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Solar Thermal/CSP: Pros & Cons
Pros Pollution-Free - No fuels are used or released in CSP systems, making it a pollution free energy generation system. Existing Power Plant Usage - Existing power plants can be retrofitted into CSP plants. Rather than burning fossil fuels to produce the steam to spin the turbine, the CSP system heats the water/transfer fluid which creates the steam to power the same generator. Low Operating Costs - With no inputs or fuel needed to run CSP systems, operating costs would be comprised of general cleaning and maintenance. Low Tech - Energy Storage Capable - Renewable - Solar panels harnesses the energy of the sun, a free, renewable energy source. Desert Build - In most cases, the most ideal locations around the world for large CSP plants are in desert areas which have few other land uses. Proven In Large Scale - The nine SEGS (Solar Energy Generating System) plants in California’s Mojave Desert together make the largest solar installation in the world, at 354MW. These SEGS plants use parabolic trough systems. Cons Intermittent Power - Since the sun does not shine all day, or even consistently at the same times each day, solar power cannot generate electricity reliably enough to be used as anything other than additional generation. Due to the hours of usual sunshine, it does make an ideal solution for peaking periods. Large Land Use - CSP installations require more land space than a similar sized fossil fuel power plant. Not Available Everywhere - While the sun shines everywhere around the world, the cost of CSP systems and the decreased sunlight make CSP systems cost inefficient in many areas around the world. High Initial Costs - Not Modular - All three CSP technologies require a large turbine, which makes these systems far less modular than other renewable technologies. This is especially the case with Solar Towers, which are constrained not only by the turbine but the tower receiver. |
 Kill-a-Watt |
