Summary
The Moquegua Photovoltaic Plant is a power generation project in a strategic sunny location in southern Peru, capable of generating energy all year long. It features 134.4 hectares that will produce 16 MW of energy using polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic technology with horizontal axis solar trackers that can operate at a low irradiance minimum value of 80 W/m2. The plant, which is connected to the Peruvian national grid, is located in the isolated desert area of the Moquegua district in southern Peru. The area has up to 10 hours of sunlight per day and minimum solar radiation varies between 6.5 and 7 KWh/m2. The plant’s isolated location avoids erosion, does not affect nearby communities, and minimizes land use change by sharing the area with another photovoltaic plant. In addition, the plant does not use any water in the production of electricity, which is appropriate to the low average annual precipitation of the area. The project will generate carbon credits under the Kyoto protocol, and will produce energy with a smaller impact in the environment compared to conventional system.
Research director
Dr. Andreas Georgoulias
Research core team
Cristina Contreras, ENV-SP • Judith Rodriguez, ENV-SP
Case study written by
Cristobal N. Fuentes H., MDesS Risk and Resilience 2016
Editors
Jiyoo Jye, MDesS Art, Design, Public Domain 2016
