Cuba opens 1st solar farm

[Judi Lynn]

Cuba opens 1st solar farm
Sunday, August 04, 2013

CANTARANA, Cuba — It's like a vision of the space age, carved out of the jungle: Thousands of glassy panels surrounded by a lush canopy of green stretch as far as the eye can see, reflecting the few clouds that dot the sky on a scorching Caribbean morning.

Cuba's first solar farm opened this spring with little fanfare and no prior announcement. It boasts 14,000 photovoltaic panels which in a stroke more than doubled the country's capacity to harvest energy from the sun.

The project, one of seven such farms in the works, shows a possible road map to greater energy independence in cash-poor Cuba, where Communist leaders are being forced to consider renewables to help keep the lights on after four failed attempts to strike it rich with deep-water oil drilling and the death of petro-benefactor Hugo Chavez.

"For us this is the future," said Ovel Concepcion, a director with Hidroenergia, the state-run company tasked with building the solar park 190 miles (300 kilometres) east of Havana in the central province of Cienfuegos.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/Cuba-opens-1st-solar-farm_14801194#ixzz2b2Gs2zRf

[kestrel91316]

1. How long before the CIA goes in and sabotages it, I wonder?

[dipsydoodle]

2. Well they've sure got enough sun there.

ps I bet they used Chinese panels

[Socialistlemur]

3. It's not practical technology

I wonder what's the actual output. I got the feeling the lack of detail means its small. Solar power isn't as efficient as hydro and wind power. And unfortunately Cuba killed its emerging biofuels industry when Fidel decided it was a poor idea. Finally, I got the feeling the government can't be labeled communist anymore. They seem headed towards privatization and capitalism but will keep the dictatorship.

[joshcryer]

4. Here's a better article, doing the math it's about 240 - 260 kw of power.

The solar farm now generates enough electricity to power 780 homes and had saved the equivalent of 145 tons of fossil fuels, or around 1,060 barrels of crude, through the end of July. Peak capacity is expected to hit 2.6 megawatts when the final panels are in place in September.

http://phys.org/news/2013-08-cuba-solar-farm-renewables.html

Capacity factor for 2.6 megawatts * .09 = 234 kilowatts.

It's definitely small fry but it's a start.

They certainly do seem to be heading toward privatization and autocracy.

[ocpagu]

5. That's so interesting!

Once again, Cuba in the vanguard. No wonder it causes so much resentment among some. So much innovation in such a small country.