overview

location:Prescott, Arizona

date completed:Fall 2005

peak capacity:3.5 MW

product:Sharp 175-watt modules

APS is Arizona’s largest and longest serving electricity utility, serving more than 874,000 customers in 11 of the state’s 15 counties.

projectArizona Public Service has been generating at least .6% of their power from solar energy and hoped to increase that share to 1.1% by 2007. To reach that objective, a project that began in 2001 as a modest 190-kilowatt (kW) plant on a site near the Prescott, Arizona airport, included an ambitious growth objective of 5 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2005. Sharp Solar Energy Solutions Group was proud to be part of a project that, upon completion, would make it the world’s largest photovoltaic (PV) array.

solution The Prescott location was originally chosen for its altitude (5,400 feet), clear skies, and cool temperatures, all of which enhance the array’s conversion efficiency. To increase productivity further, the plant uses solar concentrators, which use mirrors to focus sunlight onto PV cells. Sharp solar modules, on a single-axis tracking system, contribute 3.5 MW of power to the APS Prescott Solar Power Plant.

become powerful

ShArP SolAr PoWEr SySTEM InSTAllEd For ArIzonA PublIc SErVIcE

“ Arizona, home of the Grand Canyon, will host a new landmark—the largest photovoltaic generating stations in the world.”

– Glenn Hamer, executive director,Solar Energy Industries Association

APS is Arizona’s largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serving more than 874,000 customers in 11 of the state’s 15 countries. In 2005, APS made a total of $4.25 million in rebates available to customers who wanted to install residential or commercial solar energy. customers could receive up to 50 percent of the installed project cost for grid-connected systems. APS is the largest subsidiary of Pinnacle West capital corporation.

The 3.5-MW system is constructed of 175-watt Sharp solar modules mounted on a single axis tracking system that allows the PV arrays to track the sun through the sky. Arizona receives a little over 6 1/2 hours of “productive” sunshine a day, well above the nation’s average. “Although we don’t have an abundance of low-cost resources here, we do have the sun,” says Stephen Ahearn, director of the Arizona residential utility consumer office. “So it behooves us to exploit it.”

system benefits

• The 3.5 Sharp solar system will prevent 3,114 tons of carbon dioxide from being emitted into the atmosphere each year by a typical gas-fired power plant.

• The entire 5-MW Prescott Airport Solar Power Plant is providing enough solar-generated electricity to power more than 2,000 homes.

• In 2005, APS made a total of $4.25 million in rebates available to customers who wanted to install residential or commercial solar energy. Customers could receive up to 50% of the installed project cost for grid-connected systems. APS is the largest subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corporation.

Sharp ElEctronicS corporation5901 Bolsa avenue, huntington Beach, ca 926471-800-SOLAR-06 • Email: Sharpsolar@SharpUSA.comwww.SharpUSA.com/solar

Design and specifications are subject to change without notice.05l3083

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the name to trustWhen you choose Sharp, you get more than well-engineered products. You also get Sharp’s proven reliability, outstanding customer service and the assurance of our 25-year warranty. A world leader in solar electricity, Sharp has more solar modules currently in use than any other company worldwide.