SEDC Concentrating Solar Power
Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a small area. Electricity is generated when the concentrated light is converted to heat (solar thermal energy), which drives a heat engine (usually a steam turbine) connected to an electrical power generator, or powers a thermochemical reaction.
The Ashalim power station is a solar power station in the Negev desert near the kibbutz of Ashalim, south of the district city of Be'er Sheva in Israel. It has the tallest solar power tower in the world at a height of 260 meters including the boiler, concentrating 50,600 computer-controlled heliostats. The solar field and tower technology was developed by BrightSource (Israel).
BrightSource built its Solar Energy Development Center (SEDC), a fully operational solar demonstration facility used to test equipment, materials and procedures as well as construction and operating methods. The SEDC is located in the Rotem Industrial Park in Israel’s Negev Desert.
The BrightSource CSP technology comprises a field of thousands of remotely controlled mirrors reflecting sunlight onto a large receiver mounted at the top of a high tower. Steam, heated to high temperatures, can drive an electrical power generator.
The photos show various views of the SEDC solar field facility.
