Commercial Solar Thermal Electric Generation Plant, Barstow, California
During the highest summer demand periods, these facilities produce enough electricity for approximately 45,000 homes.
The solar field is comprised of parabolic trough solar collectors that individually track the sun using sun sensors and microprocessors. A central computer automatically monitors and controls each of the hundreds of individual solar collectors in the field as well as the heat transfer fluid system. The solar collectors focus sunlight onto specially coated steel pipes mounted inside vacuum-insulated glass tubes (the tubes act like a large thermos). Heat transfer fluid is pumped through the pipes and solar collectors heat the fluid to approximately 620 F. The fluid is then pumped through a series of conventional heat exchangers to generate superheated steam. The superheated steam powers a turbine generator to produce electricity that is delivered to the utility's electric grid.
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