Failure of the largest solar thermal power plant in the US

From a distance, Ivanpah solar thermal power plant looks like a sparkling lake in the Mojave desert. When looking close, this is a work containing hundreds of thousands of mirrors pointing at 3 towers, each tower taller than the Statue of Liberty. When inaugurated near the border between the two states of California – Nevada in early 2014, this factory was considered the future of solar power. But after just over a decade, it was about to close. The company co -owning the factory is NRG Energy in January announcing that they are withdrawing contracts with electric companies and will close the factory in early 2026, ready to convert the region into a new form of solar energy , according to CNN.

For some people, Ivanpah is now like a giant monument that wastes taxes and sabotage the environment. For a long time, campaign organizations have criticized the factory for affecting wildlife in the desert. For others, this type failure is a natural part of the race to find the best solution to switch to clean energy.

When proposed, Ivanpah’s technology is called concentrated solar power or solar thermal power is considered a potential breakthrough. Hundreds of thousands of computer -controlled mirrors called “Heliostats” rotate to the sun and concentrated light rays into 3 towers, each tower of 137 m high and have a pot of water filled with water. The super concentrated energy of the sun turns water into a steam form, running turbines to produce electricity. One of the only advantages of solar thermal technology is the time to store heat, allowing electricity production at night or when the sun does not illuminate or does not need to use the battery.

The project receives budget from the Government with a loan of US $ 1.6 billion in the Ministry of Energy, from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison, both sign a long -term buying agreement with long -term electricity with. Ivanpah. In 2014, Ivanpah started commercial activity as the largest solar thermal power plant in the world, spread over 12.9 km2 of desert.

However, the project recorded failure after more than 10 years of operation. First, technology is too complicated and ineffective as expected, according to Jenny Chase, solar analyst in Bloombergnef. This type of factory is really technical difficult to operate. It combines all the troublesome mechanical parts of the fossil fuel factory such as running turbine and maintaining many moving mechanisms, with challenges from distribution energy sources. Technology depends on the mirrors of the sun. But it is difficult to keep all the mirrors perfectly in line at all times, according to Chase.

Perhaps the biggest problem for Ivanpah is that solar power uses optical batteries that become really cheap. In some parts of the world, customers can buy a solar module at the same price as buying fences. At the time when Ivanpah was built, no one thought that the optical battery would become so cheap. A NRG spokesman shared a very competitive electricity price when the agreement was signed in 2009. But over time, achievements in other types of solar electrical technologies lead to effective and economical choices. Fee and flexibility to produce reliable clean energy. In January, NRG closed the agreement with PG&E to end the electricity purchase contract that would have ended in 2039. The spokesman for Southern California Edison said they were discussing with the factory owner and the contract of the contract of the contract of the contract. Surname.

With the criticism of Ivanpah, the fact that the factory stops operating is evidence that the project should not be built. According to Julia Dowell, the organizer in Sierra Club, the project construction process destroyed the pristine desert environment. The position of Ivanpah in the Mojave desert seems to be ideal for producing solar power, but this is also the habitat of the desert turtle threatened. Although the factory’s contractors follow a series of protective measures and transfer of animals, many environmental activists believe that the project should not be licensed. Another big problem is the mortality rate of the bird. The birds were burned in mid -air by the harsh heat beam from the mirrors.

Some experts believe that Ivanpah is a testament to the renewable energy project that should not receive funding from the government. One of President Donald Trump’s first move is to stop through the newly renewable energy project on the federal soil. It is difficult to determine which solar technology is the most cost -effective when Ivanpah was built 15 years ago. “Choose extremely difficult winning technology. Some technologies will beat other technologies, as long as the innovation continues to take place,” said Kenneth Gillingham, professor of economics in the environment in the environment. Yale, emphasized.