Crescent Dunes Solar Power Site Progresses

Concentrated solar power has, literally, reached a new high with the completion of what's claimed to be the tallest solar power tower on Earth.

Sited in the Nevada Desert, the Crescent Dunes tower stands 540 feet above the ground and is the centrepiece of a vast concentrated solar power (CSP) project, set to start collecting energy and producing electricity in late 2013.

Ultimately, the 110MW Crescent Dunes CSP array will feature no less than 10,000 mirrors, which will stream sunlight towards the tower. The tower's filled with molten salt and the solar rays will heat this up. The steam produced, as a result, can then in turn be used as an instant electricity source. Alternatively, it can be stored for a maximum of 15 hours and then, once the sun's gone down, released to provide power through the night.

Crescent Dunes CSP Site

The Crescent Dunes CSP site is being developed by SolarReserve - a US-based renewable energy company.

SolarReserve was established in 2008 through a partnership between United Technologies Corporation and the US Renewables Group and it says that Crescent Dunes is a groundbreaking venture on several fronts. Not only does it involve the world's tallest molten-salts tower but it's also the first large-scale US solar power array to feature an integrated energy storage element.

Once the site's up and running, in less than 24 months' time, electricity from Crescent Dunes will be fed into approximately 75,000 houses.

Concentrated Solar Power

In a press release issued by the company, SolarReserve's chief executive officer, Kevin Smith, described further how this concentrated solar power system will work and put the project's achievements, so far, into context.

"Completion of the solar power tower is a significant milestone not only for SolarReserve and our plant, but also for the solar energy industry as a whole", he said. "This project is on track to bring American innovation to fruition and is already creating jobs. Our US-developed technology has the ability to store energy for 10-15 hours and solves the issue of intermittent power generation to the grid, the number one limitation to other solar and wind renewable energy technologies."

He concluded: "We can deliver electricity ‘on demand' the same way a coal, natural gas or nuclear-fuelled plant does - but without emitting any harmful pollution or hazardous materials - providing a genuine alternative to conventional power generation."

Image copyright SolarReserve

See also:

Sahara Forest Renewable Energy Project Approved