SOLAR POWER TOWER GOES ON LINE

Abengoa launches world's biggest solar power tower
Martin Roberts, April 27, 2009 (Reuters)

"Spanish engineering company Abengoa has begun operating a 20 megawatt solar power plant that is the world's biggest, using a tower to turn the sun's rays into electricity and can supply 10,000 homes…

"The PS20 plant in the southern province of Seville uses 1,255 mirrors to focus solar radiation at the top of a tower 165 metres high, in order to boil water to drive a turbine and generate electricity."

From sipje2007 via YouTube.
"Abengoa already has a 10 MW solar power tower in service and plans another 20 MW plant…[I] ts "Solucar" complex [will]… produce 300 MW by 2013 with the addition of five 50 MW plants using parabolic troughs to concentrate solar power.

"Power towers and parabolic troughs are both types of concentrated solar power (CSP)."

From MelkartGaditano via YouTube.

"Most solar power stations use photovoltaic (PV) panels, which directly convert solar energy into electricity…[A]nalysts say CSP plants may take the lead…because they generate more power and could be more cost effective.

"Spain became the world's second largest PV producer after Germany last year, with more than 3,000 MW installed, due to a generous [feed-in tariff] subsidy… PV growth is expected to be slow this year because the government will cap…subsidies this year."