Springbok Solar Farm Explained

Springbok Solar Farm
Coordinates:35.24°N -117.96°W
Country:United States
Location:Kern County, California
Status:Operational (Units 1 & 2)
Construction Began:2015
Commissioned:May 2016 (Unit 1)
Sep. 2016 (Unit 2)
Owner:8minutenergy
Solar Type:PV
Ps Site Area:1400acres
(Units 1&2)
Ps Electrical Capacity:443 MWp, 350 MWAC
Ps Electrical Cap Fac:31.6% (average 2017)
Ps Annual Generation:717 GW·h, 500 MW·h/acre

The Springbok Solar Farm is a 443 MWp (350 MWAC) photovoltaic power station in the northwestern Mojave Desert, near California City in eastern Kern County, California.[1] The facility was developed and constructed by 8minutenergy Renewables in three phases. It is among the country's largest PV solar farms with a capacity of about 440 MWp (350 MWAC).[2]

Facility details

The project was developed by 8minutenergy, one of the largest independent solar power developers in the United States. The three Springbok solar facilities combined generate enough clean, renewable energy to serve more than 152,000 households. The amount of greenhouse gas emissions avoided is comparable to removing nearly 150,000 cars from the road. The power from all three projects is contracted to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Project units

The Springbok Solar Farm consists of 3 project units, or construction phases:

Electricity production

Springbok Solar 1 nameplate capacities: 137 MWdc, 105 MWac
annual net output: 299 GW·h (avg 2017)
capacity factor: 32.5%

Generation (MW·h) of Springbok Solar 1 [9]
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
201635,489 31,692 7,506 20,948 17,007 13,038125,680
201711,869 13.258 24,783 26,443 33,722 36,527 33,263 30,773 28,675 26,418 16,330 17,181299,242
Average Annual Production (years 2017) 299,000

Springbok Solar 2 nameplate capacities: 191 MWdc, 155 MWac
annual net output: 418 GW·h (avg 2017)
capacity factor: 30.8%

Generation (MW·h) of Springbok Solar 2 [10]
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Total
20169,872 27,956 23,317 18,04779,192
201716,565 18,502 34,587 36,904 47,062 50,976 46,421 42,946 40,019 36,869 22,790 23,977417,618
Average Annual Production (years 2017) 418,000

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.8minutenergy.com/solar-projects/ 8minutenergy.com: Solar Projects website
  2. 8minutenergy Receives Power Purchase Agreement to Develop 90 MW-ac Springbok 3 Solar Farm . 8minutenergy . February 1, 2017.
  3. http://www.8minutenergy.com/2015/10/8minutenergy-renewables-officially-breaks-ground-on-137mw-springbok-1-solar-farm/ 8minutenergy.com: "Springbok 1 Solar Project breaks ground"
  4. http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_6_03 Table 6.3. New Utility Scale Generating Units by Operating Company, Plant, and Month, 2016, Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, October 25, 2016
  5. http://www.8minutenergy.com/2015/11/8minutenergy-renewables-signs-power-purchase-agreement-to-develop-191mw-springbok-2-solar-farm/ 8minutenergy.com: "Power purchase agreement to develop Springbok 2 Solar Project"
  6. http://renewables.seenews.com/news/over-3-4-gw-of-large-solar-parks-go-live-across-us-545455 Over 3.4 GW of large solar parks go live across US
  7. http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_6_05 Table 6.5. Planned U.S. Electric Generating Unit Additions, September 2019
  8. http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_6_03 Table 6.3. New Utility Scale Generating Units by Operating Company, Plant, and Month, 2019, Electric Power Monthly, U.S. Energy Information Administration, September 24, 2019
  9. Web site: Springbok Solar 1, Monthly . Electricity Data Browser . . January 31, 2019.
  10. Web site: Springbok Solar 2, Monthly . Electricity Data Browser . . January 31, 2019.