Mesquite Solar project
The Mesquite Solar project is a 512.5-megawatt (MWAC) photovoltaic power plant in Arlington, Maricopa County, Arizona, owned by Sempra Generation and Consolidated Edison Development Inc. The first three phases of the project were constructed using more than 2.1 million crystalline silicon solar panels made by Suntech Power.[1][2] Mesquite 4 and 5 added another 112.5 MW and 70 MW of battery storage.
Project details
Construction of Phase 1 over a 3.6 km2 site adjacent the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station began in 2011 and was completed in January 2013.[3][4] It has a nameplate capacity of 150 megawatts (MW) that is contracted through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).[5] The EPC contractor was Zachry Holdings.[6] Phase 1 cost about $600 million, is projected to generate more than 350 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually (an average of about 40 MW), and will offset roughly 200,000 tons of carbon emissions each year.[6][7]
Phase 2 (100MW) and Phase 3 (150MW) were both completed in December 2016.[8][9][10] The panels are mounted on single-axis trackers to increase electricity production.
Mesquite 4 is a 52.5 MW solar farm with 10 MW of batteries. Mesquite 5 is a 60 MW solar farm with 60 MW of batteries. Mesquite 4 came online in January 2024 while Mesquite 5 came online in July 2023. [11]
Electricity production
Year | Total Annual MW·h |
---|---|
2011 | 2,956 |
2012 | 233,105 |
2013 | 413,611 |
2014 | 408,218 |
2015 | 397,599 |
2016 | 442,565 |
2017 | 1,145,231 |
2018 | 1,145,816 |
2019 | 1,109,029 |
Average (2017–2019) | 1,133,359 |
Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | 1,711 | 1,245 | 2,956 | ||||||||||
2012 | 6,830 | 8,261 | 10,848 | 14,729 | 20,300 | 20,717 | 22,784 | 26,070 | 25,060 | 27,809 | 25,008 | 24,689 | 233,105 |
2013 | 26,897 | 31,203 | 35,698 | 37,963 | 39,751 | 39,487 | 38,113 | 36,261 | 35,489 | 38,806 | 27,362 | 26,581 | 413,611 |
2014 | 29,466 | 28,570 | 39,157 | 40,084 | 42,765 | 40,304 | 37,138 | 35,717 | 34,451 | 32,627 | 27,236 | 20,703 | 408,218 |
2015 | 20,029 | 30,905 | 37,089 | 40,474 | 40,419 | 37,689 | 35,962 | 36,967 | 33,285 | 31,139 | 29,199 | 24,442 | 397,599 |
2016 | 23,919 | 32,350 | 36,412 | 37,321 | 42,442 | 39,309 | 38,869 | 38,069 | 33,660 | 34,753 | 28,321 | 22,825 | 408,250 |
2017 | 18,968 | 23,127 | 39,542 | 43,048 | 45,896 | 51,628 | 31,943 | 39,425 | 40,513 | 37,184 | 22,096 | 20,363 | 413,734 |
2018 | 23,598 | 25,234 | 32,580 | 38,786 | 48,925 | 47,774 | 42,202 | 42,713 | 41,106 | 29,406 | 25,482 | 17,198 | 415,004 |
2019 | 21,519 | 21,215 | 33,843 | 40,244 | 42,179 | 47,752 | 42,113 | 45,612 | 36,747 | 37,825 | 21,338 | 16,959 | 407,345 |
Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 13,255 | 13,255 | |||||||||||
2017 | 15,016 | 16,794 | 26,698 | 29,176 | 31,992 | 32,486 | 29,490 | 28,681 | 26,392 | 23,857 | 15,275 | 15,040 | 290,897 |
2018 | 17,201 | 18,569 | 24,484 | 28,562 | 32,739 | 31,729 | 29,461 | 29,075 | 26,015 | 16,891 | 15,900 | 14,396 | 285,023 |
2019 | 16,090 | 14,280 | 19,916 | 21,340 | 22,983 | 30,941 | 29,656 | 29,898 | 23,634 | 23,723 | 13,615 | 9,971 | 256,047 |
Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | 21,060 | 21,060 | |||||||||||
2017 | 22,673 | 25,705 | 40,558 | 43,985 | 48,952 | 49,978 | 44,174 | 43,447 | 39,846 | 35,670 | 23,425 | 22,187 | 440,600 |
2018 | 25,678 | 28,450 | 38,984 | 43,517 | 50,609 | 48,203 | 44,817 | 44,342 | 39,830 | 31,777 | 27,684 | 21,898 | 445,789 |
2019 | 25,460 | 26,613 | 38,070 | 43,410 | 47,869 | 48,938 | 45,483 | 45,652 | 39,165 | 39,109 | 25,772 | 20,096 | 445,637 |
See also
References
- ^ Wesoff, Eric (February 3, 2011). "Suntech to Supply 800,000 PV Panels for Sempra's Mesquite 1". Greentech Media. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
- ^ Woody, Todd (February 4, 2011). "Arizona Solar Plant Picks Chinese Supplier". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
- ^ "Sempra Generation Mesquite Solar Phase 1". Retrieved 2018-12-31.
- ^ Sempra Completes first phase of Mesquite Solar Project
- ^ "Sempra Generation Contracts With PG&E for 150 MW of Solar Power". CNNMoney.com. October 12, 2010. Retrieved 2013-04-25.
- ^ a b "Sempra Generation Selects Suntech and Zachry for Landmark Arizona Solar Power Plant". Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. February 3, 2011. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
- ^ Goossens, Ehren (February 3, 2011). "Sempra Buying Suntech Panels for 150-Megawatt Solar Project". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
Scott Crider, a Sempra Generation spokesman, would not give a price for the Mesquite project. Photovoltaic "projects can range from $3.5 to $5.5 million per megawatt, that's the general industry standard," he said in an interview.
- ^ "Sempra Generation Mesquite Solar Phase 2". Retrieved 2018-12-31.
- ^ "Sempra Generation Mesquite Solar Phase 3". Retrieved 2018-12-31.
- ^ Table 6.3. New Utility Scale Generating Units by Operating Company, Plant, Month, and Year, Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, February 24, 2017
- ^ "Table 6.3. New Utility Scale Generating Units by Operating Company, Plant, and Month, 2023, Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, February, 2024". Retrieved May 19, 2024.
- ^ "Mesquite Solar 1, Monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
- ^ "Mesquite Solar 2, Monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
- ^ "Mesquite Solar 3, Monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
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