Hanwha Q Cells builds San Diego solar complex to power Meta - The Korea JoongAng Daily
Hanwha Q Cells builds San Diego solar complex to power Meta
Hanwha Q Cells' solar power complex in San Diego [HANWHA Q CELLS]
Hanwha Q Cells has completed the construction of a solar power complex in San Diego to supply electricity to Meta, the Korean company said Thursday.
The complex comprises a 50-megawatt solar module facility and 200 megawatt-hours of energy storage systems (ESS). An ESS improves grid stability by storing excess energy and releasing it when demand rises and is therefore considered crucial in increasing the efficiency of renewable energy plants.
The electricity produced at the complex will be delivered to Meta, which has been meeting 100 percent of its energy needs with renewable sources since 2020.
Hanwha is gradually expanding its presence in the solar power market, having signed a deal with Microsoft to supply 12-gigawatt electricity for eight years in January.
It also signed a solar panel deal with Hyundai Motor in February to supply a combined capacity of more than 27 megawatts starting in the first half of the year. That is enough to reduce around 12,000 tons of carbon emissions.
Hanwha Solutions, the parent company of Hanwha Q Cells, is building a $2.5 billion solar power manufacturing in Georgia, the largest ever solar investment in the United States.
BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: solar
Declining costs and government encouragement have resulted in a rapid increase in solar energy production in the United States over the past 10 years, although solar’s share remains small: 1.6 percent of all electricity generation in 2018. That rapid growth is projected to continue.