Georgia Power, University of Georgia advancing solar energy through solar tracking demonstration project

Georgia Power leaders recently joined University of Georgia (UGA) officials, Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols, as well as community and business leaders, to dedicate a new one megawatt (MW) solar tracking demonstration project in Athens, Georgia. The new project is located on a 10-acre site owned by UGA and is the result of a utility/university collaboration to further demonstrate and advance solar energy in Georgia.

“Working in coordination with the Georgia Public Service Commission, and through strong relationships with organizations such as UGA, we have positioned Georgia as a national solar leader,” said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “Now more than ever, it’s essential that we continue to invest in the research and development of new technologies to make solar, and all generation sources, as reliable, efficient and cost-effective for our customers as possible.”

Research will be conducted under a two-year collaboration with UGA researchers, spearheaded by the College of Engineering, to study solar forecasting and the effects of solar panel soiling versus performance. Data analysis and performance reporting will occur through a Georgia Power partnership with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The new solar project will demonstrate optimal orientation and tracking technology suited for Georgia’s climate and energy demand with project partners studying the performance and reliability of various fixed and tracking configurations of five separate sub-arrays.

Georgia Power owns and will operate the facility under a 20-year lease agreement with UGA. Energy produced by the facility will flow to the state’s electric grid to serve customers. UGA will receive the renewable energy credits, or RECs.”The complex problems facing our world today, such as the need to expand our sources of energy, require not only interdisciplinary efforts but also multi-institutional efforts that involve higher education, private industry, and government,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “The Solar Tracking Demonstration Project is a perfect example of this type of broad collaboration, and the University of Georgia is pleased to be part of this exciting endeavor.”