APS, First Solar Partner on Arizona’s Largest Battery Storage Project
February 12 2018 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
50-MW solar plus storage facility will serve
APS customers during hot summer months
Two homegrown leaders in renewable energy, Arizona Public
Service and First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR), are bringing a
first-of-its-kind 50-megawatt (MW) solar-fueled battery to the
desert to provide clean power to Arizonans on hot summer days. This
project will make Arizona home to one of the largest battery
storage systems in the country. The innovative design models how
the future of solar and storage can work together to deliver power
to customers during peak hours.
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the full release here:
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First Solar will build and operate this flagship facility that
includes a 65-MW solar field to charge the battery. APS has signed
a 15-year power-purchase agreement with First Solar that will
enable APS to use the stored battery power when energy use is at
its peak later in the day.
By pairing clean solar energy with advanced battery technology,
First Solar and APS will be able to store power when the sun is
high in the sky and deliver it to customers between 3 and 8 p.m.
when the sun is on its way down, but energy use is peaking. This
means that APS customers can get more of their peak power from
solar.
Arizonans want clean and reliable energy. This project adds to
the more than one million solar panels and three grid-scale
batteries currently on APS’s system. Over the next 15 years, APS
plans to adopt more than 500 MW of additional battery storage.
“Partnering with an Arizona company such as First Solar to pair
solar power with advanced battery storage is good for our customers
and continues our state’s national leadership in clean energy
innovation,” said Don Brandt, Chairman, President and CEO of
APS.
For First Solar, the project represents the next step in solar
energy. Utility-scale solar is a clean energy resource, and the
addition of battery storage allows the power of the sun to be used
in the evening when the energy is needed most. This is a logical
use of technology in a state that sees nearly 300 days of sunshine
per year.
“First Solar has long been a global leader in the deployment of
utility-scale solar,” said Mark Widmar, First Solar’s Chief
Executive Officer. “Through this innovative project we are excited
to partner with APS to demonstrate the capabilities of solar
coupled with large-scale battery storage. Together, these
technologies highlight the significant role for solar in providing
reliable, cost effective energy.”
The project was developed in response to APS’s request for
peaking capacity resources to serve customers between the peak
hours of 3 and 8 p.m. during the hot summer months. APS has full
use of the 50-MW battery and is able to maximize hourly capacity
until it is fully discharged. The facility is set to begin service
to customers in 2021 and will be built directly adjacent to the
existing APS Redhawk Power Plant in western Maricopa County.
Arizona has always been a state powered by the sun. Whether it
is growing cotton and citrus or an enviable climate, the sun is at
the center of Arizona’s economy. With this project, APS and First
Solar will continue that tradition.
About APSAPS serves about 2.7 million people in 11 of
Arizona’s 15 counties, and is the Southwest’s foremost producer of
clean safe and reliable electricity. Using a balanced energy mix
that is nearly 50 percent carbon-free, APS has one of the country’s
most substantial renewable energy portfolios, and owns and operates
the Palo Verde Generating Station, the country’s top power producer
and largest producer of carbon-free energy. The company is also a
proven leader in introducing technology and services that offer
customers choice and control over their energy consumption. With
headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of
Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
About First Solar, Inc.First Solar is a leading global
provider of comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) solar systems which use
its advanced module and system technology. The company’s integrated
power plant solutions deliver an economically attractive
alternative to fossil-fuel electricity generation today. From raw
material sourcing through end-of-life module recycling, First
Solar’s renewable energy systems protect and enhance the
environment. For more information about First Solar, please visit
www.firstsolar.com.
Forward-Looking StatementsThis release contains
forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements, among
other things, concerning the construction and operation of a 50MW
solar-fueled battery by First Solar. These forward-looking
statements are often identified by words such as "estimate,"
"predict," "may," "believe," "plan," "expect," "require," "intend,"
"assume" and similar words. Forward-looking statements are only
predictions based on our current expectations and our projections
about future events so you should not place undue reliance on these
forward-looking statements. A number of known and unknown factors
could cause future results, levels of activity, performance or
achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied
by these statements. Discussions of some of these factors are
contained in the "Risk Factors" and related sections of Pinnacle
West's and First Solar's most recent Annual Reports on Form 10-K
and their respective other periodic filings with the Securities
Exchange Commission, which we urge you to review carefully. We
assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, even
if our internal expectations and projections change, except as may
be required by applicable law.
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version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180212005573/en/
Media Contacts:APSAnnie DeGraw, 602-250-4370orFirst SolarSteve
Krum 602-427-3359orAnalyst Contacts:APSStefanie Layton,
602-250-4541orFirst SolarSteve Haymore 602-414-9315Video
Link:https://youtu.be/anXwQTyy2xQ
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