Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS)

Jointly owned by NRG Energy, Google, and BrightSource Energy, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) sprawls across the California and Nevada border in the Mojave Desert. This 377 to 400 megawatt solar complex is revolutionizing the solar energy industry, proving that large scale renewable energy projects are not only possible, but can both thrive and surpass expectations. With just three plants, the ISEGS produces enough clean, renewable electricity to power 140,000 homes during peak hours, and double that amount during off hours. In fact, ISEGS produces double the amount of commercial solar thermal energy than any other plant in the United States.

ISEGS officially broke ground on October 27, 2010 and opened for business in February of 2014. Despite being one large complex, the project was actually broken down into three separate plants, each with their own 400-plus foot tower affixed with water filled receivers / boilers. The specific technology used is known as Luz Power Tower 550, which was developed by BrightSource Energy with the goal of creating a unique take on traditional energy generation that harnessed and increased the power of the sun. Stretching across 3,500 acres, each plant relies on solar receivers filled with water nestled atop the towers. By using 300,000 mirrors, known as heliostats, to increase the sun’s energy and reflect the light directly onto the solar receivers at strategic angles, the water in the receivers is heated to such high temperatures that it dissolves into steam...

Please see http://www.greencitytimes.com/Sustainability-News/ivanpah-solar-electric-generating-system.html for the whole article.