Cogentrix solar project receives $90.6 million loan guarantee from US government
13 May 2011
The US department of energy (DoE) today announced the offer of a conditional commitment for a $90.6-million loan guarantee to Cogentrix of Alamosa, LLC.
The loan guarantee will support the construction of the Alamosa Solar Generating Project, a 30 megawatt (MW) net capacity high concentration solar photovoltaic (HCPV) generation project located in south-central Colorado near the city of Alamosa.
The facility will produce approximately 75,000 megawatt hours of clean renewable energy per year, enough to power over 6,500 homes, and will avoid the emissions of over 43,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
The project will source over 80 per cent of its components from the US. The proposed facility will use innovative HCPV systems consisting of concentrating optics and multi-junction solar cell panels that are controlled by a dual-axis tracking system.
The tracking system rotates and tilts the cells throughout the day so the surface of the solar panel maintains an optimal angle with respect to the sun.
According to the project sponsor, the multi-junction solar cells are nearly 40 per cent efficient or about double that of more traditional PV panels used in areas with high amounts of direct sunlight, such as Alamosa County.
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