Electricity Deregulation Blog

Construction begins on largest photovoltaic plant.

Florida Power and Light has announced that construction is underway on what will become the nation’s largest photovoltaic solar plant.

In a statement this week, the company reported that the 25-megawatt plant should be complete at the end of the year, and will be able to power 3,000 homes, or 20 percent of DeSoto County. According to the company, the DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center will use 90,000 solar panels located on 180 acres of land.

“These are the kind of technologies we need to bring to Florida to ensure that the state is a key player in the energy economy of the future. We envision a Florida ‘CleanTech Corridor’ spanning the peninsula and filled with renewable and other clean-energy projects,” said the utility’s chief operating officer Jim Robo in a statement.

To increase efficiency, the utility noted that it is using SunPower Tracker technology, which automatically follows the sun’s movement through the day, producing about 25 percent in additional power capacity.

The company also noted that photovoltaic technology is more commonly associated with solar roof installations, but that recent advances have made commercial endeavors such as this one.

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