Largest Silicon Thin-Film Solar Panel Farm in U.S.
Air Products recently completed construction of a 2MW solar farm at its corporate headquarters in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Built on 15 acres, it is the largest silicon thin-film solar panel farm in the United States at the time of its completion; July 2011. By utilizing the 2.0 MW of renewable power, Air Products reduces its dependence on purchased electricity, thereby lowering its carbon dioxide (CO2) footprint by approximately 2,000 tons per year, which is equivalent to the CO2 emissions from 400 cars. The 2MW of electricity are enough to serve the energy needs of more than half of Air Products’ administration buildings.
Silicon thin-film panels were selected because they provide the lowest cost of energy for the project parameters. Their advantageous performance in diffuse light―the light most typical in the US Northeast―and their cost-effective installation for large area projects were drivers in the sourcing selection.
Location: Allentown, PA (world headquarters)
Operational: July 2011
Equipment: Photovoltaic Silicon Thin-Film Solar Panels
Capacity: 2.0 MW (dc)
Number of solar panels: 11,239
Air Products had an integral role in the production of the silicon thin-film solar panels since it is a major supplier to the photovoltaic (PV) industry providing its Sunsource™ Solutions- a complete portfolio of gases, equipment and services for PV panel manufacturers. Silicon thin-film solar panels, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, are manufactured in much the same way as thin-film transistor-liquid crystal displays (TFT-LCD). As one of the leading suppliers to the TFT-LCD industry, Air Products is ideally suited to supply silicon thin-film manufacturers. The company’s expertise in supporting the broader Electronics industry makes it an excellent choice in supplying materials to other major PV technologies such as crystalline silicon, CdTe (Cadmium teluride) , CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide) and III-V compound cells as well.
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For more information on Corporate Sustainability initiatives at Air Products, visit our Corporate Sustainability section.
Sustainability
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