The next time you’re hiking Mount Everest you may look down to see a solar array gleaming in the far distance. Yesterday, Suntech Power Holdings Inc. (NYSE: STP) said it is installing a 10 megawatt solar array in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet to provide power stability in the region. The array may very well be the highest in the world, at roughly 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) above sea level.

The new array, which is slated for completion by the middle of 2011, is located in the Chek Kang village in the Sangri County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, according to Suntech. When completed, the facility will generate roughly 20,000 megawatt hours annually and will provide power to thousands of Tibetan homes.

"We're proud to invest in preserving the region's fragile ecosystem by providing an economically-viable and sustainable solution for electricity generation. From the desert sands of Arizona to the peaks of the Himalayas, anyone can look up and harness nature's cleanest and most abundant energy resource," said Suntech CEO Dr. Zhengrong Shi in a press release.

The Chinese company said the solar farm will provide stability to the region’s electricity resources, which rely heavily on hydroelectric generation. In the past, they have provided stable sources of electricity to the region, but changes in weather patterns are causing droughts and lower water reservoir levels, which in turn are causing peak power shortages.

The array will provide power when it’s needed most.

“Its power production performance coincides with daily power consumption. It’s usually strongest at mid-day, so it’s going to serve as a complement to the existing energy infrastructure,” Said Suntech spokesperson Walker Frost.

At the higher elevation, the panels will receive higher levels of insolation or exposure to the sun, and the cooler temperatures at the altitude will help make the panels more efficient at converting electricity.

“It’s one of the most suited regions for photovoltaics,” said Frost.

At this point, this is the only new plant that the company has announced, according to Frost. And while Suntech is developing this project, it doesn’t develop all its projects.

For instance, in the U.S. the company doesn’t compete as a project developer, but partners with other companies to install its modules, Frost said.

Image courtesy of Suntech.