900 Acres of Canadian Solar

A California company is preparing to install a massive solar installation near Sarnia, Ontario (across the river from Port Huron, Michigan) that will be the largest photovoltaic solar installation in North America. Currently, the largest installation in the world is a 12 megawatt facility in Germany. In the United States, a 15 megawatt facility was recently announced to begin construction on an air force base in Nevada. However, the Canadian facility will eclipse both of these, with a capacity of 40 megawatts. It won't necessarily be the world's largest solar farm, however. Large facilities are currently being built in California and Germany.

The OptiSolar Farms Canada Inc. solar farm will cover nearly 365 hectares (900 acres). Sarnia is close to major grid pathways, making it easy to tie the power produced by this solar farm into the North American grid. It is also a relatively southern location (for Canada), which gives it good solar access.

Part of the selection of the Canadian site was due to the premium for solar electricity that the Ontario government is currently offering (currently 42 cents per kilowatt hour).

"The company hopes to break ground in 2008 after getting the necessary municipal zoning approvals and building permits. It has already purchased the real estate it needs, mostly low-value farm and industrial land, and has full backing of the local community."

The Sarnia solar facility is expected to be online and fully functioning in 2010.

Link: Toronto Star

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List of 5 largest solar power plants
written by OurEcoHouse, May 12, 2007

12 MW - Germany, Erlasee/Arnstein
11 MW - Portugal, Serpa
10 MW - Germany, Pocking
9,51 MW - Spain, Milagro
6,3 MW - Germany, Mühlhausen

My understanding is that a 5 square mile
written by James, May 14, 2007

500 megawatts. For San Diego.

INACCURATE: largest plant is 500 MW, goe
written by Berkana, May 14, 2007

The list of "5 largest solar power plants" is incorrect. Even this 40 MW plant in Canada is dwarfed by the solar-thermal Stirling engine array being built in Southern California, which is designed to have a generating capacity of 500 MW, which they are looking to scale up to 850 MW. That's over 10 times larger than the plant at Sarnia, and it's being phased-on in January of 2009, a year ahead of the Sarnia solar farm. How could you guys miss this one?

See this:
http://www.stirlingenergy.com/breaking_news.htm
http://www.stirlingenergy.com/...imageID=32

Depending
written by Hank, May 14, 2007

The list of the five largest solar plants are the five largest solar plants that currently exist. The stirling plant in california isn't online yet.

You're right though, this won't be the largest plant when it goes online, we didn't say it would be. I've changed the wording of the article though, so it's more clear.
Thanks

We already have 64MW in Vegas
written by Ugly American, May 14, 2007

online

Relatively southern location?
written by Vincent Clement, May 14, 2007

It is also a relatively southern location (for Canada), which gives it good solar access

Relative to what? Doesn't every country have a southern location? How about:

"It is located in the southern Ontario, which gives it good solar access" or "It is located in the southernmost part of Canada, which gives it good solar access".

enquiry
written by jacob ehinmoro, May 20, 2007

sir, how much will it cost to build a 1000 kva solar.

...
written by Indiantiger, May 21, 2007

Optisolar and others have 3 years to build these solar facilities from the day that they obtain approval from the OPA. This means that most of these systems probably won't be fully operational until 2010.

The job creation coming from solar power is higher than any other renewable energy technology. This prompted many anti-solar officials in Germany to change their mind about the solar program there when they came into power. It is about time that Canada benefited from the cleantech boom.

The main reason folks support large scale solar support programs is that they are frustrated that the other technologies cannot be ubiquitous. Wind Energy is wonderful but at a certain penetration it is alot of trouble because it often produces power when residents don't use it. Also it is almost always central generation, limited by transmission capacity. Biomass is fraught with long term risk. Over a 40 year time period the sources and uses of fuel changes. There are only a limited number of projects that make sense from a risk perspective. In Texas they estimate only 500 MWs can come from Biomass, ever!

Solar may be expensive today, but for Ontario to be prepared for the lower cost solar coming in 2010, this subsidy pays for the training of local workers and education of local permitting and utility officials.

Starting in about 2010, the solar program will result in a maximum cost increase of about 1% for Ontario residents. Probably much less. . .