S OL AR S T EA M P L A NT

PATRICK F. HAPITA
WHAT IS SOLAR STEAM PLANT

• A SOLAR STEAM PLANT IS AN ELECTRICITY GENERATION PLANT THAT

UTILIZES ENERGY FROM THE SUN TO HEAT A FLUID TO A HIGH TEMPERATURE.

• THIS FLUID THEN TRANSFERS ITS HEAT TO WATER, WHICH THEN BECOMES
SUPERHEATED STEAM. THIS STEAM IS THEN USED TO TURN TURBINES IN A
POWER PLANT, AND THIS MECHANICAL ENERGY IS CONVERTED INTO
ELECTRICITY BY A GENERATOR.
HOW DOES SOLAR THERMAL PLANT WORKS?

•  ALL SOLAR THERMAL POWER SYSTEMS HAVE

SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTORS WITH TWO MAIN
COMPONENTS: REFLECTORS (MIRRORS) THAT
CAPTURE AND FOCUS SUNLIGHT ONTO
A RECEIVER. IN MOST TYPES OF SYSTEMS, A HEAT-
TRANSFER FLUID IS HEATED AND CIRCULATED IN
THE RECEIVER AND USED TO PRODUCE STEAM.
HOW DOES SOLAR THERMAL PLANT WORKS?

•  SOLAR THERMAL POWER SYSTEMS HAVE

TRACKING SYSTEMS THAT KEEP SUNLIGHT
FOCUSED ONTO THE RECEIVER THROUGHOUT THE
DAY AS THE SUN CHANGES POSITION IN THE SKY.
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS USUALLY HAVE A
LARGE FIELD OR ARRAY OF COLLECTORS THAT
SUPPLY HEAT TO A TURBINE AND GENERATOR
 ADVANTAGES OF
SOLAR STEAM PLANT
IT’S RENEWABLE
THIS SIMPLY MEANS THAT SOLAR ENERGY IS
SOMETHING THAT WILL NEVER BE
EXHAUSTED FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
COMPARED TO FOSSIL FUELS, COAL,
PETROLEUM, NATURAL GAS, WHICH ARE
TRADITIONALLY USED IN POWER GENERATION
AND WILL EVENTUALLY CEASE TO EXIST,
SOLAR IS ALWAYS AVAILABLE – FOR NOW, OF
COURSE.
 ADVANTAGES OF
SOLAR STEAM PLANT
REDUCES CARBON FOOTPRINT

FOSSIL FUELS EMIT CARBON DIOXIDE

WHEN BURNED, FURTHER DESTROYING
THE OZONE LAYER. THAT’S WHY WITH
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS, WE
CAN POTENTIALLY LOWER CARBON
EMISSIONS AND BE LESS DEPENDENT
ON FOSSILS.

ADVANTAGES OF
SOLAR STEAM PLANT
WORKS 24/7 A DAY
SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS CAN ALSO
GENERATE ELECTRICITY EVEN FOR 24 HOURS
A DAY. UNLIKE SOLAR PV SYSTEMS AND WIND
SYSTEMS, SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEMS CAN
PROVIDE CONTINUOUS POWER. THIS IS ONE
OF THE REASONS WHY CONCENTRATED
SOLAR POWER (CSP) PLANTS HAVE THE
POTENTIAL FOR PROVIDING RELIABLE AND
UNIFORM BASE LOAD POWER.
SOLAR THERMAL PLANTS ARE MORE
ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY
• SINCESOLAR THERMAL STATIONS DON’T
DEPEND ON BURNING COAL OR NATURAL
GAS TO PRODUCE STEAM, IT IS ECO-
FRIENDLY. WITHOUT BURNING NATURAL
RESOURCES, WE CAN POTENTIALLY
REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASES WHICH
DESTROYS THE OZONE LAYER.
 • SOLAR PLANTS NEED LARGE SPACES
• SOLAR THERMAL PLANTS REQUIRE LARGE AREAS FOR
INSTALLATION. THEY ALSO NEED TO BE IN AN AREA
WHERE THERE IS A VERY HIGH AMOUNT OF RADIATION.
THIS MEANS THAT IT CANNOT BE BUILT NEAR
DISADVANTAGES OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS.

SOLAR STEAM PLANT • NEEDS A LOT OF WATER TO FUNCTION

• SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS NEED
EXPENSIVE EQUIPMENT COST TONS OF WATER FOR OPERATION, WHICH
THE MAJOR DRAWBACK OF CAN BE A PROBLEM IF IT IS LOCATED IN
CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER DESERT AREAS..
PLANTS IS THAT CAPITAL COST AND
Wildlife Endangerment
MAINTENANCE COST IS MORE
Because solar thermal plants use hundreds of massive
EXPENSIVE THAN OTHER POWER
mirrors, it can leave a negative impact for the animal
STATIONS. IT IS EVEN MORE wildlife on the desert and it could endanger species.
EXPENSIVE THAN SOLAR PV PLANTS.
THANK YOU