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:en:Nevada Solar One

{{Short description|Concentrated solar power station}}

{{Infobox power station

| name = Nevada Solar One

| name_official =

| image = Nevada Solar One.jpg

| image_caption = Photograph of Nevada Solar One, with the Las Vegas Valley beyond the mountains behind it

| image_alt =

| coordinates = {{coord|35|48|N|114|58.6|W|type:landmark_region:US-NV|display=inline,title}}

| country = United States

| location = Eldorado Valley, Boulder City, Nevada

| status = O

| construction_began = {{Start date|2006|02}}

| commissioned = {{Start date|2007|06}}

| decommissioned =

| cost = $266 million

| owner = Acciona Energy

| operator =

| solar_type = CSP

| solar_cpv_concentration =

| solar_csp_technology = P

| solar_csp_collectors =

| solar_cpvt =

| ps_site_area = {{Convert|400|acre|ha|0|abbr=on}}

| solar_site_resource = 2,606 kWh/m2/yr

| th_fuel_primary =

| th_fuel_secondary =

| th_fuel_tertiary =

| ps_units_operational = 1 x 75 MWe (gross)

| ps_units_manu_model = Siemens SST-700

| ps_units_uc =

| ps_units_planned =

| ps_units_decommissioned =

| ps_electrical_capacity = 72

| ps_electrical_cap_fac = 18.4% (2014-2018)

| ps_annual_generation = 115.9

| ps_storage_capacity =

| ps_cogeneration =

| ps_combined_cycle =

| website = [https://www.acciona-energia.com/areas-of-activity/other-technologies/csp/major-projects/nevada-solar-one-csp-plant/ nevada solar one]

| extra =

}}

Nevada Solar One is a concentrated solar power plant, with a nominal capacity of 64 MW and maximum steam turbine power output up to 72 MW net (75 MW gross), spread over an area of {{convert|400|acre|ha}}. The projected CO2 emissions avoided are equivalent to taking approximately 20,000 cars off the road. The project required an investment of $266 million USD,[http://solarpaces2008.sandia.gov/SolarPACES%20PLENARIES/2%20WEDNESDAY%20INDUSTRY%20DAY%20SESSIONS/1%20PLEN%20CSP%20PLANTS%20TODAY/01%20Acciona%20Cohen%20SOLARPACES%202008.pdf Solar Steam at Nevada Solar One] and the project officially went into operation in June 2007.[http://www.acciona.us/Business-Divisions/Energy/Nevada-Solar-One ACCIONA’s Nevada Solar One] Electricity production is estimated to be 134 GWh (gigawatt hours) per year.Technology News Daily. [http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/7150 Nevada Solar One] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070707121831/http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/7150 |date=2007-07-07 }}.

In 2007, when the plant came on line, it was the second solar thermal energy (STE) power plant built in the United States in more than 16 years,{{cite web | url=http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2007/2007-06-05-09.asp#anchor2 |title=Utility-Scale Solar Plant Goes Online in Nevada |date=June 4, 2007 |access-date=February 9, 2020}} and in 2007, the largest STE plant built in the world since 1991.{{cite web |url=http://www.energyvortex.com/pages/headlinedetails.cfm?id=3402 |title=Arizona Utility to Buy Power from a 280-Megawatt Solar Power Plant |publisher=energyvortex.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080616040624/http://www.energyvortex.com/pages/headlinedetails.cfm?id=3402 |archive-date=June 16, 2008}} It is located in Eldorado Valley in the southwest fringe of Boulder City, Nevada, and was built in that city's Energy Resource Zone, which requires renewable generation as part of plant development permits; Nevada Solar One was approved as part of Duke Energy's larger El Dorado Energy project, which built 1 GW of electrical generation capacity. The solar trough generation was built by Acciona Solar Power, a partially owned subsidiary of Spanish conglomerate Acciona Energy.{{cite web | url= http://www.acciona-energy.com | title= Acciona Energía website | access-date= 2008-06-17 }} Lauren Engineers & Constructors (Abilene, TX) was the EPC contractor for the project.{{cite web | url= http://southwest.construction.com/features/archive/0706_feature4.asp | title= Nevada's Largest Solar Power Plant Opens| date= June 2007 |publisher= Southwest Contractor | access-date= 2009-08-01 }} Acciona purchased a 55 percent stake in Solargenix (formerly Duke Solar), and Acciona owns 95 percent of the project.{{cite web |title=ACCIONA invests 220 million euros in a solar thermal electric power plant in Nevada (USA) |date=2006-02-13 |url=http://www.acciona.es/default.asp?x=0002060101&z=000105&item=152&bus=1 |access-date=2006-10-23 |language=es |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928231159/http://www.acciona.es/default.asp?x=0002060101&z=000105&item=152&bus=1 |archive-date = 2007-09-28}} Nevada Solar One is unrelated to the Solar One power plant in California.

