Etats-Unis: un grand plan de l'énergie solaire

[energy_isere]

Boralex sélectionné par l’État de New York pour cinq centrales solaires de 540 MWc
Les projets produiront chaque année plus de 1 TWh d’électricité renouvelable et comprennent le premier projet de stockage de Boralex aux États-Unis, d’une capacité de 77 MW.

JUIN 9, 2022 GWÉNAËLLE DEBOUTTE


Les cinq projets solaires remportés dans l'Etat de New York. Image : Boralex

Le producteur canadien Boralex a remporté dans l’Etat de New York aux Etats-Unis cinq projets solaires totalisant une capacité de de 540 MWc dans le cadre d’un appel d’offres organisé en 2021 par la New York State Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Une fois construits, ces sites produiront annuellement plus de 1 TWh d’électricité solaire.
..........................

https://www.pv-magazine.fr/2022/06/09/b ... e-540-mwc/

[energy_isere]

RWE starts operations at 195.5MW Hickory Park solar plus storage facility

By NS Energy Staff Writer 24 Jun 2022

The Hickory Park solar facility features more than 650,000 solar panels, covering around 1,800 acres of area, and its integrated DC-coupled storage system allows optimisation of the energy yield

RWE Renewables has commenced operations at its 195.5MWac Hickory Park Solar facility, together with a 40MW 2-hour battery storage project, located in Mitchell County, Georgia, US.

The company will supply energy and renewable attributes from the facility under a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Georgia Power. The PPA was signed in November 2019.
............................

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/r ... -facility/

[energy_isere]

Autorisation délivrée pour le projet de parc solaire de Oberon en Californie, 500 MW

US authorities approve 500 MW solar project in California desert
The controversial Oberon Solar Project is the third solar installation to be approved under the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan.

JULY 19, 2022 ANNE FISCHER

...............
Last week, the BLM Palm Springs South Coast Field Office authorized Oberon Solar LLC to begin full construction of Oberon 1 and II, which together will generate up to 500 MW or enough to power approximately 146,000 homes. The project will also have 500 MW of battery storage. Both are expected to be operational in 2023.

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/07/19/ ... ia-desert/

[energy_isere]

Le projet du plus grand parc solaire de l'état de New York ( 500 MW ) reçoit son permis :

Hecate Energy wins siting permit for 500MW Cider solar farm in New York

By NS Energy Staff Writer 27 Jul 2022

After the completion, the Cider solar project is expected to be interconnected to the New York State electricity grid through the Dysinger-New Rochester 345kV transmission line

Hecate Energy has received the New York state’s Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) permit for its proposed 500MW Cider solar farm project.

With the siting permit in place, Cider solar farm is expected to become the largest solar energy generation project in New York.

Also, it is the first permit issued by ORES for a project whose application was initially filed with the new state office under the Section 94-c rules.

All the previous ORES-permitted projects filed the applications for the permits under the previous, Article 10 siting process.

Upon completion, the Cider solar project is planned to be interconnected to the New York State electricity grid through the Dysinger-New Rochester 345kV transmission line.

Hecate Energy Cider solar farm project developer Harrison Luna said: “This permit marks a major milestone, not only for Hecate Energy, but in making meaningful progress toward New York State’s ambitious climate goals.

“We are appreciative of the support and coordination for the Cider Solar Project that we received from civic leadership of the Oakfield and Elba town governments.

“Hecate Energy experienced a positive collaborative interaction with ORES during the permitting process, which was key in advancing this project.”

Hecate Energy will build Cider solar farm on a site covering 3,000 acres of area across the towns of Elba and Oakfield, with construction expected to begin next year.

The project will have a capacity to generate 920,000MWh of renewable electricity per annum, and its construction is expected to create 495 full-time jobs.

The solar farm will generate adequate electricity to power more than 120,000 households in New York, which is equivalent to preventing 718,694 tons of CO2 emissions annually.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project would eliminate emissions equivalent to the annual emissions from 141,794 passenger vehicles.

Luna added: “Cider Solar Farm represents a significant $500 million private infrastructure investment in Western New York, not only will this project create hundreds of local jobs, but it will also directly fund local governments, schools, and community services.”

