Enel has completed and connected to the grid the innovative La Silla photovoltaic plant in northern Chile. The plant will be inaugurated today in the presence of the Chilean Energy Minister Maximo Pácheco, the representative in Chile of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) Fernando Comerón and Salvatore Bernabei, head of Enel's Global Renewable Energy division in Latin America.
“We are very pleased with the entry into operation of La Silla, a plant that represents an example of technological excellence by combining innovation and sustainability and which, in line with Enel's Open Power strategy aimed at opening up to new customers, uses and partnerships, will be at the service of scientific progress as well as the electricity industry, giving energy to an important astronomical research centre”, declared Bernabei. “Enel is constantly committed to promoting innovative projects, making the most of field work alongside excellent partners, to see how theoretical benefits lead to practical applications. Through this approach, Enel is able to make new technologies operational, increasing its competitive advantage and maintaining its leadership in the development of new projects and ideas. “
La Silla is an industrial-sized photovoltaic system that combines the use of bifacial and smart modules with conventional ones to test the performance of innovative technologies in the same site compared to those of conventional panels. The innovative plant, owned by the Enel Group subsidiary, Enel Green Power Chile Ltda. (“EGPC”), takes its name from the nearby astronomical observatory to which it will supply energy. The photovoltaic plant and observatory are located on a mountain near La Higuera, a city in the Coquimbo region on the edge of the Atacama Desert, 600 km north of the capital Santiago.
The smart modules of the system contain a microchip which optimizes the production of each panel, allowing energy to be supplied to the network regardless of any anomalies affecting other panels; unlike conventional modules, where the malfunction of one panel can affect the production of the others. Bifacial modules capture solar energy from both sides of the panel unlike traditional ones which are only able to capture energy from one side.
The bifacial and smart modules will be tested on the same site together with the conventional ones so as to compare the performance of the innovative technologies with those of the conventional panels. It is expected that the use of innovative panels can increase the generation power between 5% and 10% compared to a traditional photovoltaic system of the same size. The first test results confirm this estimate, while Enel is continuing to explore potential improvements.
For the construction of the photovoltaic plant, Enel has invested approximately 3,4 million US dollars.
The photovoltaic park, supported by a long-term sales contract with the La Silla astronomical observatory, will deliver the energy produced to Chile's Central Interconnected System (SIC).
The photovoltaic plant is capable of generating approximately 4,75 GWh per year, equivalent to the energy needs of almost 2.000 Chilean families and more than 50% of the observatory's annual consumption. The energy generated by La Silla will avoid the emission of over 2.000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.
The La Silla Observatory is equipped with several optical telescopes with mirror diameters up to 3,6 metres. The structure is part of ESO, a preeminent intergovernmental astronomical research organization active in the design, construction and management of powerful structures for astronomical observation from the Earth. In addition to La Silla, ESO owns the Paranal Observatory, which houses the Very Large Telescope (VLT). About 20 kilometers from Paranal, on the summit of Cerro Armazones, ESO is building the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), a 39-metre diameter telescope. ESO also operates the APEX telescope, located at an altitude of 5.000 meters on the Chajnantor plateau, approximately 50 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama. Finally, ESO collaborates with ALMA, the largest radio astronomical observatory in the world.
Enel, through its subsidiary EGPC, currently manages a portfolio of plants in Chile with a total installed capacity of over 1 GW, of which 452 MW of wind, 492 MW of solar and 92 MW of hydro. Additionally, EGPC currently has 150 MW of projects running which, when completed, will bring the company's total installed capacity in Chile to nearly 1.200 MW. Among these projects Cerro Pabellón which will have a gross installed capacity of 48 MW and will be the first geothermal plant in South America.
