21-Megawatt Solar Power Plant Opens in California
California-based solar panel producer First Solar has opened a 21-megawatt power plant in Blythe, making it the largest photovoltaic solar power plant in the country. Utilizing thin film solar cells made out of cadmium telluride, the plant will be able to generate power for about 17,000 southern California homes.
A project that took only three months to construct, the Blythe solar plant is already set to be replicated across the state. In order to spur California to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals that were put in place by Governor Schwarzenegger, Southern California Edison, a local power company, has agreed to purchase solar power from First Solar's Blythe plant for 20 years.
The thin cell technology used by First Solar to produce its panels is the most cost effective in the industry. The technology is so reliable and effective that First Solar has been able to sign deals with municipalities around the world to build utility-scale energy plants. Though not as efficient as silicon-based solar panels, the cadmium telluride cells are much more cost effective and seem to hold the most potential for large-scale use.
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