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/h ... olar-farm/

[energy_isere]

Début de construction du parc solaire PV de 196 MW dit Big Plain dans l'Ohio

LRE begins construction on 196MW Big Plain solar project in US

By NS Energy Staff Writer 09 Aug 2022

Leeward Renewable Energy (LRE), a portfolio company of Omers Infrastructure, has commenced construction works on the Big Plain solar project in the US.

Big Plain is a 196MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project, planned to be constructed near the town of London, in Ohio, US, with commercial operations expected by June next year.

The project will leverage advanced, ultra-low carbon thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar modules manufactured by US-based solar company First Solar.

It is expected to create around 400 jobs during the construction, with at least 80% to Ohioans, to support its commitment to hiring local labour, said the company.
..................

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/l ... r-project/

[energy_isere]

La compagnie US First Solar annonce un investissement de 1.2 milliard de dollars pour une nouvelle usine de production de panneaux solaires aux US.
Capacité de production de 10 GWc annuel, pour 2025.

First Solar to invest $1.2bn to increase PV production in US
The investment is expected to increase the company's US-made solar module production capacity by more than 10GWdc by 2025.

August 31, 2022

US-based solar energy firm First Solar has revealed plans to invest up to $1.2bn to increase the production of US-made photovoltaic (PV) solar modules.

The investment is expected to increase American-made solar module production capacity by more than 10GWdc for the domestic market by 2025.

First Solar will build a manufacturing unit in the US’ South-East region, which will have the capacity to manufacture 3.5GWdc worth of PV modules a year.

Once completed, it will be First Solar’s fourth fully vertically integrated domestic factory in the country.

In addition, the company plans to invest $185m to upgrade and expand its Northwest Ohio manufacturing footprint by 0.9GWdc.

It plans to expand the Series 6 module manufacturing capacity at its two operating facilities in Perrysburg and Lake Township, Ohio, by between 0.6GWdc and 3.6GWdc.

First Solar will also increase its annual solar module manufacturing capacity at its third Ohio factory to 3.5GWdc. The facility is expected to come online in the first half of next year.

The company’s third facility produces Series 7 module capacity.

The investment is expected to create at least 850 manufacturing jobs. By 2025, First Solar expects to support around 15,000 indirect and induced jobs in total.

First Solar CEO Mark Widmar said: “This investment is an important step towards achieving self-sufficiency in solar technology, which, in turn, supports America’s energy security ambitions, its deployment of solar at scale, and its ability to lead with innovation.

“We are proud of the fact that our manufacturing presence in the US is expected to directly and indirectly support over 18,000 jobs across the country by 2025, while our manufacturing investment will add an estimated $3.2bn in value to the US economy, reflecting the impact of solar manufacturing on our country.”

https://www.power-technology.com/news/f ... roduction/

[energy_isere]

Des projets solaires avec une belle capacité de stockage commencent à apparaitre aux USA :

Terra-Gen achieves financial close for Phase II of solar-storage project in US
The second phase of the Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage facility will involve delivering 410 MWac of nameplate solar capacity (358 MWac at the point of interconnection) as well as 1,786 MWh of battery storage

By NS Energy Staff Writer 19 Sep 2022

US-based independent renewable energy provider Terra-Gen has arranged funds for the second phase of its Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage facility in Kern County in the state of California.

The financing comprises a $460m construction and term loan facility, a $403m tax equity bridge facility and a $96m construction and revolving letter of credit facility.

The company has received tax equity commitment for the project from the US Bank, while BNP Paribas, CoBank, ING and Nomura Securities leading the construction and term financing.

The second phase of the Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage facility includes 410 MWac of nameplate solar capacity (358 MWac at the point of interconnection) as well as 1,786 MWh of battery storage.

The solar capability is expected to become operational in the third and fourth quarters of 2022, while the battery storage will be fully operational by the third quarter of next year.

The first phase of the project, which included 345 MW of PV and 1,505 MWh of storage, is completely operational.

Terra-Gen CEO Jim Pagano said: “Consistent with the first phase of the Edwards Sanborn project, the second phase deploys an innovate offtake structure that has been well received in the financing markets and allows us to raise the capital necessary to progress the construction of this transformative project.

