Project Overview

Mount Signal Solar Farm is a Photovoltaic (PV) power plant located in California, US. It is also known as the ‘Imperial Valley Solar Project’. Avantus formerly Known as 8minutenergy Renewables developed the project in three phases. Out of the three phases, the first phase was completed in 2014. The second phase was completed in 2020, and the third was operational in 2018.

It is one of the largest solar farms in the US, with a total capacity of 794 MW. The total cost of building this power plant is approximately USD 1.1 billion. The purpose was to supply clean, renewable energy to Southern California, reduce carbon emissions, and support the region’s transition to sustainable energy.

Many environmental groups support the project, as it is built on low-productivity farmland. These include the Sierra Club, Audubon California, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. It is the first solar power plant in the California Desert to gain such support. 

Project Background

Initially, the Mount Signal Solar Plant project was called SES Solar Two. The Stirling engine design was approved by the California Energy Commission on September 29, 2010, for this project. Later, AES Solar changed its name to Imperial Valley Solar. On June 30, 2011, it informed the commission that it would no longer pursue the project.

Then, on February 17, 2012, AES Solar & 8minutenergy Renewables announced its plan to restart the project. But this time, the project changed from solar thermal to solar photovoltaic. Along with technology, the project name changed to Mount Signal Solar Farm. 

Phase I was online in 2014. Its construction started in 2012. It has a total capacity of 265.7 MW. Out of this, 200 MW will be provided to San Diego Gas & Electric under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) from 2014. 

Phase II commenced construction in May 2014 and went online in January 2020. It has a total capacity of 200 MW. Out of this, 153.52 MW of power will be provided to Southern California Edison under a power purchase agreement of 20 years. It started in 2020 and is sold at USD 0.101 KWh. 

Phase III of the project went online in December 2018. It will generate 328 MW, of which 252 MW will be sold to Southern California Edison. It is provided under a power purchase agreement of 20 years. 

Project Scope

The Mount Signal Solar Farm is built in three phases on the land of Imperial County, California. It has the potential to improve operational efficiency and technological integration. The project scope includes the following.

• Technological advancement: The farm has installed advanced PV modules and inverters. This improves energy conversion efficiency and overall performance. 
  

• Improved Infrastructure: Unifying the solar output with the electrical grid reduced losses and increased capacity. 

• Environmental effect: All three phases of the project have benefited the environment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions every year. 

• Use of low-productivity farmland: The project is built on low-productivity farmland. Thus, it has zero impact on precious agricultural land. 

• PV Modules: Phase I of the project has used 3 million First Solar Series 3 thin-film CdTe photovoltaic modules. Phase II used the First Solar Series 4 thin-film modules. Further, Phase III has used 2.8 million First Solar Series 4 thin-film panels. 

Project Location

The Mount Signal Solar Farm is a photovoltaic power plant located west of Calexico, California. It is in Imperial County, California, approximately 100 miles east of San Diego. 

Project cost of the Mount Signal Solar Farm

The Mount Signal Solar Firm, built in three phases, has an estimated cost of USD 1.1 billion. The first phase costs USD 365 million, which is about USD 1.77 million per MW AC.

Mount Signal Solar 1

The Mount Signal Solar 1 is a 265.7 MW power plant, operational in 2014. It was developed by Avantus & Silver Ridge Power. It is currently owned by TerraForm Power. It is a ground-mounted solar project, spread over 1,963 acres. It has used 3 million First Solar Series 3 thin-film modules with Dura Track HZ single-axis trackers.

It generates 500,000 MWh of electricity and powers approximately 72,000 households with clean energy. It reduces around 356,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions in a year. Out of 265.7 MW, 200 MW will be provided to San Diego Gas & Electric under a 25-year agreement from 2014. 

Contractors Involved

• Abengoa was selected as an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the Mount Signal Solar PV Plant. 
  

• First Solar was selected to supply PV Modules for the project. 

• Elettronica Santerno was selected to supply the project inverters. It provided around 138 inverters for this.  

• Array Technologies, First Solar, and SatCon Technology have received the PV trackers for the project.

• The Operation and Maintenance (O&M) service contract for the PV project was signed with Swinerton Renewable Energy. 

Mount Signal Solar 2

Mount Signal Solar 2 is a 200 MW Solar PV Plant, operational in 2020. It is developed by Avantus, New Energy Solar, and Silver Ridge Power. It is Co-owned by 8minuteenergy Renewables and New Energy Solar. They both hold a 50% share in the project.

It is spread over 1,200 acres and generates 464,200 MWh of electricity. It powers around 70,000 homes with clean energy. It also benefits the environment by offsetting 247,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. 

A power purchase agreement is signed with Southern California Edison to sell the 153.52 MW of power for 20 years. It started in 2020 and is sold at a rate of USD 0.101kWh. 

Contractors Involved

• The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for Phase II was signed with Swinerton Renewable Energy. 

• First Solar was selected to supply PV modules for the project. It installed 500,000 modules in the second phase. 

• Power Electronics España was selected to supply inverters for Phase II.
  

• NEXTracker has supplied single-axis trackers for the project. 

• The O&M service contract was signed with First Solar and NovaSource Power Services. 

Mount Signal Solar 3

Mount Signal Solar 3 is a 328 MW Solar PV plant that was operational in 2018.  It is developed by Anantus and Silver Ridge Power. Currently, it is owned by Capital Dynamics with a 100% ownership share. 

It is spread over 2,000 acres and generates around 770,000 MWh of electricity. It supplies around 114,000 homes with clean energy. It also neutralizes 530,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Out of 328 MW, 252 MW will be sold to Southern California Edison under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The contract was signed in 2014. 

Mount Signal Solar 1 and 3 jointly make 1.29 billion kWh of clean energy for the residents in Southern California Counties. It powers around 192,000 homes and reduces 850,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. 

Contractors Involved

• M.A. Mortenson was given the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the project.

• First Solar was the supplier of PV Modules for the project. It supplied around 2,800,000 modules at the site. 

• TMEIC supplied 96 Solar Ware Samurai 2700 inverters to the project site. 

• NEXTracker supplied horizontal single-axis trackers for the project.

Investors of Mount Signal Solar Park

Timeline

Benefits of the Mount Signal PV Park

The project benefits the country's regional, economic, and environmental sectors. These are as follows: 

• Generating clean energy: Mount Signal Solar 1 and 3 jointly make 1.29 billion kWh of clean energy for the residents in Southern California Counties. It powers around 192,000 homes and reduces 850,000 tons of carbon emissions every year. 

• Reducing carbon dioxide emissions: The project reduces approximately 1.1 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions yearly.
  

• Job creation: The project has generated multiple jobs during the project's construction phase. More than 200 local jobs were created specifically in the second phase of the project. 

• Boost in local economy: Generating local jobs also boosts the local economy and supports small businesses. 

• Community engagement: The project has brought active community engagement. Through educational programmes and community initiatives, it spread awareness of solar energy and its benefits. 
  

• Improved infrastructure: The project has resulted in improved infrastructure. In addition to funding local schools, it includes improvements to local facilities.  

Conclusion

The project is a key milestone for renewable energy projects, highlighting the possibility of PV systems meeting energy demands. It fulfills California’s renewable energy goals and underlines solar energy’s potential nationwide. Along with this, it has transcended low-productivity farmland into a hub of clean energy generation. 

Utilizing advanced PV technology, including thin-film modules and innovative solar tracker systems, the Mount Signal Solar Farm exemplifies innovation in solar energy deployment. These technologies enhance energy conversion efficiency and system performance, setting a benchmark for future large-scale solar projects.

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