Almost all of us are familiar with solar power energy generating systems. Springing up all over the place these days, these systems generate electricity from the sun’s rays. They absorb the sunlight and convert it into usable energy, which is then transmitted to millions of households in the nearby regions. Consider this astounding fact. The sun sends over 42 trillion kilocalories of energy to Earth. Converting 100% of this energy into electricity would create enough power for the earth for a whole year. And this can be achieved in just one hour. So imagine the amount of power we would be able to generate from solar power on a daily basis.
The need for solar power
Proper harnessing of this abundant power can effectively help us reduce the consumption of other non-renewable energy sources for electricity. The earth’s natural reserves of fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are fast depleting. Moreover, burning these fossil fuels leads to environmental pollution and eventually, global warming. Solar energy on the other hand is renewable and does not cause any pollution. Plus, it is supplied abundantly by the sun. So harnessing it to produce electricity would be considered as the only sane choice for a better, greener tomorrow.
The work of desert solar power plants
A lot of deserts around the world are becoming homes to massive solar power plants to generate electricity and power on a global scale. Take the Moajve Desert in California, which houses the largest solar power plant in the entire world. The plant has a total of seven massive Solar Electric Generating Systems (SEGS) that use state of the art technology to transform solar power into usable energy.
Working principle of SEGS
These SEGS are fitted with parabolic mirrors in the shape of a half-pipe. Made of 94% reflective glass, these mirrors track the sun during the day. The solar collectors in these mirrors capture the sunlight and concentrate it to heat therminol, a synthetic oil. This oil helps keep the pressure created by the heat within manageable parameters.
Heat generated by the synthetic oil is then transferred to water, which in turn boils and drives an onsite Rankine cycle steam turbine generator. The turbine generator would then generate electricity which would be transmitted to the nearby regions via power lines.
The SEGS located in California generate over 310 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to be used in and around the entire state. Co-owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources, the facilities cover over 1500 acres of desert area and have over 900,000 reflective mirrors to trap the sun’s power. Southern California Edison purchases the power produced by the SEGs in California.
Summary
Several deserts around the world are being transformed into massive solar power plants in order to generate clean, renewable sources of energy. These plants would ensure that the world we step into tomorrow is greener and more habitable for future generations.
