Mount Signal Solar


Mount Signal Solar, also known as Imperial Valley Solar Project, is a 594 MWp photovoltaic power station west of Calexico, California in the southern Imperial Valley, near the Mexican border. The facility is being developed and constructed by 8minutenergy Renewables in three phases, with two completed as of 2018. At full build-out, it will be one of the 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 is expected to be commissioned by 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 nameplate capacities: 260 MWdc, 206 MWac

annual net output: 537 GW·h
capacity factor: 29.7%
YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
201314,32422,83637,160
201422,74028,99652,99550,21654,04945,77141,33354,39149,42141,74134,31424,588500,555
201526,78536,00248,98854,67057,13557,62258,30656,13541,83240,18332,88028,148538,685
201628,73239,22145,76351,49562,32160,27460,76254,16945,60639,60528,03820,539536,525
201721,26423,75144,39847,37360,41265,43759,58955,12851,37147,32829,25430,779536,083