A competition of tracking photovoltaic systems in a southwestern electric utility transmission and distribution application

Arizona Public Service (APS) is doing a Utility Photovoltaic Group (UPVG) TEAM-UP project comparing commercially-available tracking photovoltaic (PV) technologies. This is a 125 kWp project consisting of 25 kWp of tracking PV systems from 6 vendors in a Survey Phase and 100 kWp in an electric utility transmission and distribution support role in the Field Phase. This maximizes APS´s and the PV vendors´technology development and results in the selection of the most cost effective hardware for the Field Phase with minimum risk. This paper covers why APS is pursuing tracking PV technology, how candidate vendors were identified, our installation experience, and early operation performance. The principle goal of this effort is to assist APS in developing economically self-sustaining use of PV by the year 2000