Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project

Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project
Location of Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project
Country	United States
Location	Tonopah, Nye County, Nevada
Coordinates	38°14′N 117°22′W / 38.233°N 117.367°W / 38.233; -117.367Coordinates: 38°14′N 117°22′W / 38.233°N 117.367°W / 38.233; -117.367
Status	Under construction
Construction began	2011
Construction cost	about $1 billion
Owner(s)	Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC (SolarReserve, LLC)
Solar farm information
Type	CSP
CSP technology	Solar power tower
Heliostats	17,500 × 62.4 m² (1.1 km²)
Land area	1,600 acres (6 km2)
Power generation information
Maximum capacity	110 MW
Capacity factor	52%
Annual generation	about 500 GW·h
Website tonopahsolar.com
As of 29 September 2011

The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, is a 110 megawatt (MW) solar thermal power project currently under construction near Tonopah, about 190 miles (310 km) northwest of Las Vegas.^[1] The project is being developed by SolarReserve through its subsidiary, Tonopah Solar Energy.^[2] The project will cost about $1 billion.^[3]

The project includes 17,500 heliostat mirrors that collect and focus the sun's thermal energy to heat molten salt flowing through an approximately 640-foot (200 m) tall solar power tower. The molten salt circulates from the tower to a storage tank, where it is then used to produce steam and generate electricity. Excess thermal energy is stored in the molten salt and can be used to generate power for up to ten hours, even in the evening hours and when direct sunlight isn't available.^[1]

Under a power purchase agreement (PPA) between SolarReserve and NV Energy, all power generated by the Crescent Dunes project in the next 25 years will be sold to Nevada Power Company for $0.135 per kilowatt-hour.^[3]

Ground was broken on September 1, 2011. Construction is expected to take about 30 months.^[4]

In late September, Tonopah received a $737 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).^[1]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} "DOE Finalizes $737 Million Loan Guarantee to Tonopah Solar Energy for Nevada Project" (Press release). Loan Programs Office (LPO), Dept. of Energy (DOE). September 28, 2011. https://lpo.energy.gov/?p=5246. Retrieved 29 September 2011. 
2. ^ "PROJECT SUMMARY". Tonopah Solar Energy, LLC. http://tonopahsolar.com/index.html. Retrieved 29 September 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Wesoff, Eric (September 29, 2011). "DOE Races Against the Clock: Two Solar Loans Closed, Seven More to Go". Greentech Media. http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/doe-closes-two-solar-loans-just-before-the-deadline/. Retrieved 29 September 2011. 
4. ^ Tetreault, Steve (September 28, 2011). "Nevada solar project to get $737 million federal loan guarantee". Las Vegas Review-Journal. http://www.lvrj.com/news/nevada-solar-project-to-get-737-million-federal-loan-guarantee-130713818.html. Retrieved 29 September 2011. 

External links

• "Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project". SolarReserve, LLC. http://www.solarreserve.com/project-CrescentDunes.html. Retrieved 29 September 2011. 
• "Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project". Concentrating Solar Power Projects. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), DOE. January 20, 2011. http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces/project_detail.cfm/projectID=60. Retrieved 29 September 2011. 
• "SolarReserve, LLC (Crescent Dunes)". Projects. LPO, DOE. https://lpo.energy.gov/?projects=solarreserve-llc-crescent-dunes. Retrieved 29 September 2011.