Solar Frontier, the world’s largest manufacturer of CIS solar panels, received the Intersolar North America Project of the Year Award last week for the Catalina Solar Project.
The largest Solar Frontier CIS (copper, indium and selenium) solar installation in the USA, the Catalina Solar Project is located in Kern County, California.
Construction began in May 2012 and was completed in August of 2013. During the construction phase, the project employed more than 500 workers.
550,000 modules were used in the 143.2 MW project, with 82.5MW of its capacity comprising Solar Frontier panels. SMA inverters were also used for the facility. Catalina produces enough electricity to power 35,000 households.
“We’re pleased this project has been recognized,” said Charles Pimentel, COO of Solar Frontier Americas. “ It is another example for investors and project developers to take note of the strength of our technology’s performance and our growth in the US market.”
Solar Frontier modules offer the highest conversion efficiency of any mass-produced thin-film panel, are free of cadmium telluride and have a low temperature coefficient. Additionally, the panels feature a “light soaking effect,” boosting power output above their initial rating. Solar Frontier says Energy Payback Time (EPT) of its modules is just 0.9 years as CIS technology requires 60% less energy to produce than standard crystalline silicon panels.
In other recent Solar Frontier news, the company opened an office in the United Kingdom early this month.
“The UK office is an important step in Solar Frontier’s global expansion strategy to further grow our business in key global markets,” said Wolfgang Lange, Managing Director of Solar Frontier Europe.
Solar Frontier has been active in the UK since 2012. Among the projects it has supplied panels for is a 16.5 MW ground-mounted installation in Turweston and a 7.15 MW CIS solar power plant in Banwell.
In June, Solar Frontier and PSA Singapore Terminals completed the first installation of Solar Frontier’s prototype ultra-light and bendable CIS thin-film modules. The panels are just 1.5mm thick and 1/3 the weight of standard modules.
In May, Solar Frontier announced an agreement with Gestamp Solar to acquire 280 MW of its solar power project pipeline.
