Can this work throughout the day?

How to obtain permission to visit

Sri Lanka’sfirst
Solar Energy Park
A typical sunny day Contact Director (Renewable Energy) of the
Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority to 737kW Grid Connected Solar PV
kW
obtain permission to visit. Power Plant
(At least a week before the scheduled visit)

CONTACT US

Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority

3G-17 BMICH,
Bauddhaloka Mawatha,
Colombo 07.

Telephone 011- 2 677 445

Cloudy day in the middle of a monsoon Fax 011- 2 682 534
E-mail info@energy.gov.lk
kW
Web www.energy.gov.lk

How to reach the power plant

Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority

Solar Energy Park
Baruthankanda
WHY SOLAR PV?
Wanasapugala Road (Road 01)
Solar energy is an abundant resource with
Hambantota
very simple conversion equipment with very
little maintenance attention. It is very Telephone: 047-5675325
expensive now, but holds the key to future
energy security of Sri Lanka. Solar electricity
is expected to be in par with sale price of
electricity within the next decade.
WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?
Almost all the energy on Earth can be
traced to the Sun. If it weren’t for the Sun,
the Earth would be a cold, lifeless world.
Plants grow because of energy from the
Sun, the wind blows, and even fossil fuel
is a form of energy derived from the Sun
over millions of years ago, kept stored in
hydrocarbon compounds. But how much
energy is actually coming from the Sun,
and how much of it makes it all the way
to the Earth?
89,000 Tera Watts actually pass through
the atmosphere and reach the Earth’s
surface. Just for comparison, the total
energy use by the human race is 15
terawatts. So there is 5,900 times more
energy hitting the Earth from the Sun
than we humans are using at present.
HOW IS IT CONVERTED TO ELECTRICITY?
The easiest way to use energy from the
Sun is to convert light energy to electricity
using photovoltaic (PV) cells. These cells
convert photons streaming from the Sun
into electricity.
There are many types of solar PV cells,
polycrystalline silicon, mono-crystalline
silicon, thin film and amorphous are some
common types. Depending on the type,
the area required to generate 1kW of
power varies from 10m2 to 18m2. This PLANT AT A GLANCE
power plant uses polycrystalline cells in
solar PV panels of size 1.658x994mm2.  Rated Capacity 737kW
 Nominal plant factor 17.67%
SOME FACTS ABOUT THIS POWER PLANT
 Area Covered2.2512 Hectares
This large scale solar plant connected to
the grid with a capacity of 737 kW using .
 Average daily electricity
The facility uses 234 arrays of solar PV
modules, with each array containing 14 generation3,200kWh
individual solar PV panels.
 Panel Arrangement
The solar plant installed at Hambantota 14panels x 234 arrays = 3,276
has been realised thanks to the panels
contribution from the Government of
Japan through Japan International  Total Cost - 1025 million (LKR)
Cooperation System (JICS).
 Project implementation period
Average daily electricity generation
from the solar plant is estimated to be Started – 3/09/2010
3,800 kWh, which will result in
1,387,000 kWh of annual generation. Commissioned – 28/08/2011
This will be an equal amount of
electricity consumed by more than
1,300 rural homes or 1,000 average Sri
Lankan homes in a year. Annual diesel
savings of about 350,000 litres will be
achieved through this and it will lead to
an annual CO2 reduction of 1,000
tonnes from emissions resulting from
power generation
Can this work throughout the day? How to obtain permission to visit
Sri Lanka’s first
A typical sunny day Contact Director (Renewable Energy) of the Solar Energy Park
Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority to 500kW Grid connected
obtain permission to visit, giving at least one
seven days’ notice.
Solar PV power plant

CONTACT INFORMATION

Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority

3G-17 BMICH,
BauddhalokaMawatha,
Colombo 07.

A cloudy day in the middle of a monsoon Telephone 011- 2 677 445

Fax 011- 2 682 534
E-mail info@energy.gov.lk
Web www.energy.gov.lk

How to reach the power plant

Embilipitiya

Nonagama Junction

Padalangala
Junction

Sooriyawewa
Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority
100 FeetRoad
Solar Energy Park
WHY SOLAR PV?
Baruthankanda
Solar energy is an abundant resource with Walsapugala Road
Wanasapugala Road
very simple conversion equipment with very
Hambantota
little maintenance attention. It is very Solar Plant
expensive now, but holds the key to future
Matara Hambantota Telephone: 047-5675325
energy security of Sri Lanka. Solar electricity
is expected to be in par with sale price of
electricity within the next decade. Katuwewa Junction
WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?
Almost all the energy on Earth can be
traced to the Sun. If it weren’t for the Sun,
the Earth would be a cold, lifeless world.
Plants grow because of energy from the
Sun, the wind blows, and even fossil fuel
is a form of energy derived from the Sun
over millions of years ago, kept stored in
hydrocarbon compounds. But how much
energy is actually coming from the Sun,
and how much of it makes it all the way
to the Earth?
89,000 Tera Watts actually pass through
the atmosphere and reach the Earth’s
surface. Just for comparison, the total
energy use by the human race is 15
terawatts. So there is 5,900 times more
energy hitting the Earth from the Sun
than we humans are using at present.
HOW IS IT CONVERTED TO ELECTRICITY?
The easiest way to use energy from the
Sun is to convert light energy to electricity
using photovoltaic (PV) cells. These cells
convert photons streaming from the Sun
into electricity.
There are many types of solar PV cells,
polycrystalline silicon, mono-crystalline
silicon, thin film and amorphous are some
common types. Depending on the type,
the area required to generate 1kW of
power varies from 10m2 to 18m2. This
power plant uses mono-crystalline cells in
solar PV panels of size 1.658x993mm2.
SOME FACTS ABOUT THIS POWER PLANT PLANT AT A GLANCE
This large scale solar plant is connected to Rated Capacity 500kW
the national grid with a capacity of
500kW. The facility uses 98 arrays of Nominal plant factor 17.76%
solar PV modules, with each array
containing 22 individual solar PV panels. Area Covered 1.72 ha
The solar plant installed at Hambantota Average daily electricity 2,200kWh
has been realised thanks to the Generation
contribution from the Government of the
Republic of Korea through Korean Panel Arrangement 2,156 panels
International Cooperation Agency - 22panels x 98 arrays
KOICA.
Total Cost LKR450million
Average daily electricity generation from
the solar plant is estimated to be 2,300
kWh, which will result in 840,000 kWh of
Project implementation period
annual generation. This will be an equal
amount of electricity consumed by more
than 800 rural homes or 500 average Sri Started 12Oct 2010
Lankan homes in a year. Annual diesel
saving of about 210,000 litres will be Commissioned 28 Apr 2010
achieved through this and it will lead to
an annual CO2 reduction of 610 tonnes Opened 08 Aug2011
from emissions resulting from power
generation