Solar power in Chile

Solar car developed by the University of Chile

Solar power in Chile has the potential of producing all of the electricity used in Chile. Northern Chile has the highest solar incidence in the world.[1]

In 2014, a 100 MW photovoltaic plant located near Copiapó in the Atacama Desert was inaugurated. It was developed by Amanecer Solar CAP, and was the largest in Latin America at the time.[2]

The 70 MW Salvador Solar Park went online in November 2014 in the Atacama region.[3] It was expected to produce 200 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year. The plant is one of the first in the world to supply competitively priced solar energy to the open market without government subsidy.[4]

Irradiance

Chilean solar potential
Source: NREL[5]


Projects and installed capacity

Chile Photovoltaics Capacity (MWp)[6]
Year (december) Installed capacity operating Under construction Presented for environmental assessement
2011 0 1 <769
2012 2 2.5 4,109
2013 6.7 128 8,184
2014 (end of Nov) 460.3 [7] 873 10,724


See also

References

  1. ↑ Inter-American Development Bank (Dec 15, 2011). "Renewable energy to power irrigation in the Atacama desert". Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "President Bachelet of Chile Inaugurates Latin America's Largest Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant", in abc27, 6 June 2014
  3. ↑ Etrion Completes 70 MW Salvador Solar Park In Chile, Solar Industry, 04 November 2014
  4. ↑ Total, SunPower complete 70 MW PV Salvador solar power plant in Chile, SunPower Corp., January 23, 2015
  5. ↑ "PV Watts". NREL. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
  6. ↑ Centro de Energías Renovables, CORFO (July 2014). "Reporte CER". Retrieved 22 July 2014.
  7. ↑