Concentrating solar power

Concentrating solar power (CSP) is a solar-energy technology that uses thousands of mirrors to precisely concentrate the sun’s rays onto solar receivers and capture energy to create electricity. Tapping a 100-square-mile area in the southwest region of the U.S. for CSP has the potential to produce enough solar energy to power the entire nation indefinitely. And yet, electricity produced from solar energy accounted for only 1 percent of all energy consumed in 2006. We can dramatically increase that percentage.

Sustainability in action

Like a sophisticated Rube Goldberg machine—a complex device that controls one simple task—CSP plants control a chain of events that turn the sun’s heat into electricity. It starts with thousands of mirrors, precisely angled to concentrate maximum sunlight onto solar receivers. These receivers heat a transfer fluid to more than 700° F. That extreme heat turns water into steam to drive a conventional turbine connected to a generator that produces electricity.

With further R & D on solar-energy storage, CSP plants in the southwest region of the U.S. could offer more fuel diversity to the grid and accelerate a low carbon-emitting energy portfolio within only a few decades. A low carbon-emitting energy grid means less contribution to the damaging effects of climate change.

In addition to creating clean energy in a sustainable way, CSP plants provide manufacturing and installation jobs while also adding considerable value to otherwise unused land. The local community benefits from the plant’s tax dollars, land-lease revenues and investment in community programs.

On an individual level, while it still isn’t feasible to install your own CSP plant, you can use solar energy to reduce your personal electricity usage and thus your carbon footprint. Whenever possible, try air-drying your clothes rather than using the energy needed for a conventional dryer and use solar cookers instead of electric or gas range stoves. Solar-powered personal devices are becoming more mainstream—security cameras, wireless headsets, even backpacks and camping carabineers now use solar power to help you lighten your load and pack away your chargers.

ACCIONA's commitment

ACCIONA recognized the potential of CSP and built the third-largest plant of its kind in the world to prove its viability on a commercial scale. ACCIONA’s Nevada Solar One uses 182,000 curved mirrors to harness enough energy for 14,000 homes and has made Nevada the number one state in solar-energy generation per capita.

Innovation continues to reduce the cost of CSP. The concentrating technology, a curved reflective surface called a parabolic trough, used in ACCIONA’s Nevada Solar One represents a major renewable-energy success story of the past two decades and has the potential to compete directly with conventional fossil fuel-powered technologies.

ACCIONA Solar Power, ACCIONA’s CSP joint-venture enterprise, is an industry leader in the development, construction, operation and maintenance of Parabolic Trough Concentrating Solar Power Plants. Its management team has over 20 years of experience in the concentrating solar power industry and brings unprecedented expertise in the design, development, financing, construction and operation of CSP Plants.

Watch our video about ACCIONA’s Nevada Solar One – The Future in Reflection.