“Once complete, Edwards Sanborn will play a significant role in helping California meet its carbon reduction goals and ensure electricity reliability through the use of stand-alone and collocated energy storage.”

Mortenson has been hired to provide full engineering, procurement and construction contract services for both the solar and energy storage scopes.

First Solar is supplying the solar modules, while LG Chem, Samsung and BYD are responsible for the batteries. The project at its peak employed more than 750 union workers on-site.

Terra-Gen has already started working on the future phases of the solar-storage project.

Once complete, the Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage franchise is expected to become the largest integrated solar powered battery storage project in the world.

https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/news/t ... e-project/

[energy_isere]

Pourquoi est-il intéressant d’installer des panneaux solaires au-dessus des canaux d’irrigation ?

par Yohan Demeure 6 janvier 2023, 18 h 47 min


Crédits : Solar AquaGrid

Si les panneaux solaires font sans doute partie de l’avenir de la durabilité en termes de production d’électricité, il existe certains inconvénients liés à leur utilisation. Afin d’éviter de condamner des surfaces agricoles ou constructibles, une ville de Californie désire installer des panneaux solaires au-dessus des canaux d’irrigation.

Produire de l’énergie et économiser l’eau

Les projets de station solaires se multiplient partout sur Terre et même dans l’Espace. Récemment, un projet en particulier a retenu l’attention pour son côté très innovant. Dans une publication datant de septembre 2022, le Turlock Irrigation District (TID) (un service public à but non lucratif) évoque d’immenses canaux d’irrigation recouverts par des panneaux solaires. Ce projet baptisé Nexus devrait coûter environ 20 millions de dollars à l’État de Californie (États-Unis). Pour les responsables du projet, l’intérêt de cette innovation ne fait aucun doute : produire de l’électricité tout en économisant de l’eau. En effet, les panneaux recouvrant les canaux permettent de limiter l’évaporation de l’eau. Or, la Californie est une région très sèche où le manque d’eau se fait souvent sentir.


Concrètement, le TID (avec la collaboration de Solar AquaGrid) prévoit 2,5 km de panneaux solaires (5 MW) dans le cadre d’une première expérience. En cas de succès, le projet pourrait se déployer à l’échelle de la Californie et à terme générer 13 GW d’énergie renouvelable sur les 6 500 km de voies navigables qui y sont présentes. Cette quantité d’énergie pourrait couvrir un sixième des besoins de la population de l’État. De plus, des panneaux solaires plus petits sont prévus pour des canaux de largeur réduite (voir ci-dessous).


Crédits : Solar AquaGrid

Une économie se comptant en milliards de litres
Si le projet semble très intéressant en matière de production d’électricité, la lutte contre l’évaporation de l’eau des canaux l’est encore davantage. Effectivement, il s’agit de continuer à pouvoir irriguer les cultures même lorsque la région subit d’importants épisodes de sécheresse. Par ailleurs, maintenir les canaux à l’ombre permet aussi de limiter la prolifération des bactéries et donc d’améliorer la qualité de l’eau.

Pour les responsables, l’économie en eau est exceptionnelle puisque selon les estimations, les panneaux solaires installés au-dessus des canaux permettraient d’éviter l’évaporation de plus de 227 milliards de litres d’eau chaque année. Le TID indique que cette quantité d’eau correspond à l’irrigation de plus de 20 000 hectares de terres arables et à l’approvisionnement de deux millions de foyers.

Enfin, il faut savoir que ce projet californien n’est pas unique en son genre. En effet, l’État du Gujarat (Inde) a lancé en 2015 une innovation similaire capable de produire 100 MW par an.

https://sciencepost.fr/pourquoi-est-il- ... rrigation/

[GillesH38]

pas mal l'idée, je me demande ce que les écolos penseraient de bassines sous des panneaux solaires ?

à part ça ça m'énerve toujours quand on quantifie les effets en termes absolus et pas en termes relatifs, sans qu'on est une idée de quelle quantité on parle au départ. Le 100 MW par an est aussi un signe de l'inculture scientifique des rédacteurs, hélas assez générale.

[mobar]

pas mal l'idée, je me demande ce que les écolos penseraient de bassines sous des panneaux solaires ?

