How Does A Solar Plant Work
There are two ways we can produce electricity from the sun:
- Photovoltaic Electricity – uses photovoltaic cells that absorb the direct sunlight just like the solar cells you see on some calculators.
- Solar Thermal Electricity – also uses a solar collector -- it has a mirrored surface that reflects the sunlight onto a receiver that heats up a liquid. This heated liquid is used to make steam that produces electricity.
FPL Energy plants use solar thermal technology at the seven Solar Electric Generating System (SEGS) facilities in the Mojave Desert. These solar thermal plants use long troughs to capture the sun’s heat (see graphic below)
| Stage |
Description |
1 |
These solar collectors with curved reflectors cover large areas and are used to capture and concentrate sunlight |
2 |
That sunlight then heats a synthetic oil called therminol, which then heats water to create steam. |
3 |
The steam is piped to an onsite turbine-generator to produce electricity. The steam is then condensed and reused as the cycle begins again. After the electricity leaves the generator, it goes to a transformer so that the voltage can be increased, allowing the power to be transmitted long distances via the transmission system. |
4 |
On cloudy days, the plant has a supplementary natural gas boiler. The plant can burn natural gas to heat the water, creating steam to generate electricity. |
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