Solar Plant Opens In Taiwan

Taiwan’s largest high-concentration photovoltaic (HCPV) solar power plant was inaugurated by Kaohsiung County Commissioner Yang Chiu-hsing and former premier Liu Chao-shiuan this week.

The two-hectare (4.9-acre) plant is equipped with 141 huge solar panels that can generate one megawatt in total, said the Atomic Energy Council.

HCPV power plant uses sets of dish reflectors and concentrating optics to focus sunlight into greater densities.

One megawatt is enough to power 1,000 homes, according to an official at the council, which is also in charge of sustainable energy.

The power generated by the plant costs between $6 to $8 to produce, while traditional solar power plants cost around $3. The plant, built as a pilot program under the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research, cost NT$270 million ($8.34 million), the Taipei Times report says.

The facility, which started operating Tuesday, will help Taiwan cut its carbon emissions by up to 660-700 tons annually, officials said.

Currently, Taiwan produces only 2,278 megawatts, or 5.8 percent of installed capacity, from renewable sources, according to the state-run Taiwan Power Co.