Les bassines chez nous et des barrages d'irrigation sur les affluents du fleuve Sénégal ou Niger en Afrique équipés de panneaux photovoltaïques ce serait un moyen tout a fait pertinent!

On y viendra surement quand le délire actuel des trolls écolos qui sont par principe contre tout sera retombé!

[energy_isere]

Début du chantier d'un parc solaire de 128 MW qui sera le plus important du Dakota du Sud.

National Grid Renewables breaks ground on 128MWac South Dakota solar farm

ByWill Norman January 11, 2023

National Grid Renewables has broken ground on its 128MWac Wild Springs solar PV project in South Dakota, which it says will be the largest solar PV project in the state to date.

The project is anticipated to begin commercial operation later in the year and will utilise US manufacturer First Solar’s Series 6 thin-film modules. The two companies agreed a 1.7GW supply deal for thin-film modules in December and a larger, 2GW deal in June 2022, though this supply is set in place for 2024-25.

National Grid Renewables, which is a division of UK utility National Grid, will offload 114MW worth of power from the Wild Springs site in a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Basin Electric Power Cooperative, a wholesale electricity generation and transmission cooperative from North Dakota.

The PPA was originally announced in 2020 under National Grid Renewables’ previous name, ‘Geronimo Energy’.

Engineering, procurement and construction for the project has been contracted to Ames Construction. The Wild Springs project is paired with a charitable fund that National Grid Renewables expects to donate US$500,000 to the local community in the first 20 years of operation.

“Wild Springs represents a continuation of our leadership in renewable energy and economic development in the state of South Dakota,” said Blake Nixon, president of National Grid Renewables.
....................

https://www.pv-tech.org/national-grid-r ... olar-farm/

[energy_isere]

Projet d'un parc solaire de 471 MW au Texas

Ørsted to build large-scale solar PV project in Texas

January 13, 2023 evwind

Continuing its growth in onshore renewables, Ørsted has decided to build the 471 MW AC Mockingbird Solar Center in Texas. Covering an area of 4,900 acres (approx. 20 km2), Mockingbird will be able to generate enough renewable energy to power more than 80,000 homes annually, making it the largest solar PV project in Ørsted’s portfolio to date.

Ørsted has taken final investment decision (FID) on Mockingbird and will start construction of the project this month. Completion of the project is expected in 2024.

...............................

https://www.evwind.es/2023/01/13/orsted ... exas/89709

[energy_isere]

US developers actively building 25 GW of solar
With 25 GW of solar now under development, on top of 107 GW of existing capacity on the US grid, the energy transition is in full swing.

FEBRUARY 20, 2023 RYAN KENNEDY

The US Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) monthly update of capacity additions shows that the energy transition is well underway. Across the United States, projects listed as actively under construction total more than 25.4 GW in capacity. This adds to the 107.5 GW of existing solar on the US grid that exists today, as reported by the EIA.

Small-scale solar projects of 1 MW or less total an estimated 39.5 GW nationwide, while utility-scale projects above that threshold total nearly 68 GW, reports EIA. There are currently 366 utility-scale projects actively being built across the United States as of the most recent EIA data release. The average size of these projects is 69 MW. Of this total, 166 projects are listed as 50% complete or more, adding 10.2 GW of capacity.

The largest project under construction is Gemini Solar, developed by Primergy, a Quinbrook Infrastructure company. This project will add 690 MW to the Nevada grid once complete. The next seven largest projects are all located in Texas, averaging 405 MW in capacity.

Texas is a dominant state for utility-scale solar project construction, with 28 projects totaling 6.7 GW in capacity, with about 240 MW as an average project size. The state’s largest active project is 500 MW.

Florida is making significant headway in the utility-scale project construction space. Just under 5 GW of capacity is currently being installed across 68 projects, averaging 73.4 MW in size. Notably, project designs are very uniform in Florida, with 65 of these projects ranging from 74 MW to 75 MW in capacity.

California follows with 3.2 GW of projects actively under construction, with a greater emphasis on distributed projects. EIA reports 45 projects underway with an average nameplate capacity of 75 MW. The state’s largest active project is 300 MW.

