Soitec (Euronext Paris) has announced that its Concentrix concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) technology has been selected by Tenaska Solar Ventures to produce 150 megawatts (MW) of clean energy for San Diego Gas & Electric.

The new CPV solar power plant, named Imperial Solar Energy Center (ISEC) West, will be constructed on a 1057-acre site in Southern California’s western Imperial County, expected to be completed in 2015. To support the project, Soitec will build a new factory in the San Diego region to manufacture its proprietary CPV modules.

Concentrated photovoltaic technology converts sunlight directly into “clean” electricity via concentrator optics and high efficiency solar cells that don’t produce noise or emit greenhouse gases, and requires no water for ongoing operations, a crucial consideration for the water-constrained Imperial Valley.

The ISEC West project will produce enough electricity to meet the annual electricity needs of approximately 55,000 California homes.

Adapted from materials provided by Soitec