AU Optronics (AUO) has announced a 9 MW solar power project in the Pennsylvania School District, which will be the largest solar farm in the state.
The 62 acre site will host 37,500 AUO solar panels and generate 10.88 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, while avoiding up to 6,663 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The solar farm will service 5 nearby schools with a total of 5,000 students and construction is expected to be completed by the end of September this year.
AUO’s statement indicates the modules will be manufactured in the USA, but no further details were provided.
AU Optronics is based in Taiwan and also has solar module manufacturing facilities in Europe, China, Singapore and Japan.
In 2010, AUO teamed up with SunPower to construct a facility in Malaysia that will be completed in 2013. When operating at full capacity, the plant is expected to produce more than 1,400 megawatts of high-efficiency solar cells annually. The facility itself will have a special focus on energy efficiency, incorporating systems such as a solar panel covered parking lot, rooftop solar throughout the facility, rainwater harvesting, heat recovery air compressors for hot water and efficient cooling systems.
Originally and still a manufacturer of thin film transistor liquid crystal display panels (TFT-LCD), AUO branched out into the solar photovoltaic sector in 2008.
A relative newcomer to the Australian home solar power market, AUO EcoDuo and Green Triplex solar panels are characterised by a unique photocatalyst treatment that decomposes surface contamination, increasing performance over the long term.
The company also produces the AC Unison, a module that outputs AC current instead of DC. AC solar panels incorporate a micro-inverter on the rear of the panel, avoiding the need for a separate solar inverter.
AU Optronics Corp is a vertically integrated player in the solar panel industry and was listed among the top 100 green companies in China in 2010.
