Jasper Solar Energy Project
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Jasper Solar Energy Project (or Jasper PV Project) is a 96 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic power station, located 120 km west of Kimberley, in South Africa's Northern Cape. Construction of the project was completed in October 2014 and it is fully operational to power up to 80,000 homes.[1]
Jasper Solar Energy Project | |
---|---|
Country | South Africa |
Location | Between Postmasburg and Kimberley, Northern Cape |
Coordinates | 28°17′53″S 23°21′56″E |
Status | Operational |
Commission date | 2014 |
Construction cost | US$260 million |
Solar farm | |
Type | |
Power generation | |
Nameplate capacity | 96 MWp (75 MWAC) |
Annual net output | 180 GWh |
Google has a recent history of investing in wind and solar power, and since 2010 has committed to more than US$1 billion in renewable energy projects worldwide. Until 2013 little of this was spent on renewable energy in Africa. A new $12 million investment in the Jasper power project, at a project cost of approximately ZAR2.3 billion ($260 million) signals a change in policy. It is one of the largest solar installations in Africa, comprising over 325,000 PV[2] modules.