First Solar power facility becomes world’s first to deliver grid services

First Solar has named one of its power plants as the world’s first licensed utility-scale solar facility to commercially deliver ancillary grid services. The US-based photovoltaic (PV) solutions provider has said its Luz del Norte facility will now deliver a range of grid services, including automatic generation control. Coordinador Eléctrico Nacional, an independent system operator (ISO) in Chile, has added the facility to its portfolio of large-scale power generators. Chile Ministry of Energy environmental head Carlos Barria said: “We are very pleased with this achievement as this increases the spectrum of technologies capable of providing the services needed to maintain a safe and reliable operation of the electrical system.
“These demonstrated capabilities are in line with our plans in integrating higher levels of renewable energy in our grid, which will enable us to achieve our goal to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2040 and to be carbon neutral by 2050.”