Two-faced solar panels to power observatory

On the slopes of Cerro La Silla in Chile, at a site that is 2,400 metres above sea level and one of the darkest places on Earth, Enel Green Power will build an innovative a 1.7 MW solar plant that will power the European Southern Observatory (ESO), where some of the world’s largest telescopes are used to study the stars.

The solar PV plant at La Silla is the world’s first industrial-scale facility with bifacial modules capture solar energy on both sides, unlike traditional ones, which can capture energy only on one side.

The construction of the plant, which will generate 1.7 MW, will require an investment of some US$3.4 million. It is expected to be completed within the first half of 2016, and will make it possible to generate around 4.75 GWh per year, equivalent to the energy needs of almost 2,000 households and more than 50% of the observatory’s annual consumption. The energy generated by La Silla will reduce emissions by more than 2,000 tonnes of CO2.

Innovation and efficiency are at the centre of the system conceived at La Silla. The combined use of smart and bifacial panels is expected to increase generation capacity by 5%-10% compared to a traditional solar PV plant of the same size.