"Crescent Dunes" power plant "solar thermal power generation" that uses electricity generated by collecting sunlight into one point

Solar power generation is the first method to generate electricity, but since the sun will set in the night, it will not be able to generate electricity, the solar cell will inevitably become expensive. A power generation method that can overcome the shortcomings is "Solar thermal power generation". As such a solar thermal power plant, SolarReserve's "Crescent Dunes"Is operating from September 2015.

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Crescent Dunes (official name is Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant) is a solar thermal power plant solar thermal power generation venture company SolarReserve made in Nevada. Construction began in September 2011. The state of construction can be seen in the following movie.

Crescent Dunes Construction Timelapse October 2015 - YouTube


Construction of the tower began in the center of the wasteland.


Work was done while lighting up at night as well ......


It gradually becomes higher.


Both sunny and rainy days, work continues.


Working vehicles and others are moving wholly at the root of the tower.


The shadow of the tower looks like a sundial.


Concentric circles are drawn around the tower around.


It looks like a passage with a roof is being made ... ...


Every part that looks like a roof is a mirror. Reflect the sunlight and send it in a certain direction "Heliostat"The size of the mirror is 1.8 m × 1.8 m.


Heliostat has become able to change angle freely.


A myriad of heliostats were installed to surround the tower ......


Collect sunlight towards the tower.


This tower is the central tower of a solar thermal power plant and its height is 200 m. The light from the 1377 heliostats that automatically track the sun gathers in the central tower and heats the "collector" at the top of the tower. In the collectorMelted salt (molten salt)And it is heated and then sent to the lower part of the tower, evaporating the water and turning the steam turbine to generate electricity.


Solar power generation can not generate electricity when the sun goes down, but solar thermal power is advantageous in that it can operate even at night by using heat storage. Also, since Heliostat is simply a reflector, it does not require expensive solar cells, which is also advantageous in terms of manufacturing and maintenance.

The area of ​​Crescent Dunes is about 1.2 million square meters, and the output is 110 megawatts. A 25-year energy supply contract with NV Energy has been signed and will be sold to Nevada Power at $ 0.135 per kilowatt-hour (about 13 yen).

In distant view, it looks like a lake shining like Crescent Dunes.


Although the completed power plant is also making great use, the construction itself is also a major project, and at the peak of the project, more than 1,000 workers and more than 4,300 jobs are directly and indirectly contributed to society regardless of whether they are direct or indirect did.