Super Solar Power Generation System

Are solar panels becoming a major player in electricity generation?

The sight of solar panels installed on rooftops and large energy farms has become commonplace in many regions around the world. Even in grey and rainy UK, solar power is becoming a major player in electricity generation. This surge in solar is fuelled by two key developments.

Is concentrating solar power the future of electricity generation?

(Getty Images: John Moore) There was a time, not long ago, when the future of electricity generation looked something like the opening scene of Blade Runner 2049, with endless arrays of mirrors in concentric circles. Concentrated solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus heat from the Sun to drive a steam turbine and generate electricity.

What is concentrated solar power (CSP)?

Concentrated solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus heat from the Sun to drive a steam turbine and generate electricity. While CSP was once the great hope for replacing coal and gas-fired generation, it's now generally considered to have been eclipsed by cheaper forms of renewable generation, like solar panels and wind turbines.

What is a Raygen solar power plant?

In Victoria, RayGen is developing a new kind of power plant that borrows elements of photovoltaics and concentrated solar thermal technology. Also partially funded by ARENA, its design uses a field of aligned mirrors to focus sunlight onto a tower-mounted receiver. RayGen's 3MW/50MWh "solar hydro" power plant in Carwarp, north-east Victoria.

Is concentrated solar power making a comeback?

Concentrated solar power is an old technology making a comeback. Here's how it works The 100MW Cerro Dominador CSP plant in the Atacama Desert, Chile. (Getty Images: John Moore)

Can solar thermal power plants be used in next-generation power plants?

The emphasis is put on the application in next-generation high-temperature solar thermal power plants, next-generation compact nuclear reactor power plants, and coal-fired power plants to reveal the thermodynamic, economic, environmental, and flexible feasibility.