SunPower and Iberdrola Renewables will be working together on the construction of a 30MW solar park in Colorado. Located on 216 acres of private land, which use to for agricultural purposes in Alamosa County, the San Luis Valley Solar Ranch will commence construction later this year with the plant expected to be in full operation by the end of 2011.
“Today, high-efficiency solar PV technology is competitively-priced for power plant applications. It's fast to install, and reliably delivers clean power, particularly during peak demand hours,” said Howard Wenger, president of SunPower's utility and power plant business group. “We congratulate Iberdrola Renewables for its leadership in the promotion of solar power development, and for demonstrating how renewable technologies are part of the solution to ensure the health of our economy and our environment.”
Using SunPower’s E19 solar panels and Tracker system, Iberdrola will develop, own and operate the San Luis Solar Ranch while selling the electricity produced under a long-term contract with Xcel Energy. Xcel will then distribute the electricity throughout the area’s utility grid.