PSEG Solar Source has completed 19.3 megawatt (MW) DC (15 MW AC) PSEG Badger 1 Solar Farm located on approximately 172 acres west of Phoenix, Arizona.
The solar farm was developed and constructed by juwi solar Inc. (JSI).
Arizona Public Service Company (APS), the state’s largest and longest serving electric utility will purchase the electricity produced by the facility through a 30-year agreement. Badger 1 Solar will generate enough energy to meet the electricity needs of approximately 3,560 homes.
The solar farm utilizes crystalline panels manufactured by Canadian Solar and a single-axis tracking system manufactured by Array Technologies that allows the panels to track the sun across the sky and increases the amount of electricity generated by each panel.
In addition, the project includes inverters manufactured and tested by Phoenix-based Power One. Inverters convert electricity from direct current or DC (which is produced by the solar panels), to alternating current or AC (as it is used in homes and businesses).
Diana Drysdale, president, PSEG Solar Source, said, “PSEG Solar Source is actively seeking additional utility-sized solar projects in the U.S., where companies either need to meet renewable energy requirements or want to offer their customers clean, emissions-free solar energy.”
“This project is yet another example of utility-scale solar becoming increasingly cost-competitive with other sources of energy and providing a clean, efficient and low-cost option for Arizona’s ratepayers,” said Michael Martin, CEO of JSI.
Under a separate agreement, JSI will also perform operation and maintenance services for the project.
PSEG Solar Source is a subsidiary of PSEG, a diversified energy company based in New Jersey. This is the second Arizona project and the sixth solar project for PSEG Solar Source totaling 88.5 MW DC. JSI developed and constructed each of these projects.
PSEG Solar Source currently owns: The PSEG Milford Solar Farm, a 15 MW DC solar farm in Milford, Delaware; The PSEG Queen Creek Solar Farm, a 25 MW DC solar farm in Queen Creek, Arizona; The PSEG Wyandot Solar farm, a 12 MW DC solar farm in Wyandot County, Ohio; The PSEG Jacksonville Solar Farm, a 15 MW DC solar farm in Jacksonville, Florida; and The Mars Solar Garden, a 2.2 MW DC facility located adjacent to the Mars Snackfood’s U.S. headquarters in Hackettstown, New Jersey.