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Ivanpah: the biggest thermodynamic solar system in the world is working
The thermal solar system Ivanpah, in California, started working last Tuesday. The power produced can satisfy 140 thousand of buildings and it is environmentally sustainable
Situated in the Mojave desert, Ivanpah is the biggest thermal solar system in the world which started working. In fact, last Tuesday its first unit inserted for the first time power in the American electricity grid.
The company to which is dued the realization of Ivanpah is NRG Solar that, according to the CEO Tom Doyle, affirms: “Given the magnitude and complexity of Ivanpah, it was very important that we successfully complete this milestone showing all systems were on track”. But the merit of this project goes also to other companies and investors involved in it (among which appears Google).
Ivanpah, composed by 3 units, is a concentration thermal solar system extended for 3,500 acres covered by about 154 thousand heliostats (or mirrors). Its operating principle is not complex at all: these mirrors follows the solar light reflecting it towards a central tower (totally 3 towers, one for each unit). The water contained inside the tower, combined with heat, produces vapour helping in this way turbines, necessary to produce electricity for the American families, to work.
Ivanpah has been declared 90% ready. In fact, only 154 thousand solar panels out of 173 thousand have been installed and by the end of 2013 is expected to work a full speed. In such conditions, with a 392 MW power, the electricity produced will be sufficient to satisfy the energetic need of about 140 thousand buildings.
Without introducing CO2 or pollutants in the air, this last generation solar system is perfectly environmentally sustainable.
The company to which is dued the realization of Ivanpah is NRG Solar that, according to the CEO Tom Doyle, affirms: “Given the magnitude and complexity of Ivanpah, it was very important that we successfully complete this milestone showing all systems were on track”. But the merit of this project goes also to other companies and investors involved in it (among which appears Google).
Ivanpah, composed by 3 units, is a concentration thermal solar system extended for 3,500 acres covered by about 154 thousand heliostats (or mirrors). Its operating principle is not complex at all: these mirrors follows the solar light reflecting it towards a central tower (totally 3 towers, one for each unit). The water contained inside the tower, combined with heat, produces vapour helping in this way turbines, necessary to produce electricity for the American families, to work.
Ivanpah has been declared 90% ready. In fact, only 154 thousand solar panels out of 173 thousand have been installed and by the end of 2013 is expected to work a full speed. In such conditions, with a 392 MW power, the electricity produced will be sufficient to satisfy the energetic need of about 140 thousand buildings.
Without introducing CO2 or pollutants in the air, this last generation solar system is perfectly environmentally sustainable.
