C. Germany
In 1986, Rheinisch-Westfalisches Elektrizitatswerk (RWE) started a project to design, build, and operate three large grid-connected PV power plants. The first unit, rated at 340 kW, began operation in late 1988 in Cobum-Gondorf near Koblenz (see Fig. 8). This first installationhas modules from manufacturers in Germany, Japan, France, and the United States and include single crystal, polycrystal, and amorphous cells. The modules are installed in three large (≈ 100 kW each) fields and five smaller (1-12.6 kW) fields. Inverters for the large array fields consist of one self-commutated (74 kW) and two line-commutated (80 kW and 74 kW) units. During the design phase, it was estimated that 250 MWh would be generated by this facility. Although this mark has not been reached during the first year of operation, further work is underway and details are given in [29].