World's Largest Solar Energy Plant opened in Germany

The world's largest solar power station officially started production this week in eastern Germany according to an article in Expatica.



The project was hailed by Environment Minister Juergen Trittin as advancing the timetable to make the sun's power cheaper. The five-megawatt facility, located on a former lignite mine ash deposit, consists of some 33,500 solar modules. The output equates to the electricity needs of some 1,800 households while sparing the atmosphere of some 3,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, officials said.



Trittin, of Germany's environmentalist Green party is quoted as saying "in 15 years' time solar energy could become competitive with conventional sources. Over the past few years the cost of solar power had been lowered by more than 50 percent".



Expatica article



A 10megawatt solar power project was annouced in August:



http://alt-e.blogspot.com/2004/08/worlds-largest-solar-power-project.html