The devastated area has been transformed into a photovoltaic field! In 1999, the 921 Earthquake shattered the Checheng Dawan area of Shuili Township in Nantou County, leaving Taipower’s Nantou Mingtan Power Plant a desolate wasteland. Twenty years later, the area has transformed into a solar photovoltaic field that has a capacity of megawatt (about 1MW). As of July 2020, 600,000 kWh of electricity have been generated, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 1,800 households in a month. This transformation has boosted the green energy generation corridor in the Zhuoshui River Basin. Furthermore, Taipower is also cooperating with the Livestock Research Institute of the Executive Yuan's Council of Agriculture for the first time to introduce two "super cattle helpers" to provide a natural method of weeding, thus creating the best example of an eco-friendly photovoltaic development.
Taipower explains that the site of the Dawan photovoltaic field used to be a waste area for depositing rubble when Taipower excavated the water diversion tunnel of the Mingtan Power Plant. It also served as a shelter for victims during the 921 Earthquake. Recently, Taipower has activated the idle land and constructed the 13-hectare photovoltaic park using innovative construction methods. Taipower specially selected September 21, 2019 to generate the first 1kWh of electricity, which is exactly 20 years after the major earthquake. The construction was officially completed at the end of last year. The second phase of the 8MW project will continue and is expected to be completed at the end of 2021. It will become the third largest and most distinctive solar photovoltaic site among Taipower's existing installations.
Taipower indicated that the Dawan photovoltaic site is full of boulder debris of sizes that can vary by 3 meters in height. To preserve the original landform, friendly construction methods were adopted and for the first time, no excavation was carried out in the entire process of constructing the photovoltaic facility. Pile heads were hammered in to position the pilings, then concrete was used to stabilize the foundation, thereby reducing environmental damage in the construction site preparation. Unlike the general bottom up ground mounted brackets, scaffolding brackets are used to cope with the uneven terrain of the site. Adopting a " backward error correction" to correct the deviations and the concept of "straight upper beam and unswerving lower beam", the brackets were locked from top down to effectively reinforce the stability of the overall facility.
Taipower pointed out that the Dawan photovoltaic field is composed of 3320 high-efficiency photovoltaic panels. Weeds under the photovoltaic panels may affect the efficiency of power generation, so generally photovoltaic fields have to be weeded to maintain the power generation efficiency. To avoid affecting the environment with chemical agents, Taipower requires that herbicides should not be used for site maintenance. Therefore a natural weeding method is being used for the Dawan photovoltaic site. For the first time, Taipower is implementing the "Cattle-Electricity Symbiosis" project and collaborating with the Livestock Research Institute of the Executive Yuan's Council of Agriculture. Given that the species of weed commonly found on the site is not suitable for dairy cows, two native oxen, "Dazai" and "Wanwan", are being used to assist with the weeding work, which helps Taipower save considerably in the cost of weeding operations each year.
Taipower explains that it will be conducting a "Double Green Energy and Ecological Park Knowledge Tour" in Nantou tomorrow (the 20th). The public will be given a tour of the Dawan photovoltaic field and the ecological park of the Mingtan Power Plant, Jugong Branch. The tour will include introductions to the various types of turbines and explanations on the operation of the micro-hydraulic unit developed and constructed by the Jugong Branch. Moreover, the Shuili Tourism Passport issued by Shuili Township in Nantou County this summer has particularly included the Dawan photovoltaic field as one of its special attractions. Hence Taipower has successfully created a multi-functional park that integrates power generation and tourism, and the public is welcome to visit and enjoy a fun time.
According to Taipower, Zhuoshui River is the longest river in Taiwan. It congregates hydroelectric power plants such as Daguan, Mingtan, Wanda and Jiji South Bank. The addition of the Dawan solar photovoltaic field will increase the total capacity of renewable energy installations in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Zhuoshui River Basin to up to 4374MW, making the area an important green energy highlight in Taiwan.
In response to the energy transition policy, Taipower has not only been committed to stable power supply, but also been actively investing in green energy development in recent years. From 2010 to 2019, the proportion of capacity of its self-developed renewable energy devices has increased, fully demonstrating its determination to create a low-carbon green energy environment.
Spokesperson: Chang Ting-Shu, Chief Administrator
Telephone: (02)2366-6271/ 0936-625-552
Email: u742433@taipower.com.tw
Business Contact: Tsai Ying-Sheng, Director of the Department of Renewable Energy
Telephone: (02)2366-8650/0988-980-032
Email: u7446723@taipower.com.tw