5MW solar park gets the green light

[Aurora]

Solar Power Portal - 17/03/11

St. Modwen, the UK-based regeneration specialist, has been granted permission to build a 5MW array of solar panels at an old BP Chemicals works site in Port Talbot. The project, which is expected to cost £15 million, will generate enough clean electricity to power around 1,500 homes a year.

The Baglan Bay power plant, which has been approved by Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, is the first link to a comprehensive regeneration scheme on brownfield land. St. Modwen’s plans propose that 30 acres of land will be covered in 21,000 solar photovoltaic panels generating 5MW of power a year.

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[adam2]

"5MW of power a year" indeed.
Cant take seriously any article that says that !
A megawatt is a rate of producing or useing electrical or other energy, it is not a measure of total production of electricity.

I think that they probably mean that it produces 5MW peak when the sun is shining.
Or they might mean a year round average of 5MW, which implies a peak of several times that.

And it "powers 1,500 homes a year" so what happens after a year ? does it stop working ? hope not for that sort of investment.
What they probably mean is that it will meet the average needs of 1,500 homes, though that suggests an average output of very roughly 1.5MW , not the 5MW infrered above.

[RenewableCandy]

It's annoying when papers don't get the basics right, and you're left wondering what they mean, isn't it?