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Renewable Energy News

THURSDAY 24 MAY, 2012 |

World's Largest CIS Solar Farm Connected

by Energy Matters

Solar Frontier and Germany's BELECTRIC have announced the completion and grid connection of the world's largest CIS thin-film solar power plant in Bochow, Brandenburg, Germany.

Approximately 205,000 Solar Frontier CIS (Copper, Indium, Selenium) thin-film modules have been used in the solar farm. Total output capacity of the facility is 28.8MW.

Solar Frontier CIS solar panels were chosen for the project for their high efficiency and performance; particularly under low light conditions. The company's CIS thin film modules feature a temperature coefficient of around 30-50% lower than many crystalline solar panels and have an energy payback time of approximately one year.

The modules were produced at Solar Frontier’s gigawatt-scale Kunitomi plant in Miyazaki, Japan, the world's largest CIS production plant. More than 700MW of Solar Frontier panels have been installed since 2010 according to the company.

The Brandenburg facility investor is CommerzReal and the financing was provided by HypoVereinsbank (HBV) /UniCredit.

"The commissioning of this CIS thin-film solar power plant is an important step in the transition to renewable energy and highlights the achievements of the Brandenburg region," said Martin Zembsch, CSO BELECTRIC Solarkraftwerke GmbH.

In March, BELECTRIC and Solar Frontier formed a new joint venture company, PV CIStems GmbH & Co. KG; which evolved after several projects including ground-mounted solar farms in France and Germany and the world’s largest PV system on a car park in Saudi Arabia.

BELECTRIC also recently announced it had become the first company in the world to install more than 1 gigawatt of photovoltaic power. The company is no stranger to CIS technology, having installed the first grid-connected CIS thin-film system in Europe in 2001.

Solar Frontier panels are also now available for the Australian commercial and home solar power market.