Concentrated Solar Power: What is It and How Can We Use It?

Our planet is dying. A harsh reality that has come upon many Americans. With the luring global warming crisis on our heads, we look for a solution to slow it down, or even stop it as a whole.

We look upon Concentrated Solar Power plants as our permanent solution. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is a type of solar power generation that uses mirrors or lenses to focus sunlight onto a small area, creating heat that is used to generate electricity. CSP has the potential to provide an environmentally friendly and sustainable source of energy, as it uses sunlight, a renewable resource, to generate electricity. This technology is often used in large-scale power plants, where concentrated solar energy is used to heat a fluid, which then drives a turbine to produce electricity.

CSPs have proven to be impactful. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), roughly 1,815 megawatts of CSP plants are in operation today (SEIA). Furthermore, according to Energy.gov, dish systems produce 5 to 25 kilowatts of power per dish (Department of Energy).

We can see many of these CSPs across America. Some notable ones would include the Ivanpah power plant, located in the Mojave Desert. This specific power plant holds 173,000 heliostats, 392 megawatts, and has supplied 100,000 homes with electricity.