The completion of the nation’s largest high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar power plant was announced yesterday at a ceremony attended by Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing (楊秋興) and former premier Liu Chao-shiuan (劉兆玄).
The pilot plant, with 141 solar panels, is located near Lujhu Township (路竹), Kaohsiung County. It is expected to produce up to 1 megawatt (MW) of energy, which officials said would save up to 670 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
The plant is located in one of the sunniest places in nation, averaging more than 300 days of sunlight a year, Yang said.
HCPV power plants use sets of dish reflectors and concentrating optics to focus sunlight into greater densities, which allows solar-power plants to be situated in smaller areas, although at a significantly higher cost.
Despite the higher cost, Kuo Cherng-tsong (郭成聰), the leader of the development team, said that HCPV power plants are better suited to the limited amounts of open land in Taiwan, while the price tag would come down with large-scale development and commercialization.
The plant has a host of new advancements to boost its efficiency, including sensors that change the direction of solar panels by tracking the sun’s movement as well as photovoltaic technology originally developed by the US space program, he said.
The power generated by the plant costs between US$6 to US$8 to produce, while traditional solar power plants cost around US$3. Officials said that the plant, built as a pilot program under the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, cost NT$270 million (US $8.34 million).
The agency is responsible for both research into nuclear energy and the development of sustainable energy.
Yang said the new power plant could become part of a larger network of sustainable power developments in the area, including a solar power research center as well as sustainable infrastructure in nearby communities.
If the project proves a success, officials said they would consider expanding the power plant to produce up to 10MW.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY CNA
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