of 30%. Soitec's CPV modules use a durable glass-glass design and Fresnel lenses to concentrate sunlight 500 times onto small, highly efficient multi-junction solar cells. By using dual-axis tracking, Soitec's systems provide high, constant power output throughout daylight hours. In addition, the company's systems are resistant to energy losses in high temperatures and achieve passive cooling without water consumption, offering competitive advantages in countries with high direct normal irradiance (DNI) such as Namibia.