WattsUp?

Ivanpah is wattsup… The Ivanpah Solar Energy Generating System – owned by Google, BrightSource Energy and NRG Energy, is currently the largest solar plant in the world. Located on approximately 3,500 acres in Ivanpah Dry Lake, California, this plant produces energy to power more than 140,000 homes during the peak hours of the day.

Ivanpah began construction in October 2010 and was completed nearly three years later in 2013. Over 2100 construction workers were employed during the peak construction phase of the project. In the end, 86 permanent positions were created. In addition to creating these jobs, Ivanpah is creating a “ripple effect” of work among it’s vendors in 18 states as well as companies who supply those vendors. Ivanpah is expected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in local and state taxes.

Ivanpah produces electricity by creating high-temperature steam to turn a conventional turbine. Instead of using fossil fuel like most, they use the sun as fuel.

Over 300,000 software-controlled mirrors, about the size of garage doors, track the sun in three dimensions and reflect the sunlight to boilers that sit on top of 459 foot tall towers. When the sunlight strikes the boilers’ tubes, it heats the water to create superheated steam.

The steam is then piped from the boiler to a standard turbine where electricity is generated. From there, transmission lines carry the power to businesses and homes.

The complex is expected to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by more than 400,000 tons per year.

The U.S. is among the top countries in the world in electricity generated by the Sun. There are plans to build many more solar plants in the United States.