Sharp Electronics has announced that it will supply its industry-leading tandem junction thin film solar panels for an 18.5 MW DC solar power plant in Ontario, Canada.

The plant, which is being developed under a joint venture between SunEdison, a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE:WFR), and SkyPower Limited, is comprised of two solar parks, called SunE Sky Norfolk I (Ryerse) and II (13th Side Road). Construction began in March of 2010 and will be completed this fall.

The 18.5 megawatt power plant is located on two sites in Norfolk County, Ontario – in Port Dover and Simcoe.

Once online, the power produced by the Norfolk plant will be purchased and delivered to Ontario-residents and businesses by the Ontario Power Authority. The Sharp thin film solar panels utilized for the project feature Sharp's tandem-junction design that captures a wider part of the solar spectrum.

The panels were manufactured at Sharp's thin film solar plants including the solar cell plant in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, one of the greenest manufacturing sites in the world.

Thin-film solar cells have a structure in which thin layers of silicon are deposited onto a glass substrate, enabling a dramatic reduction in the amount of silicon used. The production processes are simpler, thereby making these products ideal for large scale solar park projects.

"We're thrilled to have worked with Sharp and the rest of our collaborators to finance, develop and deploy one of the largest solar power systems in Ontario," said Jason Grey, Canada Country Manager for SunEdison.

"We welcomed the opportunity to deploy Sharp's impressive technology in the SunE Sky Norfolk solar projects." said, Kerry Adler, President and Chief Executive Officer for SkyPower Limited.

"As one of Canada's leading owners and developers of solar parks, with over 1.4 GW in our solar pipeline we look forward to many more projects like these."

"We're proud to work with SunEdison and SkyPower to help bring more clean, renewable energy to the people of Canada through this landmark project," said Eric Hafter, senior vice president, Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group.

"We applaud the Ontario Power Authority for translating government's clean energy policy into tangible results for the people of Ontario."

Share This Article With Planet Earth