Increasing power and energy in Amonix solar power plants

Large-scale CPV power plants are expected to deliver the high energy production and low electricity cost that will allow PV to become a substantial portion of the electrical grid supply. High concentration minimizes the semiconductor material costs. Dual-axis tracking delivers higher capacity factors and provides a better match to electricity demand. In order to prove the net cost benefits, however, annual deployments must exceed the tens of MW range. CPV companies, including Amonix, are reaching this level in 2011. Annual performance improvements combined with aggressive cost reductions are the means for Amonix to win the projects it needs to gain more economies of scale. Solar power generators deployed in 2011 exceed previous performance by more than 10%. Rated output now exceeds 60 kW_AC-PTC and AC system efficiency exceeds 27%. A similar increase in performance is expected by 2012. Expanding reliability and qualification testing reinforce the bankability of the systems being deployed.