Blue Wing Solar Project Explained

The Blue Wing Solar Project is a 16.6 MW_p (14.4 MW_AC) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in San Antonio, Texas. It was one of the largest PV facilities in Texas when it came online in late 2010 and is owned by a Duke Energy Subsidiary.^[1]

Project Details

The project covers near the intersection of highways IH 37 and U.S. 181.^[2] It has 214,500 solar photovoltaic modules manufactured by US firm First Solar that are mounted onto fixed-tilt (20deg) racks. The plant is expected to produce more than 26 GWh of electricity per year.^[3]

The installation also includes a 500-kilowatt demonstration facility where a variety of other thin film and crystalline silicon PV modules, as well as a concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) unit, have been installed for evaluation and comparison purposes.^[4]

Electricity Production

Generation (MW·h) of Blue Wing Solar Energy Generation ^[5]

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Total
2010											5,359	2,849	8,208
2011	614	1,521	2,148	2,920	3,423	3,988	3,393	3,554	2,644	2,183	1,216	1,035	28,639
2012	1,175	1,142	1,636	2,450	2,496	2,682	2,514	2,527	2,135	1,858	1,672	2,907	25,193
2013	1,293	1,662	2,476	2,006	2,428	2,346	2,498	2,538	2,095	1,922	1,243	1,179	23,688
2014	638	308	818	927	2,376	2,342	2,701	2,840	3,068	3,314	2,328	1,481	23,141
2015	1,080	1,089	1,394	1,453	1,439	2,235	2,556	2,717	2,327	1,994	1,220	2,464	21,969
2016	1,393	1,708	1,624	1,674	1,553	2,071	2,256	1,834	2,464	2,470	2,054	2,081	23,182
2017	675	866	1,561	1,976	2,554	2,472	2,588	2,337	1,953	2,180	1,663	1,769	22,594
Average Annual Production (years 2011-2017)													24,000

See also

• List of photovoltaic power stations
• Renewable energy in the United States
• Renewable portfolio standard
• Solar power in the United States

External links

• CPS website
• Duke website

Notes and References

1. Web site: Downey. John. January 30, 2020. Duke Energy's latest solar project is its biggest in Texas — but not for long. 2020-07-20. www.bizjournals.com.
2. http://www.cpsenergy.com/About_CPS_Energy/News_Features/News/04152010_Blue_Wing_Solar_Const_NR.asp Texas' Largest Solar Project Breaks Ground In San Antonio
3. http://www.texasishot.org/energy-savings/the-blue-wing-solar-project-truly-utility-scale/ The Blue Wing Solar Project: “Truly Utility-Scale”
4. https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-blue-wing-solar-project1 The Blue Wing Solar Project: 223,900 First Solar panels and 4,444 racks on 113 acres producing 16 megawatts
5. Web site: Blue Wing Solar Energy Generation, Monthly . Electricity Data Browser . . 7 February 2019.