World's Largest PV Solar Farm Opens

This week in Spain ,the switch was flipped on the largest installed photovolatic installation in the world.With a peak power output of 20 megawatts and an average of more than 300 days of sunlight per year,it is expected that this massive array will provide enough power for roughly 20,000 homes.

This farm surpasses the solar farm at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada which is rated at 14 megawatts. The new solar farm consists of 120,000 solar panels and covers 100 hectares in Jumilla, a wine-producing region in southern Spain.
The solar panels are owned by groups of investors. It’s expected to generate an estimated annual income of $28 million and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 42,000 tons a year. Powerlight provided single-axis solar trackers to improve the system´s performance.

You may wonder about the environmental impact of this huge development. A local Spanish association called Juncellus, was called on to ensure high environmental criteria in the construction of the plant. They included replanting around the plant, water deposits for fires, drinking troughs for birds and other such details.

Not counting this installation, renewable energy in Spain currently accounts for 7% of energy output. As one of the largest consumers of solar panels in the world, this is only expected to increase.