Basics Of Concentrated Solar Power

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) is a new innovative technology and can also be referred to as Concentrated Solar Thermal Power

. This is because it uses the amalgamation of solar energy and thermal power technology. Concentrated Solar Power system is made up of lenses or mirrors which are used to attract sunlight on large surfaces and focus it on a smaller surface in the form of heat.

The heat thus produced is used to heat up a liquid to temperatures between 500 C to 1000 C. This molten liquid which is usually oil or molten salts acts as a force to run steam engine which thereby produces electricity in the form of alternating current (AC) through generator which can be distributed over electronic grids.

A major advantage of Concentrated Solar Power is that it allows the use of solar energy even in the absence of sun, i.e. during cloudy weather or at night. This is made possible with the use of thermal power storage technology where in the stored energy can be used to produce electricity as and when required. Hence, they prove to be highly cost effective for large scale electricity production as storage of thermal power is more efficient and comparatively cheaper.

Some of the types of Concentrated Solar Power systems are:

Parabolic Trough System:

As the name suggests, it consist of parabolic troughs that concentrate solar power on to liquid filled tube. This is the most widely used CSP system currently.

Power Tower System:

It consists of a power tower surrounded by thousands of mirrors reflecting solar rays on top of it.

Concentrating Linear Fresnel System:

It consists of mirrors in a straight line reflecting sunlight onto a tube through which the liquid passes.

Dish Sterling System:

Such a system consists of a dish that looks just like satellite television dish and is made of multiple reflectors that focus energy on a single point above the dish.

Large scale production of electricity using CSP systems requires ample of space. As larger the surface available to capture sunlight more is the production. This can at times become a hindrance for application in crowded towns and cities.

Gradually increasing commercial use of Concentrated Solar Power will bring about a revolution in the renewable energy resources sector. Further research in the field is expected to bring down the cost of these systems and generation of electricity thereof. Currently, Spain and United States of America are the highest producers of electricity through use of Concentrated Solar Power

by: Schew Maker

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