History

In 2006, located {{convert|30|mi|km}} north of Tucson, Arizona Public Service's Saguaro Solar Facility opened, with 1 MW of electrical generation capacity.{{cite web

|url=https://www.altenerg.com/back_issues/index.php-content_id=51.htm

|title=Raising Arizona's renewable power

|last=Kryzanowski

|first=Tony

|year=2007

|website=www.altenerg.com

|publisher=enerG Magazine

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331164239/https://www.altenerg.com/back_issues/index.php-content_id=51.htm

|archive-date=31 March 2016

|url-status=live

|access-date=7 April 2019}} Nevada Solar One went online for commercial use on June 27, 2007. It uses similar technology and was constructed over a period of 16 months. The total project site is approximately {{convert|400|acre|km2 mi2|}}, while the solar collectors cover {{convert|300|acre|km2}}.

Technology

Nevada Solar One uses proprietary technology to track the sun's location and concentrate its rays during peak demand hours. The plant uses 760 parabolic trough concentrators with more than 182,000 mirrors that concentrate the sun's rays onto more than 18,240 solar receivers placed at the focal axis of the troughs. These contain a heat transfer fluid that heats up to {{convert|735|°F|°C|abbr=on}} and is used to produce steam that drives a Siemens SST-700{{cite web | url= http://www.energy.siemens.com/hq/en/power-generation/renewables/solar-power/concentrated-solar-power/steam-turbine.htm | title= Siemens website - steam turbines for CSP plants | access-date= 2010-07-01 | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100918122539/http://www.energy.siemens.com/hq/en/power-generation/renewables/solar-power/concentrated-solar-power/steam-turbine.htm | archive-date= 2010-09-18 }} steam turbine, adapted to the specific requirements of the CSP technology,{{cite web | url=http://www.engineerlive.com/Design-Engineer/Engines_Turbines/Sun_shines_on_solar_power_steam_turbine_generators/20007/ | title= Sun shines on solar power steam turbine generators |publisher=EngineerLive| access-date= 2010-07-01 }} which is connected to a generator to produce electricity.

The mirrors are manufactured by Flabeg AG in Germany.[http://www.flabeg.com/en/02_05_trackrecord.html Flabeg AG - solar power mirror installations] In contrast to the power tower concentrator concept that California's original Solar One project uses. The specially coated tubes, made of glass and steel, were designed and produced by Solel Solar Systems{{cite web | url= http://www.solel.com | title= Solel website | access-date= 2008-06-17 }} as well as by Schott Glass in Germany.[http://www.schott.com/english/news/press.html?NID=2037 Schott AG - special glass tubing] Motion control was supplied by Parker Hannifin, from components by Ansco Machine Company.

Solar thermal power plants designed for solar-only generation are well matched to summer noon peak loads{{dubious|reason=peak load is at sunset, see Duck curve|date=November 2017}} in areas with significant cooling demands, such as the southwestern United States. Using thermal energy storage systems, solar thermal operating periods can be extended to meet base load needs.[http://www.iea.org/impagr/cip/pdf/issue36SolarP.pdf Spain Pioneers Grid-Connected Solar-Tower Thermal Power] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927165254/http://www.iea.org/impagr/cip/pdf/issue36SolarP.pdf |date=2018-09-27 }} p. 3. Given Nevada's land and sun resources, the state has the theoretical ability to have more than 600 GW of electrical generation capacity using solar thermal concentrators like those used by Nevada Solar One.[http://www.solartoday.org/2007/mar_apr07/nevada_solar_one.htm Nevada Solar One Goes Online] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070523111338/http://www.solartoday.org/2007/mar_apr07/nevada_solar_one.htm |date=2007-05-23 }} It has been proposed that massive expansion of solar plants such as Nevada Solar One has the potential to provide sufficient electricity to power the entire United States.[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=sunny-outlook-sunshine-provide-electricity Sunny Outlook: Can Sunshine Provide All U.S. Electricity?]

Parabolic concentrator facilities have been successfully operating in California's Mojave Desert commercially since 1984, with a combined generating capacity of 354MW from the Solar Energy Generating Systems.{{As of?|reason=345MW from when? Is this annual? If so from what year?|date=April 2023}}

Production

Nevada Solar One's production is as follows (values in GW·h).{{cite web |url=http://eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/56405 |title=Nevada Solar One, Annual |work=Electricity Data Browser |author=Energy Information Administration |author-link=Energy Information Administration |access-date=June 28, 2015 |archive-date=October 9, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009211717/http://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/56405 |url-status=dead }}

class=wikitable style="text-align: right;"
YearSolarFossilTotal
200741.210.3841.59
2008122.690.91123.31
2009120.652.43123.07
2010133.001.16134.16
2011128.261.99130.26
2012128.941.39130.33
2013112.792.31115.10
2014116.232.58118.80
2015105.652.14107.79
2016116.892.24119.13
2017118.032.58120.60
2018110.382.57112.95

Fossil backup, night time preservation, and morning pre-heating, is provided by natural gas and provides up to 2% of total output.

class=wikitable style="text-align:right; font-size:0.9em;"

|+Solar generation (MW·h) of Nevada Solar One {{cite web |url=https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/56405/?pin=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.56405-SUN-ALL.M&linechart=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.56405-SUN-ALL.M |title=Nevada Solar One, Monthly |work=Electricity Data Browser |publisher=Energy Information Administration |access-date=March 8, 2017}}

YearJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecTotal
2007

| || || || || || 1,876 || 8,827 || 10,251 || 10,186 || 6,075 || 3,101 || 896

! 41,212

2008

| 1,942 || 4,837 || 11,696 || 14,759 || 14,868 || 19,308 || 13,935 || 12,987 || 12,785 || 9,141 || 4,207 || 2,222

! 122,687

2009

| 2,239 || 3,971 || 11,982 || 13,920 || 16,096 || 11,638 || 13,839 || 16,117 || 13,314 || 8,754 || 5,838 || 2,940

! 120,648

2010

| 2,147 || 4,143 || 10,349 || 13,261 || 18,850 || 20,674 || 14,863 || 17,989 || 16,220 || 7,186 || 5,476 || 1,842

! 133,000

2011

| 3,137 || 6,370 || 8,772 || 14,625 || 16,516 || 20,698 || 13,698 || 16,732 || 10,752 || 9,420 || 4,333 || 3,210

! 128,263

2012

| 2,740 || 5,814 || 9,719 || 13,152 || 19,733 || 21,710 || 14,140 || 12,159 || 12,798 || 9,679 || 5,003 || 2,288

! 128,935

2013

| 2,641 || 7,023 || 10,355 || 14,613 || 17,063 || 18,402 || 10,552 || 10,166 || 5,149 || 9,382 || 4,142 || 3,302

! 112,790

2014

| 3,336 || 4,976 || 10,120 || 12,321 || 15,501 || 19,698 || 12,011 || 11,987 || 12,007 || 8,145 || 4,609 || 1,516

! 116,227

2015

| 2,051 || 6,375 || 9,993 || 13,982 || 9,993 || 15,337 || 12,565 || 11,308 || 9,221 || 6,684 || 5,624 || 2,519

! 105,652

2016

| 1,693 || 7,797 || 8,403 || 8,547 || 16,628 || 17,835 || 17,669 || 12,517 || 12,274 || 6,715 || 4,924 || 1,885

! 116,887

2017

| 2,560 || 3,876 || 10,683 || 13,305 || 16,753 || 19,672 || 10,770 || 13,111 || 10,236 || 9,839 || 3,908 || 3,312

! 118,025

2018

| 284 || 2,947 || 7,996 || 13,492 || 15,677 || 19,517 || 12,645 || 11,296 || 12,636 || 7,310 || 4,474 || 2,105

! 110,379

2019

| 2,041|| 4,185 ||9,035 || 10,898 || 12,168 || 16,321 || 15,335 || 15,317 || 10,316 || 9,736 || 3,583 || 1,306

! 110,241

2020

| 2,105 || 6,121 || 6,348 || 8,284 || 15,581 || 15,388 || 17,367 || 12,717 || 9,634 || 8,040 || 3,841 || 1,940

! 107,366

2021

| 882 || 5,565 || 8,056 || 13,261 || 16,038 || 12,173 || 8,571 || 11,918 || 8,601 || 5,466 || 3,761 || 1,417

! 95,709

2022

| 2,277 || 5,085 || 7,717 || 11,909 || 15,303 || 12,204 || 10,430 || 6,734 || 8,782 || 7,323 || 2,791 || 1,201

! 91,756

2023

| 1,706 || 3,105 || 4,942 || 11,597 || 12,823 || 12,973 || 13,971 || 9,485 || 8,149 || 7,474 || 3,319 || 1,759

! 91,303

colspan=13|Total (2007–2023)1,851,080

In popular culture

Nevada Solar One served as inspiration for the HELIOS One solar power plant's geographic location in the 2010 videogame Fallout: New Vegas.{{cite web|url=https://theluckythirtykate.com/portfolio/helios-one-and-el-dorado-substation-fallout-new-vegas/|title=HELIOS One and El Dorado Dry Lake|work=The Lucky Thirty Kate}}

See also

{{stack|{{Portal|United States|Renewable energy}}}}

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References

{{Reflist|colwidth=33em}}

  • [http://www.powermag.com/nevada-solar-one-boulder-city-nevada/?printmode=1 PowerMag: Nevada Solar One, Boulder City, Nevada (12/15/2007)]

External links

{{external media

|float=right

|image1=[https://www.panoramio.com/photo/13953572 Nevada Solar One from the air in 2008]

}}

  • [http://www.acciona-na.com Acciona Energy North America's official site]
  • [http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0209-solar.html Largest solar power plant in a generation to be built in Nevada]
  • [http://solarpaces2008.sandia.gov/SolarPACES%20PLENARIES/2%20WEDNESDAY%20INDUSTRY%20DAY%20SESSIONS/1%20PLEN%20CSP%20PLANTS%20TODAY/01%20Acciona%20Cohen%20SOLARPACES%202008.pdf Solar Steam at Nevada Solar One]

{{Energy resource facilities in Nevada}}

{{Solar power in the United States}}

Category:Solar power in the Mojave Desert

Category:Buildings and structures in Boulder City, Nevada

Category:Solar power stations in Nevada

Category:Solar thermal energy

Category:Energy infrastructure completed in 2007