Massive solar plant just over the horizon

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A couple weeks ago I had the unique opportunity to travel with the Salida 5th graders on a field trip to one of the world’s largest solar photovoltaic facilities — from downtown Salida it took less than an hour to get there.

Located just south of Salida in the San Luis Valley, this giant facility has been mystifying valley travelers since going online last year. SunEdison owns the Alamosa Photovoltaic Solar Plant and sells the power to Xcel Energy. The facility helps Xcel, the state’s largest utility, comply with Amendment 37 and the state’s new renewable energy standard. The standard, signed into law by Gov. Ritter in 2007, requires that utilities like Xcel obtain 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

“With wind farms across the plains, new biodiesel and ethanol plants, the National Renewable Energy Lab, innovative businesses like SunEdison and Xcel Energy and this solar energy project, Colorado really is the renewable energy capital of the Nation,” says Senator Ken Salazar.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory rates the San Luis Valley as having the best solar power conditions in Colorado. The plant creates enough clean energy to power nearly 1,500 homes a year operating at full capacity, which is unrealistic. In reality, the plant will power roughly 5000 homes based on average household energy needs. In addition, the plant generates enough clean energy to remove the carbon emissions produced by 2,840 cars driving 12,500 miles annually or roughly 710,000,000 miles over 20 years. Since going online in 2007, the boom has continued around the world, and already this plant is being dwarfed in size, capacity and efficiency by new facilities.

The solar power plant near the substation is unique in that it consists of three distinct types of solar technologies: single axis tracking array, fixed-mount array and dual axis tracking array. According to Karen Hyde, vice president of resource planning and acquisition at Xcel Energy, “This is a unique facility – three types of solar technologies have been deployed in parallel. Performance monitoring will allow us to study the system’s performance and evaluate the relative benefits of each technology over the system’s expected 20-year lifespan.”

A German partner is doing much of the monitoring and comparative studies. The system can be remotely-controlled from their offices in Germany. It’s truly amazing to watch these massive dual axis arrays, the largest in the world, make micro-movements to meet the optimum angle of sun and earth.

Building the solar power plant created about 50 temporary jobs in Alamosa and the San Luis Valley. Now, however, it is run by a small maintenance crew located in Alamosa. This may have been one of the most striking parts of the day; total silence. Unlike any other form of power generation, the plant sits silent. It quietly gathers power almost of its own volition.

Stepping back onto the big yellow dinosaur to leave was something that will likely be lost on my traveling companions when they are my age, but hopefully one day they will recall the black diesel smoke that was about to cloud the humble sun farmers’ domain. As I stepped back on the bus I took one more picture of almost 30,000 solar panels. Looking to the east, the sand dunes rose majestically to meet the mighty snow-capped Sangres, and other than the chatter of the low-rising tour group, all I could hear was the breeze. The smell was intoxicating however, it was the fresh scent of a new energy economy on the horizon.

Follow-up

If you go to the plant you will find literally no information, simply tall cyclone fences surrounding the facility. Through the excellent work of Samantha Lane and Carrie Gordina, two Salida Middle School 5th-grade teachers, the tour was assembled with only slight headaches and a few phone calls. Once inside, the lonely crew seemed sincerely thrilled to show off the facility. I would guess tours for groups will be more easily arranged in the future as the plant settles into routine operation. If anyone else has had another experience at the Alamosa SunEdison plant, please comment below. Thanks again to Samantha, Carrie and Dewey for your time, patience and excellent work putting this trip together. My youngest son, as well as the entire 5th grade, is better for it.

See also: Alamosa solar plant’s success helps prove resource’s viability on large scale (Denver Post)