Skyline Solar, a manufacturer of High Gain Solar (HGS) arrays announced the first commercial installation of its High Gain Solar (HGS) 1000 system in a new municipal solar power plant in the desert town of Nipton, California. The 80-killowatt Nipton plant is an upgradeable solar power system that will provide roughly 85 percent of Nipton's electricity needs.

The commissioning of the Nipton plant highlights Skyline’s rapid and strategic growth over the past two years. After securing financing in September 2008, Skyline announced its unique HGS architecture in May 2009, followed shortly by the completion of the company’s first demonstration plant with the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority in San Jose, California.

“As the gateway community to the Mojave Desert, Nipton seeks to be a good steward of the environment. Sustainability is paramount to this endeavor,” said Gerald Freeman, Principal Administrator for Nipton. “It is with this in mind that we are extremely pleased to be utilizing the HGS 1000 as our primary source of energy. And the HGS upgradability is a very attractive option.”

Skyline’s HGS architecture utilizes photovoltaic, tracking, cooling and concentration components, reducing the amount of silicon needed by 85 percent. The power-producing components of the system are upgradeable, allowing system-owners to “future-proof” their investment and upgrade with new solar panel technologies.

In October, the company tapped Cosma, an automotive supplier, as a manufacturing partner as Skyline Solar ramped up to commercial production. More recently, the company was awarded one of the first patents under the US Patent & Trademark Office’s Green Technology Pilot Program, covering key elements of Skyline Solar’s HGS architecture.

To learn more about the Nipton project and Skyline's technology, watch the video below.