Concentrating Solar Power

For five years now, an experimental Tulip concentrating solar power plant has been operating at a kibbutz in Israel. Soon, however, the world's first commercial Tulip plant will be built for a paying client, in Ethiopia.

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is now fully operational. The 392 MW plant is expected to generate enough electricity to power 140,000 homes each year. NRG announced last week that each of the plant's three units is now supplying electricity to California’s grid.

Cogenra has installed a cogeneration solar system at SoCalGas' Energy Resource Center, to show it can work for cooling purposes as well.

AORA's Tulip system uses the sun's rays to heat air, which is then used to spin a turbine, creating electricity.

Taking inspiration from the sunflower, researchers have devised a more efficient design that would allow Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants to be constructed on a much smaller area.

Texas-based Fluor corporation is drawing up plans for a five gigawatt (GW) solar power plant in South Africa that would make it amongst the world’s largest.

Arizona Public Service and Starwood Energy Group Global, LLC have just announced plans for a 290-megawatt concentrating solar plant to be built in Arizona which will produce enough electricity to power more than 73,000 homes.

With 1,291 mirrored heliostats and a 54 story high tower, the world's largest solar power tower plant is now on line near Seville in Spain.