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Six public and private sector entities, all with a keen interest in advancing and accelerating the commercialization of solar technology, have joined forces and signed an agreement to develop one of the world's largest solar test and evaluation facilities. Leveraging the exceptional solar resources already in existence in Colorado, the development site, Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC), will be located in Aurora, Colo.
The entities involved in SolarTAC include: Abengoa Solar, the City of Aurora, the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory, Midwest Research Institute (MRI), SunEdison and Xcel Energy.
"We are pleased that conceptual discussions we initiated several years ago have now become reality with the tremendous help of all our SolarTAC partners," said Dick Kelly, chairman, president and CEO, Xcel Energy. "SolarTAC will help bring advanced, more efficient and lower cost solar technologies to market and advance our vision of a clean energy future for our customers and local communities."
SolarTAC will provide a solar facility where member companies can bring their technologies for testing and demonstration, particularly solar technologies at the early commercial or near-commercial stage of development. SolarTAC will also help promote better interface between technology developers and solar energy users by offering solar equipment suppliers an opportunity to show potential customers new technologies performing under actual field conditions. MRI will serve as the management and operating contractor for SolarTAC.
"Site design, engineering, and permitting for the new 74-acre SolarTAC site in Aurora has begun," said James L. Spigarelli, president and CEO of MRI. "As renewable energy continues to play an ever-increasing role in solving the world's energy challenges, large-scale test facilities will play a significant role in helping companies test the readiness of new solar technologies for deployment in the marketplace. We are very pleased that Abengoa Solar, SunEdison and Xcel Energy have signed on as founding member companies of the first shared solar technology center of its kind in North America."
Spigarelli added, "Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer and his economic development team are also to be commended for...