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Renewable Energy News

THURSDAY 01 DECEMBER, 2011 |

200MW Solar Farm Project For Florida

by Energy Matters

Florida's National Solar Power has announced the inking of a deal with Hardee County, Fla. to establish a network of solar farms in the area totaling 200MW capacity.

Ten 200-acre PV solar panel based farms are planned for Hardee at a cost of $70 million each. National Solar Power estimates the project will create 200 jobs during the five-year construction period and up to 50 permanent operations jobs.

"This breakthrough approach to photovoltaic energy production and innovative financial structure provides confidence in the project's success along with affordable and significant energy solutions for everyone," said Bill Lambert, Hardee County Economic Development Director.

The $700 million project will be the company’s second major solar farm network announcement in recent times, with the first being in Gadsden County, also in Florida. A much larger project, the Gadsden County solar farm network will total 400MW and represents a $1.5 billion investment. As we reported in August, competition for that project was intense and Gadsden County was chosen from a list of 7 finalist communities.

National Solar Power has also announced the creation of Green Infrastructure Partners, LLC to help fund renewable energy projects such as the solar farms being constructed in Hardee and Gadsden counties.

National Solar Power was founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Florida and has already has executed power supply agreements for more than 3000 MW of solar farms in the Southeastern US.

While the southwest of the United States has the largest solar resource in the continental U.S., Florida is also blessed with significant solar irradiation levels. According to the Florida Solar Energy Center, the state has 85% of the maximum PV resource of any location in the nation. A 2007 study by the Center found a 2kW home solar power system installed in the state was capable of generating 7.2 kWh electricity a day on average out of a maximum of 8.5 kWh/day possible - and solar panel conversion efficiency has improved greatly since that time.