Clean power

California power supplier Pacific Gas and Electric has entered into a renewable energy agreement with Solel-MSP-1 to purchase renewable energy from the Mojave solar park, to be constructed in California’s Mojave Desert.

553MW of solar power, enough to power 400,000 homes, will be delivered to PG&E’s customers in northern and central California fron the solar park, which is the world’s largest single solar system

When fully operational in 2011, the Mojave Solar Park plant will cover up to 6,000 acres, or nine square miles, in the Mojave Desert. The project will rely on 1.2m mirrors and 317 miles of vacuum tubing to capture the desert sun’s heat.

In operation, parabolic mirrors concentrate solar energy onto solar thermal receivers. The receivers contain a fluid that is heated and circulated, and the heat is then released to generate steam. The steam powers a turbine to produce electricity, which can be delivered to a utility’s electric grid.