Solar at Airports - Nellis
Nellis air force base is a military installation for the US Air Force, located a short distance from Las Vegas in the state of Nevada. In December 2007 a solar PV power system with 14.2 MW of capacity was completed and became operational. The estimated yearly energy output is approximately 30 GWh. The installation occupies around 56 hectares (140 acres) and is a tracker type system, made up of 5,821 SunPower T20 units.
This is easily the largest solar PV system at a US airport, and could even be the largest PV system in the world, although larger ones are being built such as the 40 MW “Waldpolenz” solar park in Germany, due for completion in 2009, and a 154 MW “heliostat” solar concentrator PV power plant being built in Victoria, Australia due for completion in 2013. The largest commercial airport solar PV system is 2MW (currently under construction at both Fresno and Denver airports).
It is estimated that the power output at Nellis will supply 25% of its requirements, which it should be pointed out is quite large as 12,000 people live and/or work there. To put its 14 MW capacity into context, a solar thermal (parabolic reflectors) power station is being built not too far away at Boulder City called Nevada Solar One, and this will have 64 MW generating capacity. The 9 solar thermal power plants built in the Californian Mojave Desert during the 1980’s have a combined capacity of 354MW.
The cost of the system is stated as USD 100 million. But this project is a good example of innovative funding operating under incentives offered through government policy. The arrangement is that MMA Renewable Ventures has financed the construction and owns and operates the facility, and sells (green) power to Nellis at a guaranteed rate for 20 years. It also sells renewable energy credits to the central utility - Nevada Power - to help them meet their mandated renewable energy targets.