Ivanpah Solar Power Facility

Introduction to the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System

today i'm on the state border of california nevada at the ivanpaw solar power facility the facility was built around 2013-2014 it uses three 450-foot towers surrounding those is 173 500 heliostats which are essentially mirrors on motors that focus the light directly onto a boiler at the top of the tower where they heat the water and produce steam to run the turbines and create power a different sort of solar power than just using solar panels instead these heliostats are constantly moving following the sun as it traverses the sky pointing its rays directly at that single point

the ivanpaw solar power facility was supposed to be the first of many kind of an inspiration a flagship for facilities like it around the country in 2014 it was the world's largest solar thermal power station cost 202 billion dollars to build and covers 3 500 acres was actually downsized from 4 000 acres that it was meant to be covering but almost immediately after its construction it faced a whole set of controversies

Operational Challenges and Early Controversies

Natural Gas Reliance and Pollution

the first is that it requires natural gas to actually start operations each day and then once the sun rays get going continuing on the boiling of water and the steam flow up until that point the natural gas is used to boil the water and get the facility going this has had some issues it actually produces over twice as much pollution that is allowed by the state of california as their threshold for pollution output from factories and power plants of course this is countered by the fact that it is producing power via solar

Technical Glitches and Reduced Output

other controversies included misaligned heliostats which were pointing at the wrong part of the tower and actually set one of the towers on fire resulting it being shut down again reducing its expected output in the year following its construction it actually only produced about 40 percent of what was expected follow-on issues have made it increasingly difficult for the system to produce the exact amount that it was expected to prior to its construction

Environmental Impact: Bird Mortality

now you can see behind me the closest and the furthest towers have the heliostats pointed at them you can see the superheated air around it oftentimes reaching over a thousand degrees fahrenheit whereas the one in the middle doesn't have the heliostats pointed at it it doesn't have that concentrated solar power directed at the top of the tower that superheated air has also caused issues birds that fly through the superheated air combust and burn essentially die before they even hit the ground workers call them streamers

Ongoing Performance, Investment, and Ecological Concerns

from february to june 2014 nearly 300 birds were found around the facility and it's estimated that upwards of 3500 are killed each year additionally the light attracts insects which then attract more birds peregrine falcons barn owls and everyone's favorite yellow rumped warbler have been found dead around the towers having combusted from the superheated air

the facility was a big deal at its opening it took on several investors of over 100 million dollars each including google and the governor at the time arnold schwarzenegger was on hand for the groundbreaking but unfortunately it hasn't lived up to its potential after its first year was only producing about 40 percent of the expected output in the following years it's gone up slightly each year but at this time it's still not producing its expected output estimated from prior to its construction

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Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System and how does it generate power?

A: The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, located on the California-Nevada border, uses three 450-foot towers surrounded by 173,500 heliostats (mirrors on motors). These heliostats focus sunlight onto boilers at the top of the towers, heating water to produce steam, which then runs turbines to create power. This differs from traditional solar panels as it uses concentrated solar thermal energy.

Q: What were some of the key controversies surrounding the Ivanpah facility?

A: The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System faced several controversies, including its reliance on natural gas to start operations each day, which resulted in pollution levels exceeding California's state thresholds. Additionally, misaligned heliostats caused one of the towers to catch fire, and the facility consistently underperformed, producing only about 40% of its expected output in its first year. A significant environmental controversy involved the high mortality rate of birds, which combusted upon flying through the superheated air around the towers, often reaching over a thousand degrees Fahrenheit.

Q: How has the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System performed relative to its initial expectations?

A: Despite being heralded as the world's largest solar thermal power station in 2014 and attracting significant investments from entities like Google, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System has unfortunately not lived up to its potential. In its first year, it only produced about 40% of its expected output. Although performance has slightly improved in subsequent years, it is still not producing its estimated output as projected prior to its construction.