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By Honey Garcia

Sharp Electronics Corporation, a subsidiary of Japan’s Sharp Corporation (TYO:{quotemedia_tooltip title=[TK] width=[556]}TK{/quotemedia_tooltip}), has agreed to supply thin-film solar modules for the 58-megawatt Avenal photovoltaic facility in California.

Located in Kings County, the Avenal solar facility is said to be one of the world’s largest projects of its kind. It consists of three adjacent solar plants – the 25-MW Sun City project, the 24-MW Sand Drag project and the 8-MW Avenal Park project.

Upon their completion by mid-2011, the projects will generate enough energy to meet the needs of 36,000 homes at peak capacity. Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:{quotemedia_tooltip title=[PCG] width=[556]}PCG{/quotemedia_tooltip}) will buy the power generated under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

The solar projects are expected to offset more than 255,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 630,000 pounds of sulfur oxide and 70,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is equivalent to removing 20,000 cars from the road.

The Avenal solar facility will reportedly create up to 200 construction jobs and five full-time jobs once operations start.

“This project is one of the largest solar power installations in the world, and one of the largest Sharp has supplied to date. It also marks a significant step forward for California’s renewable energy efforts and we are proud that our cutting edge thin-film modules will help deliver clean power to the residents of California,” said Eric Hafter, senior vice president of Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group.

The company claimed that its thin-film solar panels feature a tandem-junction design that enables the wider capture of the solar spectrum. Thin-film solar cells are composed of thin silicon layers deposited on a glass substrate, which allows a significant reduction in the quantity of silicon used, making thin-film solar cells cheaper than their silicon counterparts.

“Sharp’s expertise and experience will be an important contribution to the success of Avenal in adding zero-emission solar power in California and in helping the state meet its ambitious renewable portfolio standard by the end of the decade,” said Tom Doyle, president of NRG Solar.

NRG Solar, along with Eurus, formed Eurus Energy, a global renewable energy company and the developer of the Avenal solar project.

California mandates utilities to increase the contribution of renewable energy in their energy mix by a minimum of 1 percent of their annual retail sales until it reaches 20 percent by this year. The program aims to add 6,750 MW of new renewable power and cut carbon dioxide emissions by 18.7 million metric tons – equivalent to taking 2.8 million cars off the road.

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