Episode 25 | Mighty Mirrors | ATA Insights
For my solar episode, I wanted to cover a technology that is quickly emerging. Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is a bit different from Photovoltaic (PV). PV converts photons from the sun directly into electricity; CSP concentrates thermal solar energy into power using mirrors.
PV has exploded and now has over 300 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity worldwide; CSP has less than 5 GW. This is partially due to the fact that the sunlight, called Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI), has to be quite perfect in order to get the temperatures needed to melt salt and run a power plant.
When conditions are right, CSP is a powerhouse. And because it can generate enough heat to melt salt, which remains hot for extended periods of time, this solar power can essentially be considered baseload, like a gas, coal, or nuclear plant.
There are 4 designs typically discussed for CSP:
- Parabolic Trough—The most developed. Consists of rows of curved mirrors resembling a "trough," focusing sunlight onto a
tube above them. The largest facility is Solar Energy Generating Systems (354 MW) in California.
- Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector—A variation of Parabolic Trough, except the mirrors are straight. Largest facility is Dhursar (100 MW) in India.
- Dish Engine—Possibly the most efficient, uses a satellite-shaped design. No commercial facilities so far.
- Power Tower—A series of heliostats surrounds and focuses sunlight onto a central tower. The largest facility is Ivanpah Solar Power Facility (392) in California.
For this episode I spoke to Belen Gallego, CEO and Co-founder of ATA Insights, a consulting firm in Madrid, Spain. We discussed the benefits of CSP over PV, getting costs down, and the potential for CSP in the developing world.
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