Cogentrix’s Alamosa Solar facility begins commercial operation

May 11, 2012
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

The Alamosa Solar Generating plant is being called the world’s largest concentrating PV electric power generating facility and Cogentrix Energy advised that it has finally begun commercial operation. Located in San Luis Valley in Colorado, the 30MW site produces energy for customers of Xcel Energy’s subsidiary, Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo).

Built across 225 acres of land, and constructed by MA Mortenson, the Alamosa project uses over 500 dual-axis, pedestal mounted tracker assemblies, which each generate around 60kW of electricity. Each tracker is 70 feet wide by 50 feet high and contains 7,560 Fresnel lenses.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Tom Bonner, president of Cogentrix stated, “Cogentrix has a long history of developing, constructing, and operating power plants employing a variety of technologies. We’re proud of the Alamosa Solar project and we are excited for what it means to Colorado, Xcel Energy and the US solar sector”.

Read Next

Premium
February 11, 2026
PV Talk: Wood Mackenzie’s Yana Hryshko argues that MENA is emerging as a solar manufacturing hub, driven, in part, by Chinese partnerships.
February 11, 2026
The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), previously known as the National Renewable Energy Lab, has laid off 134 employees.
February 11, 2026
China expects to add 180-240GW of new solar PV capacity in 2026, according to the latest figures from the CPIA.
February 11, 2026
India’s MNREA has released the fourth revision of its ALMM II for solar cells, increasing the total enlisted manufacturing capacity to 26GW. 
February 11, 2026
A round-up of a number of European project stories from this week, including METLEN, European Energy and TSE.
February 11, 2026
The UK government's Allocation round 7a (AR7a) of the Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction has awarded a record 4.9GW of solar PV.

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
February 18, 2026
9am PST / 5pm GMT
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
October 13, 2026
San Francisco Bay Area, USA