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A New Chapter Begins for ConcentratedSolar Power

This weekend, in the Desert outside Las Vegas, a major milestone was reached forrenewable energy that could represent a shift in how the fastest growing region in theU.S. get its energy. Hundreds of people from around the world were on hand in BoulderCity, Nevada, to commemorate the groundbreaking for the beginning of construction onthe first Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) energy project in the U.S. in more than 15years.

"If we want to get serious about reducing carbon dioxide emissions and lower our use of fossilfuels, this is a way to quickly address that. I'm very optimistic about this technology."-- Chuck Kutscher, Principal Engineer and Group Manager of the Thermal Systems Group atthe National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)

Called Nevada Solar One, the 64 MW commercial-scale solar energy plant willencompass 350 square acres, a nearly endless sea of mirrored troughs that willconcentrate the strong desert sunlight and convert it into 750-degree F thermal energy,which can then be used to create steam for electrical power generation.A combination of state policies and support from both the Governor and the legislature,steady advances in this type of technology, all coupled with skyrocketing energy costshave helped make this unique project a reality."Nevada has proven to be very forward thinking in promoting solar and otherrenewables," said Solargenix President John Myles. "The main factor here is that youcan get very large blocks of power coming from solar energy in one single location. It isvery clearly the lowest cost solar energy that can be produced today."The project is designed and led by Solargenix Energy, based in North Carolina, butinvolves a host of companies from around the world. The groundbreaking this weekendalso made official a partnership between Solargenix and Spain's renewable energygiant, the Acciona Group, which has acquired a 55 percent interest in the commercialpower plant division of Solargenix.

Gilbert Cohen, Vice President of Engineering & Operations for Solargenix, said theproject costs somewhere in the range of $220-250 million. He said the power is slightlymore expensive than wind power, but less than photovoltaic (PV) power, morecommonly used in small rooftop projects on homes or businesses. Other sources closeto the project put this price at somewhere between 9-13 cents per kWh. As more arebuilt, however, and they're scaled up even bigger, Cohen says a target of seven centsper kWh will not be difficult to reach in the near future

The Nuts and Bolts of Nevada Solar One

Germany's glass specialists, Schott -- a company familiar in the solar industry for theirsolar photovoltaic modules -- is one of the primary equipment suppliers. In its firstlarge-scale solar thermal contract, Schott is providing more than 19,000 of their latestvacuum tube steel and glass receivers, which in many ways can be considered theheart of the project. It is these receiver tubes that the parabolic mirrors focus the sun'senergy on and they, in turn, absorb the solar radiation. Flabeg, also a Germancompany, will provide the mirror panels or troughs while industrial giant Siemens of Sweden will provide the 75 MW turbine.

Many other companies are involved in other aspects of hardware and construction,including the main construction contractor Houston-based EPC, Phoenix-based Hydro,which is building the aluminum tracking frames that hold the mirrors. Israel-based Solelis providing some backup receivers in case there are any supply issues with the Schottreceivers, according to Cohen. In all, as many as 750 people will be involved in theconstruction and the power plant will have a full-time staff of 28.Contrary to some press accounts, the project is not the largest of its kind in the world.Nor is it the first. There are, in fact, nine similar projects in the Mojave Desert inCalifornia -- two of them 80 MW in size -- that are operating above and beyond originalexpectations. According to experts involved in the project, however, there are subtlebut significant changes made to this new version that will improve the overall efficiency

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