Mount Signal Solar
Mount Signal Solar, also known as Imperial Valley Solar Project, is a 794 MWp photovoltaic power station west of Calexico, California, United States, in the southern Imperial Valley, near the Mexican border. The facility was developed and constructed by 8minutenergy Renewables in three phases, with two completed as of 2018, and the third in 2020. It is one of the List of [photovoltaic power stations#World's largest photovoltaic power stations|world's largest] PV solar farms with a capacity of about 800 MWp. The project has been supported by several environmental groups, as the power station was built on low-productivity farmland.
History
Originally the project was called SES Solar Two, was to be of Stirling engine design, and was approved by California Energy Commission on September 29, 2010.AES Solar subsequently changed the name to Imperial Valley Solar, but later notified the commission on June 30, 2011 of its intention to no longer pursue the project.
AES Solar and 8minuteenergy Renewables subsequently announced on February 17, 2012 their plan to revive the project, changing the technology from solar thermal to photovoltaic, and changing the project name to Mount Signal Solar.
The first phase started construction in 2012 and went online in 2014, providing 266 MWp to San Diego Gas & Electric under a 25-year agreement. More than 3 million thin-film CdTe photovoltaic modules from First Solar and 138 skids designed and manufactured by Elettronica Santerno are used. It was the world's largest solar project using single-axis trackers to follow the path of the sun upon completion. The cost for this first unit was $365million.
Phases two and three consist of 200 MWp and 328 MWp of power, respectively, on contracted to Southern [California Edison]. Phase 2 was commissioned in January 2020, while Phase 3 went online in July 2018. Phase 3 consists of 2.8 million Series 4 thin film panels from First Solar.
Project units
The Mount Signal Solar Farm consists of three units, or construction phases:- Mount Signal 1 – a 266 MWDC solar power station using photovoltaics. Construction on the site began in November 2012 and was completed in May 2014.
- Mount Signal 2 – 200 MWDC solar power station also using photovoltaics on approximately which was commissioned in January 2020.
- Mount Signal 3 – a 328 MWDC solar power station using photovoltaics on completed in July 2018. American solar PV manufacturer provided its Series 4 thin-film solar panels for the project, and Nextpower, then known as Nextracker, supplied its NX Horizon smart solar tracker systems.
Electricity production
annual net output: 537 GW·h
capacity factor: 29.7%
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
| 2013 | 14,324 | 22,836 | 37,160 | ||||||||||
| 2014 | 22,740 | 28,996 | 52,995 | 50,216 | 54,049 | 45,771 | 41,333 | 54,391 | 49,421 | 41,741 | 34,314 | 24,588 | 500,555 |
| 2015 | 26,785 | 36,002 | 48,988 | 54,670 | 57,135 | 57,622 | 58,306 | 56,135 | 41,832 | 40,183 | 32,880 | 28,148 | 538,685 |
| 2016 | 28,732 | 39,221 | 45,763 | 51,495 | 62,321 | 60,274 | 60,762 | 54,169 | 45,606 | 39,605 | 28,038 | 20,539 | 536,525 |
| 2017 | 21,264 | 23,751 | 44,398 | 47,373 | 60,412 | 65,437 | 59,589 | 55,128 | 51,371 | 47,328 | 29,254 | 30,779 | 536,083 |