Located in Mojave Desert, on the border of California and Nevada, the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility represents one of the largest solar thermal energy facilities in the world.
The $2.2 billion project will deploy 170,000 heliostat mirrors which will focus solar energy on boilers located in centralized towers spread across the 4,000 acre facility. As the water in the centralized boilers begins to heat up, steam will be created and used to drive turbines that will generate electricity.
At its maximum capacity the Ivanpah facility will produce 392MW of power, with annual generation estimated pegged at 1,079,232 MWh.
Although the Ivanpah facility has been connected to the California power grid, it’s still in it test phases and hasn’t begun adding power to the grid. However, experts agree the facility should be contributing to California’s energy demands by year’s end.
Image and Video Courtesy of BrightSource