Conceptual Design Of A 50 Mw Central Station Photovoltaic Power Plant

The application of photovoltaics (PV) for utility power plants has received considerable attention in the past few years. Numerous investigations have reported on effects of design parameters, installation costs and performance of power plants based on crystalline silicon PV technology. This paper presents a conceptual design of 50 MW PV power plant based on the technology of thin film amorphous silicon (A-Si) panels. The design is for a location in central New Jersey; the performance evaluation is based on actual insolation data. The design criterion minimizes the installed plant cost per annual kilowatt-hour of energy generated. The cost performance is compared to a value analysis made on this design in conjunction with the Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G).