Another 1.96 GW of projects nationwide have been fully constructed and are awaiting final approvals to reach commercial operation. There are 48 projects that fall into this bucket, averaging 41 MW in capacity. Eight of these projects are 1 MW solar facilities in Minnesota, a market known for its standout performance in community solar projects of this size.

Solar energy is now in the center stage of the US plans for a decarbonized economy, representing 70% of high-probability utility-scale power capacity planned through 2025.

Solar’s rise to the top as a key energy resource now seems inevitable, but its fate was not always sealed. The technology contributed a negligible amount of power less than ten years ago, and the EIA did not begin reporting annual net generation of PV until 2014. In that year, solar contributed 27 TWh of electricity to the U.S. grid. Seven short years later, it generated 164 TWh in 2021, multiplying generation six times over.
.............................

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2023/02/20/ ... -of-solar/

[energy_isere]

Début de construction d'un parc solaire PV de 800 MW dans l' Illinois :

Swift Current starts work on 800MW solar PV project in Illinois

ByJonathan Touriño Jacobo March 30, 2023

US solar developer Swift Current Energy has started construction on its 800MWdc ‘Double Black Diamond’ solar PV project in central Illinois.

Commercial operation of the project is expected to be reached by fall 2024, with Swift Current owning and operating the facility.

The company selected construction company McCarthy Building Companies as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project.

Most of the project’s 1.6 million solar panels will be manufactured in the US, with thin-film manufacturer First Solar as the provider for the modules, continuing the partnership between both companies after securing a supply deal last year for 2GW of modules to be supplied in 2025-2026.

PV tracker solutions provider Nextracker has been selected to provide solar trackers for the solar PV project.

Part of the energy produced by the 800MW solar plant will be purchased by the City of Chicago, in a move from the Illinois city to procure the entirety of its power from renewables by 2025 and for which it entered into an agreement with electricity supplier Constellation and Swift Current last year.

The procurement would allow Chicago to procure energy from renewables to power several of its buildings, including its two main airports.

Insurance company State Farm and chemicals company PPG have also signed power purchase agreements with the ‘Double Black Diamond’ solar project.
.....................

https://www.pv-tech.org/swift-current-s ... -illinois/

[energy_isere]

Automatiser l’installation des panneaux sur les centrales à grande échelle
Le système automatisé de montage de centrales photovoltaïques de l’entreprise américaine Terabase vise à accroître la productivité et à réduire les coûts de construction.

MAI 12, 2023 GWÉNAËLLE DEBOUTTE


mage : Terabase

L’entreprise Terabase lance Terafab, un système automatisé d’installation solaire à grande échelle, pouvant fonctionner 24 heures sur 24 et 7 jours sur 7. Pour cela, le système informatique se base sur un jumeau numérique, un logiciel de gestion de la logistique et un centre de commande numérique.

« Nous avons testé Terafab avec succès l’année dernière, en construisant 10 MW d’un site de 400 MW au Texas. Le lancement d’aujourd’hui est la prochaine étape vers une mise à l’échelle commerciale rapide, a déclaré Matt Campbell, directeur général et cofondateur de Terabase.

Pour ce test, Terabase s’est associé au promoteur Intersect Power, à la société d’ingénierie, d’approvisionnement et de construction Signal Energy, au fournisseur de matériel de suivi NEXtracker et au fabricant de panneaux solaires First Solar pour développer l’installation Terafab. « Non seulement notre partenariat avec Terabase apporte une technologie d’installation avancée à notre module solaire de nouvelle génération de la série 7, mais il permet également un système de recyclage de l’emballage en boucle fermée conforme à notre vision d’une énergie solaire responsable, a ajouté Nick Strevel, vice-président des produits chez First Solar.

Selon Terafab, son dispositif peut non seulement doubler la vitesse d’installation des panneaux solaires, mais il peut aussi réduire les risques pour la sécurité physique des opérateurs en éliminant la nécessité de soulever de lourds panneaux solaires et des structures en acier, souvent dans des conditions météorologiques difficiles. Le système Terafab devrait être déployé commercialement à partir du troisième trimestre.

https://www.pv-magazine.fr/2023/05/12/a ... e-echelle/