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Tower Plants

Amongst CSP technologies, tower systems are considered to have "medium" maturity. The first commercial tower system was installed by Abengoa Solar and is now celebrating its 4th month of successful operation. Abengoa Solar is currently constructing its second commercial tower system. A third commercial system is in the works that will utilize the high temperature technology developed at a demonstration plant.

  • Concentrated Solar Power: CSP can be easily integrated into conventional power cycle plants or combined cycles at low additional cost.
    Electricity from CSP technology is generated in a way thermodynamically similar to conventional electricity generation. The only difference is that a solar field is used to provide heat instead of a boiler running on fossil fuels.
  • Concentrated Solar Power: CSP is nearly ideal for supplying peak electricity demands.
    The characteristics of solar energy are nearly ideal for supplying peak electricity demands through the course of a day and year. During recent summers, the peak demands for electricity has been far greater than winter peak demands. This is largely due to the use of air conditioning. When air conditioners are being used during the hottest time of day in the summer is when CSP plant are able to provide the most electricity.
  • Concentrated Solar Power: CSP energy can be managed with hybridization and storage.
    Solar energy is easily converted into electricity during daylight hours. By using storage tank or a hybrid fossil fuel system, CSP plants can provide clean and consistent electricity during non-daylight hours as well.


Abengoa Solar solutions

Abengoa Solar is involved with every stage of CSP technology.

Abengoa Solar Tower plants

Tower plants
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Abengoa Solar is considered a pioneer in the field of solar tower technology. Their current installations demonstrate the enormous potential the technology has in the coming years. Much of Abengoa Solar designs much of its own proprietary technology. The structure used for CSP troughs, Solucar TR, was designed by Abengoa Solar NT, and the mirrors are manufactured at Abengoa Solar's Rioglass Solar factory.

The technology

Tower systems use a field of heliostats that track the sun in 2 axes and reflect solar radiation toward a central receiver. In order to be highly reflective, mirrors commonly used in heliostat fields. At the central receiver, which is housed in a tower, the solar radiation is concentrated up to 600 times normal solar radiation. The radiation is transferred to a working fluid within the receiver as heat. This heat is used to generate steam and operate an electricity generating turbine.

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Research and development

The third tower generation, the high temperature tower is being constructed in our demonstration plant.