200 MW of solar power energized by 8minutenergy in California

The developer has energized Phase 1 and 2 of its Mount Signal 3 project which it expects to be fully commissioned and online by the end of 2018. The project is the second of three plants at one site which total almost 800 MW of solar power.

July 12, 2018 John Fitzgerald Weaver

8minutenergy - 328 MW-DC Mount Signal Solar Farm in Calexico, California

8minutenergy has energized phase 1 and 2, ~200 MW-DC, of the 328 MW-DC Mount Signal Solar Farm in Calexico, California. The 252 MW-AC facility is scheduled to complete its commissioning by the end of 2018.

Mortenson Construction is serving as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the Mount Signal 3 project, which features 2.8 million thin-film solar panels supplied by First Solar on single-axis trackers provided by NEXTracker.

Upon completion, the Mount Signal 3 facility is expected to generate over 770 million kWh per year, equating to an AC capacity factor of 34.8% and a DC capacity factor of 26.7%.

The facility is part of a larger group of three projects which together represents almost 800 MW of DC capacity. 8minutenergy was the developer of the first project that came online – Mount Signal 1 – in 2014, and is also working to bring Mount Signal 2 (yes, out of order) by 2020.

Mount Signal 1 – a 260 MW-DC (200 MW-AC) on 1,940-acres. Development began in November 2012 and was completed in May 2014.
Mount Signal 2 – a 200 MW-DC (154 MW-AC) plant on 1,260 acres expected to be commissioned by 2020.
Mount Signal 3 – a 328 MW-DC (252 MW-DC) facility on 2,000 acres.

The facility signed a power purchase agreement with Southern California Edison.

The Mount Signal facilities have been part of some financial dances over the past half decade. At one point, SunEdison was forced to sell portions of these projects as part of its bankruptcy proceedings. Mount Signal 1 was completely owned by Terraform Power, the U.S.-based yieldco created by SunEdison and now owned by Canada’s Brookfield. Mount Signal 3 was also partially owned by SunEdison as well.

8minuteenergy acquired certain development rights of the project last year as part of a deal with Capital Dynamics.

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