GC: n

CT: Most of us don’t think much about where our electricity comes from, only that it’s available and plentiful. Electricity generated by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, emits carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides -gases scientists believe contribute to climate change. Solar thermal (heat) energy is a carbon-free, renewable alternative to the power we generate with fossil fuels like coal and gas. This isn’t a thing of the future, either. Between 1984 and 1991, the United States built nine such plants in California’s Mojave Desert, and today they continue to provide a combined capacity of 354 megawatts annually, power used in 500,000 Californian homes (source: Hutchinson). Reliable power, at that. In 2008 when six days of peak demand buckled the power grid and brought electricity outages in California, those solar thermal plants continued to produce at 110 percent capacity (source: Kanellos).

S: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-tech/energy-production/solar-thermal-power.htm (last access: 25 February 2015)

N: 1. Solar thermal power plants use the heat from converted solar radiation to generate electricity. Like solar panels, they initially capture heat energy through the absorption of solar radiation and like photovoltaic cells, they generate electricity from sunlight. In short: they represent the most efficient means of utilizing solar energy.
2. The potential for solar thermal electricity generation that is technically achievable is several times greater than the worldwide electricity consumption. In contrast to photovoltaics, which are effective for low-power decentralized systems, solar thermal power plants generate electricity on a large scale – between 50 and 250 megawatts. With the integration of thermal storage, this power can then be supplied on demand, thus enabling solar power plants to generate electricity even after sunset. Solar thermal power plants therefore have the potential to replace fossil fuel power plants.

S: 1 & 2. http://www.solarmillennium.de/Archives/Technology/Solar_Thermal_Power_Plants/Solar_Thermal_Power_Plants_Generate_Electricity_Using_Solar_Energy_,lang2,35,191.html (last access: 25 February 2015).

SYN: 1. solar thermal power plant. 2. solar steam plant.

S: 1. http://www.solarmillennium.de/Archives/Technology/Solar_Thermal_Power_Plants/Solar_Thermal_Power_Plants_Generate_Electricity_Using_Solar_Energy_,lang2,35,191.html (last access: 25 February 2015); http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/worlds-biggest-solar-thermal-power-plant-fires-first-time-89135 (last access: 25 February 2015). 2. TERMIUMPLUS.

CR: central photovoltaic power plant, photovoltaic solar energy, solar energy, solar thermal energy.