California College Announces Nation's Largest Concentrator Photovoltaic Array
Wednesday, May 26th 2010 7:15 PM
By GetSolar Staff.
Victor Valley College in Victorville, California is now the site of the country's largest concentrator photovoltaic array.
On May 25, the school formally introduced its new 1-megawatt solar installation. The array will generate an estimated 2.6 million kilowatt-hours of solar energy each year, providing 30 percent of Victor Valley College's electricity needs.
The university's solar array features a technology called concentrator photovoltaic, which uses a system of highly reflective panels to concentrate sunlight on a series of small solar cells. The cells are twice as efficient as those used in conventional panels - and because they use only a fraction of the expensive solar material that conventional panels do, they can be cheaper to manufacture.
Al McQuilkin of gppworks, the project manager for Victor Valley College's solar array, noted that the array had a payback period of just five years - far shorter than many conventional solar-power systems. Victor Valley's president, Christopher O'Hearn, noted that the array would help the school save money on electricity and "provide the ideal testing ground for our students to build green careers."
For Victor Valley, going solar provides a multitude of benefits.
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Victor Valley College in Victorville, California is now the site of the country's largest concentrator photovoltaic array.
