What is a solar thermal power plant?

Solar thermal power plants are active systems, and while there are a few types, there are a few basic similarities: Mirrors reflect and concentrate sunlight, and receivers collect that solar energy and convert it into heat energy. A generator can then be used to produce electricity from this heat energy.

Does solar energy produce electricity?

Rapidly decreasing costs of PV as well as concentrated solar thermal electricity have resulted in a rapid expansion of solar electric power generation. As a result, to date, solar energy has been mainly associated with electricity production.

How do solar thermal power systems work?

All solar thermal power systems have solar energy collectors with two main components: reflectors (mirrors) that capture and focus sunlight onto a receiver. In most types of systems, a heat-transfer fluid is heated and circulated in the receiver and used to produce steam.

Can solar thermal power be converted to electricity?

Solar thermal power can also be converted to electricity by using the steam generated from the heated water to drive a turbine connected to a generator. However, because generating electricity this way is much more expensive than photovoltaic power plants, there are very few in use today.

What makes a solar thermal power plant an active system?

An active system requires some way to absorb and collect solar radiation and then store it. Solar thermal power plants are active systems, and while there are a few types, there are a few basic similarities: Mirrors reflect and concentrate sunlight, and receivers collect that solar energy and convert it into heat energy.

How do you generate energy from the Sun?

There are two main ways of generating energy from the sun. Photovoltaic (PV) and concentrating solar thermal (CST), also known as concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. PV converts sunlight directly into electricity.