ENERGY increasingly pronounced in hot and humid locations , which explains why First Solar ’ s modules are installed in the majority of utility-scale projects in Australia .
In addition to the continued trend of efficiency records , First Solar ’ s modules are amongst the highest quality , most reliable modules in the world , having passed the industry ’ s most rigorous multi-stress testing protocols such including Atlas 25 +, IEC Long Term Sequential and Thresher Tests .
“ The cost of a power plant is very important , but the commercial and financial viability of both the project and the company that stands behind it is equally important ,” said Curtis . “ Predictable lifetime energy is critical to confidently project the expected value of the sellable energy from a PV plant designed for long-term operation .”
Current projects First Solar ’ s two primary ongoing installations in New South Wales include its Nyngan and Broken Hill projects .
The 102-megawatt Nyngan installation will be the largest solar project in the Southern Hemisphere and is being constructed for AGL Energy .
In addition , First Solar developed , owns , and operates a diesel-hybrid project in Queensland . Electricity from the project will be sold to Rio Tinto Alcan under a long term PPA . Combing solar power with existing diesel generation offsets the cost of the fuel optimizes the efficiency of gensets and provides a more economical solution .
“ That is an application that we think exhibits a lot of potential ,” said Curtis . “ We think combining diesel with solar represents a very significant market , so it ’ s a project we ’ re also pretty excited about .”
Thriving in a Skeptical Market Curtis said he has noticed a large shift in Australia ’ s perception of solar energy , as it has gone from just being a niche market to one that is now a common solution .
“ Australia historically has been a bit behind the curve when it comes to utility solar adoption ,” said Curtis . “ However , I think the large power companies in Australia are seeing what ’ s starting to happen globally
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