Solar Energy Turbines

Solar energy heats the water, which is turned into steam and used to spin the turbine.

Solar energy turbines offer a clean alternative to fossil fuels and can generate more power than photovoltaic solar panels. While expensive to build, solar turbines have low operating costs and emissions.

Steam Turbine

The solar turbine uses the venerable steam generator. Heat boils water to create steam. The steam spins the turbine, creating electricity. However, the initial heat source for a solar turbine is the renewable radiation from the sun rather than burning fuel.

Solar Collection

A solar turbine uses a series of parabolic mirrors to collect the sun's rays and apply the heat to a reservoir of water until it boils and produces steam. The steam runs the turbine.

Operational Hours

Solar turbine installations often have facilities to store excess heat for later use. While thermal storage increases the cost, it allows solar turbines to operate during a longer stretch of hours, when the mirrors can't collect heat from sunlight.

References

• Technology Review: Solar Without The Panels
• Siemens: Steam Turbines for CSP Plants
• Advantage Environment: Solar Turbines-Electricity Without Pollution