Mar 11 2010
Canadian Solar Inc., one of the largest solar companies in the world, announced that the solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system at Minturn Huller Cooperative has been activated. The Cooperative is a leading almond huller and sheller in Central Valley, California. The 540-kW ground-mount solar system comprises high-performance solar modules manufactured by Canadian Solar.
The new solar power system at Minturn Huller started generating clean energy in December 2009, and with a projected output of 788 MWh per annum, the Cooperative is expected to save approximately 20% of its energy costs, or about $40,000 per year.
General Manager with Minturn Huller Cooperative, Jeff Hamilton, said the Cooperative operates continuously from August to November without break and the process of removing hulls and shells from nuts is electric intensive. Hamilton further commented that costs for the agricultural community continue to increase every year and solar energy utilization will enable the Cooperative to manage its budget better without any decline in process quality.
The solar power system at Minturn Huller comprises over 2,700 CS6P-200PE e-Modules covering an area of two acres of land. At peak capacity, the system generates 788,000 kW/h per annum. The solar energy system will prevent 412,907 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per annum.
The system was designed, engineered and installed by Cenergy Power, a leading solar power system developer for the agricultural sector. The company also provided project finance to Minturn Huller with an option for the Cooperative to buy the solar energy system after seven years. In Madera County, this distributed solar system is the biggest to date.