Serpa solar power plant

Solar power plant Serpa, Portugal.

Construction of the 11 megawatt Serpa solar power plant in Portugal began in June 2006 and was completed in January 2007. The plant consists of a photovoltaic system that uses silicon solar cell technology to convert sunlight directly into energy.

The Serpa solar power plant uses 52,000 photovoltaic modules manufactured by SunPower, Sanyo, and Sharp. The plant uses a new tracking system that follows the Sun's daily path across the sky.

Generating electricity from the sun with no fuel costs or emissions, the Serpa plant is on a 60-hectare (150-acre) hillside and is a model of clean power generation integrated with agriculture. The project saves more than 30,000 tons a year in greenhouse gas emissions compared to equivalent fossil fuel generation.