The American army has the world’s largest PV farm with energy storage
The project is situated on a California Air Force base, spanning more than 1,800 hectares. The photovoltaic farm has a substantial capacity of 875 MW, and the energy storage capacity is 3.3 GWh.
Proekt employs 1.9 million solar panels manufactured by First Solar and utilizes batteries from LG Chem, Samsung, and BYD. The installation process involves the use of nearly 160 kilometers of medium voltage cables, 580 kilometers of direct current cables, and a total of 120,720 batteries.
A record-breaking undertaking
This stands as the most extensive public-private partnership ever seen in the history of the US Department of Defense. Over 1,000 employees actively contributed to the project, accumulating a remarkable one million man-hours for its implementation. Globally, this American initiative surpasses all others of its kind, surpassing the former record-holder, the Vistra Moss Landing project, also situated in California.
California deserts and PV
The installation on the Air Force base is not the sole project of its kind in the area. California’s Mojave Desert has undergone a significant transformation into a solar energy hub, featuring projects like the Riverside East Solar Energy Zone, spanning 60,700 hectares, which is ten times the size of Manhattan. However, this has led to conflicts with Indigenous tribes who view the land as sacred. Additionally, ecological organizations are concerned about the potential threat to local wildlife, including species like the horned toad and the desert tortoise.
Source: interestingengineering.coma