Arizona is about to build the world's largest solar power station, planned to be connected to the grid in 2011. Named Solana, the station is a joint project between Arizona and Abengoa Solar, covering 1,900 acres, capable of operating two 140,000-kilowatt steam turbine generators, enough to supply electricity for 7,000 households daily, while also avoiding the emission of 400,000 tons of greenhouse gases.
The Solana power station will utilize Abengoa's concentrated solar power trough technology to maximize solar collection. Researchers use rows of mirrors to track the sun from east to west, maximizing collection into receiver tubes. The tubes are filled with liquid, which is heated by solar energy, then flows into a heat exchanger to generate steam, driving turbines.
The station also includes a thermal energy storage system to generate electricity on demand. The main component is a large insulated tank filled with molten salt, used to store heat from the liquid in the receiver tubes. This heat can be used to generate electricity when sunlight is weak or absent.
Over the next 30 years, the station will sell electricity to Arizona Public Service Company, bringing $1 billion in economic benefits to Arizona, while Abengoa Solar will gain approximately $4 billion in revenue.
