How does SolarReserve technology differ from other concentrated solar power technologies such as troughs and other power towers?
There are fundamentally two types of concentrated solar thermal technologies: troughs and power towers. The trough configuration has been proven at the SEGS plants in Southern California. However, incorporating storage technology with troughs is inherently difficult. They operate at lower temperatures, have hundreds of miles of receiver tubing, and use oil as a working fluid, which is less efficient than molten salt. Power towers are more conducive to storage technology, however other operational power towers use direct steam technology, which does not offer the enhanced storage capability of SolarReserve’s molten salt power tower. Molten salt is the ideal storage medium for concentrated solar power, offering 98% thermal efficiency. SolarReserve molten salt power towers operate at high temperatures (over 1000 degrees Fahrenheit) to generate superheated steam and drive a standard steam turbine at peak efficiency. Other lower-temperature solar thermal technologies require a customized st
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