In 2011, the Department of Energy granted three loan guarantees of $1.6 billion to fund the development of Ivanpah. The facility was built by the Bechtel Groupon behalf of partnersBrightSource Energy, NRG Energy, and Google. Commercial operations began in 2014. It's becoming increasingly apparent that CSP systems cannot compete with cheaper alternatives, including photovoltaic solar energy. CSP systems generate solar power by using mirrors and lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a smaller, focused area. Specifically, Ivanpah leverages “power tower” solar thermal technology to generate energy. More than 170,000 devices, known as. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is a plant in the. It is located at the base of in, across the state line from. The plant has a gross capacity of 392 (MW). It uses 173,500, each with two mirrors focusing on boilers located on three 459-foot-tall (140 m). Th.
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Are concentrating solar-thermal power plants real?
Fields of mirrors reflect sunlight onto two of three receivers at the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in San Bernardino County, California. Photo by Cliff Ho. If you come across one in the desert, its bright lights may fool you into thinking it's a mirage—but rest assured, concentrating solar-thermal power (CSP) plants are very real.
How has the Ivanpah solar energy system impacted the Mojave Desert?
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System has significantly impacted the Mojave Desert ecosystem, particularly the threatened Mojave desert tortoise (*Gopherus agassizii*). Initially anticipating only 30 tortoises on the site, developers encountered over 170, prompting large-scale relocation efforts.
The plant can be a startling sight for drivers heading toward Las Vegas from Southern California along busy Interstate 15. Amid miles of rock and scrub, its vast array of mirrors can create the image of a shimmering lake atop the desert floor, but depending on the angle of the sun and mirrors, it could also be blinding.
How do heliostat mirrors work?
Fields of heliostat mirrors focus sunlight on receivers located on centralized solar power towers. The receivers generate steam to drive specially adapted steam turbines. For the first plant, the largest-ever fully solar-powered steam turbine generator set was ordered, with a 123 MW Siemens SST-900 single-casing reheat turbine. [ 19 ]
Why did California start promoting concentrated solar power?
California, driven by its Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), began pushing aggressively for renewable energy sources, setting ambitious targets that mandated utilities procure a large percentage of their electricity from clean sources. This provided fertile ground for a revived effort in concentrated solar power.
When did California get final approval for the Mojave Desert Project?
Final approval for the project was granted in October 2010. [ 24 ] On October 27, 2010, Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and other dignitaries gathered in the Mojave Desert to break the ground for the construction.