Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant

Sarnia Solar
Location of the Sarnia Solar is in Southwestern Ontario
Country	Canada
Location	Sarnia, Ontario
Coordinates	42°56′16″N 82°20′30″W / 42.93778°N 82.34167°W / 42.93778; -82.34167Coordinates: 42°56′16″N 82°20′30″W / 42.93778°N 82.34167°W / 42.93778; -82.34167
Status	Operational
Commission date	December 2009
Construction cost	$400 Million
Owner(s)	Enbridge
Operator(s)	First Solar O&M
Solar farm
Type	Flat-panel PV
Site area	1,100 acres (450 ha)[1]
Power generation
Units operational	1,300,000
Nameplate capacity	97 MW
Annual generation	120 GWh

Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant near Sarnia, Ontario in Canada, in September 2010 was the world's largest photovoltaic plant with an installed capacity of 97 MW_p.^[2][3][4] It has since been surpassed by the Agua Caliente Solar Project, with its 247 megawatts [MW] (331,200 hp) installed capacity.

In 2009, Ontario introduced a feed-in tariff renewable energy payments program paying up to CDN 44.3 cents per kW·h for large ground arrays such as the Sarnia plant.^[5] This makes Ontario's one of the top feed in tariff programs in the world.

Phase I (for 20 MW_p) was completed in December 2009.^[6] Phase II (60 MW_p) was completed in September 2010 at a cost of C$300 million.^[7][8][9] The project was developed by Enbridge.^[10]

First Solar developed, engineered, and constructed the facility, and it will operate the Sarnia Solar Project for Enbridge under a long-term contract. Enbridge will sell the power output of the facility to the Ontario Power Authority pursuant to 20-year power purchase agreements under the terms of the Ontario government's Renewable Energy Standard Offer Program.

The plant covers 1,100 acres (445.2 ha) and contains about 635 acres (96.6 ha) of modules, which is about 1.3 million thin-film panels. The expected annual energy yield is about 120,000 MW·h, which if produced in a coal-fired plant, would require emission of 39,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

See also

• Photovoltaic power stations

References