SolFocus has opened in Enor Chile located in Santiago dependencies. The first solar panel in South America, with CPV (Concentrator Photovoltaic) able to concentrate more than 650 times sun energy at one point. It is able to making about 30% of light into electricity, almost double from a silicon panel which reaches 19%.
The initiative will serve as the basis for the panel installation of another pilot in Calama, which will aim to analyze the radiation and the operational cost of these technologies for extreme radiation and dust. Both systems together generate about 17.6 KW of power.
"The Future of Non-Conventional Renewable Energies is in the Norte Grande. There exists 75% of electricity generation based on coal and solar energy should be sustainable in that area, "said Rodrigo Sáez, general manager of Enor Chile.
The panel uses 20 parabolic mirrors that collect sunlight and photosensitive cells condense into highly efficient, and operates solar tracking and controlling its position to maximize energy production. It also continuously monitors the state of wind to avoid damage and is highly recyclable, since 95% of its components are made of glass and aluminum, which are immune to ultraviolet degradation over time.
"CPV technology has the ability to increase or decrease depending on each project, which is an important factor for dynamic energy needs of the Chilean industry," says Nancy Hartsoch, VP of Marketing of SolFocus. "It can also deliver cleaner energy and low cost to the industry," he adds.
Unlike a traditional panel which occupies five or six acres to generate 1 MW, photovoltaic panels require only 2.5 hectares to produce the same amount of energy, resulting in lower capital investment and less maintenance in time. Finally, it can be deployed on slopes and have up to four times the slope of a conventional one.
