While this news is refreshingly new it should not come as a surprise to anyone who has been following the record of solar energy in California. The Golden State is pretty much becoming the solar state of USA and if it already is not there, this will surely make sure that it happens. California has been a leader in both the usage of solar energy and the making of green structures, and the nation’s first solar towers of power have found a home in this sunny outback.
Southern California Edison announced the signing of a contract with eSolar to add another 245 MW of solar power for its customers. The partnership would take advantage of power tower solar thermal technology – the first commercialized venture of its kind in the nation. The project would be fully operational by 2011 with about 105 MW of solar being delivered within a year after that. By 2013, that number is expected to reach closer to 245 MW. According to the specs on eSolar’s site, the entire footprint will be about 1,000 acres. One 33MW plant takes up 160 acres.
This giant project will only reduce the dependence of the state on conventional sources of energy and fossil fuels further. This also means leaving less carbon footprint and making sure that the energy produced by the state is green. The project works with pre=fabricated towers and mirrors. eSolar’s solar thermal technology is unique in that it uses shorter towers, small mass-manufactured mirrors and advanced tracking software, achieving economies of scale within a minimal footprint and easy connection to transmission lines.
