Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant

Sarnia Solar
Country Canada
Location Sarnia, Ontario
Coordinates 42°56′16″N 82°20′30″W / 42.93778°N 82.34167°W / 42.93778; -82.34167Coordinates: 42°56′16″N 82°20′30″W / 42.93778°N 82.34167°W / 42.93778; -82.34167
Status Operational
Commission date December 2009
Construction cost $400 Million
Owner(s) Enbridge
Operator(s) First Solar O&M
Solar field
Type Flat-panel PV
Site area 450 hectares (1,100 acres)
Power generation
Units operational 1,300,000
Nameplate capacity 80 MWAC
Annual net output 120 GWh

Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant near Sarnia, Ontario, is Canada's largest photovoltaic plant with an installed capacity of 97 MWP (80 MWAC).[1][2][3][4]

In 2009, Ontario introduced a feed-in tariff renewable energy payments program paying up to CDN 44.3 cents per kW·h for large ground arrays such as the Sarnia plant.[5] This makes Ontario's one of the top feed in tariff programs in the world.

Phase I (for 20 MW) was completed in December 2009.[6] Phase II (60 MW) was completed in September 2010 at a cost of C$300 million.[7][8] The project was developed by Enbridge.[9]

First Solar developed, engineered, and constructed the facility, and it will operate the Sarnia Solar Project for Enbridge under a long-term contract. Enbridge will sell the power output of the facility to the Ontario Power Authority pursuant to 20-year power purchase agreements under the terms of the Ontario government's Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program.

The plant covers 450 hectares (1,100 acres) and contains about 257 ha (635 acres) of modules,[10] which is about 1.3 million thin-film panels. At the completion of Phase II it was the largest solar power station in the world,[11] a title it held until the 2011 opening of Huanghe Hydropower Golmud Solar Park in China. The expected annual energy yield is about 120,000 MW·h, which if produced in a coal-fired plant, would require emission of 39,000 tonnes of CO2.

Timeline of the largest PV power stations in the world
Year(a)Name of PV power stationCountryCapacity
MW
1982Lugo United States1
1985Carrisa Plain United States5.6
2005Bavaria Solarpark (Mühlhausen) Germany6.3
2006Erlasee Solar Park Germany11.4
2008Olmedilla Photovoltaic Park Spain60
2010Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant Canada97
2011Huanghe Hydropower Golmud Solar Park China200
2012Agua Caliente Solar Project United States290
2014Topaz Solar Farm(b) United States550
2015Longyangxia Dam Solar Park China850
2016Tengger Desert Solar Park China1547
Also see list of photovoltaic power stations and list of noteworthy solar parks
(a) year of final commissioning (b) capacity given in  MWAC otherwise in MWDC

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Enbridge completes Sarnia solar farm". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
  2. ↑ Sarnia Solar Farm
  3. ↑ CPS Energy ratchets up investment in solar
  4. ↑ Large-Scale PV Power Plants - Top50
  5. ↑ FIT program overview retrieved 2011 03 02
  6. ↑ Enbridge and First Solar Agree on 60 MW Renewable Energy Expansion at Sarnia
  7. ↑ Sarnia Project Celebration
  8. ↑ pvresources Retrieved 6 September 2010
  9. ↑ eXenewable Project Profile Page - Sarnia, PV, Canada
  10. ↑ "Photovoltaic power stations - site footprints". Wiki-Solar. Retrieved 5 March 2015.
  11. ↑ Sarnia Becomes Largest PV Farm

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