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Nevada Solar One
open-in-new
<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>In 2006, located 30 miles (48 km) north of Tucson, <a href="/facts/Arizona_Public_Service/T0vNezGU">Arizona Public Service's</a> Saguaro Solar Facility opened, with 1 MW of electrical generation capacity.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> Nevada Solar One went online for commercial use on June 27, 2007. It uses similar technology and was constructed over a period of 16 months. The total project site is approximately 400 acres (1.6 km2; 0.63 sq mi), while the solar collectors cover 300 acres (1.2 km2). </p> <h2 id="technology">Technology</h2> <p>Nevada Solar One uses proprietary technology to track the sun's location and concentrate its rays during peak demand hours. The plant uses 760 <a href="/facts/Parabolic_trough/NHW0Vxk5">parabolic trough</a> concentrators with more than 182,000 mirrors that concentrate the sun's rays onto more than 18,240 solar receivers placed at the focal axis of the troughs. These contain a heat transfer fluid that heats up to 735 °F (391 °C) and is used to produce steam that drives a <a href="/facts/Siemens/coa80TQn">Siemens</a> SST-700<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> <a href="/facts/Steam_turbine/scacVXsB">steam turbine</a>, adapted to the specific requirements of the CSP technology,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> which is connected to a generator to produce electricity. </p><p>The mirrors are manufactured by Flabeg AG in Germany.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> In contrast to the <a href="/facts/Solar_power_tower/x5J1350Y">power tower concentrator</a> concept that California's original Solar One project uses. The specially coated tubes, made of glass and steel, were designed and produced by <a href="/facts/Solel_Solar_Systems/etxPf5to">Solel Solar Systems</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a> as well as by <a href="/facts/Schott_Glass/YI29pUgU">Schott Glass</a> in Germany.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a> Motion control was supplied by <a href="/facts/Parker_Hannifin/Mc24qRMV">Parker Hannifin</a>, from components by Ansco Machine Company. </p><p>Solar thermal power plants designed for solar-only generation are well matched to summer noon peak loads[<i>dubious – discuss</i>] in areas with significant cooling demands, such as the southwestern United States. Using <a href="/facts/Thermal_energy_storage/t7qMtkeo">thermal energy storage systems</a>, solar thermal operating periods can be extended to meet base load needs.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a> Given Nevada's land and sun resources, the state has the theoretical ability to have more than 600 GW of electrical generation capacity using solar thermal concentrators like those used by Nevada Solar One.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a> It has been proposed that massive expansion of solar plants such as Nevada Solar One has the potential to provide sufficient electricity to power the entire United States.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a> </p><p><a href="/facts/Trough_concentrator/NHW0Vxk5">Parabolic concentrator</a> facilities have been successfully operating in <a href="/facts/California/zLW2vdQJ">California</a>'s Mojave Desert commercially since 1984, with a combined generating capacity of 354MW from the <a href="/facts/Solar_Energy_Generating_Systems/mwGqhHdR">Solar Energy Generating Systems</a>.[<i>as of?</i>] </p> <h2 id="production">Production</h2> <p>Nevada Solar One's production is as follows (values in <a href="/facts/GW%25C2%25B7h/qvVkEmPH">GW·h</a>).<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a> </p> <table><tbody><tr><th>Year</th><th>Solar</th><th>Fossil</th><th>Total</th></tr><tr><td>2007</td><td>41.21</td><td>0.38</td><td>41.59</td></tr><tr><td>2008</td><td>122.69</td><td>0.91</td><td>123.31</td></tr><tr><td>2009</td><td>120.65</td><td>2.43</td><td>123.07</td></tr><tr><td>2010</td><td>133.00</td><td>1.16</td><td>134.16</td></tr><tr><td>2011</td><td>128.26</td><td>1.99</td><td>130.26</td></tr><tr><td>2012</td><td>128.94</td><td>1.39</td><td>130.33</td></tr><tr><td>2013</td><td>112.79</td><td>2.31</td><td>115.10</td></tr><tr><td>2014</td><td>116.23</td><td>2.58</td><td>118.80</td></tr><tr><td>2015</td><td>105.65</td><td>2.14</td><td>107.79</td></tr><tr><td>2016</td><td>116.89</td><td>2.24</td><td>119.13</td></tr><tr><td>2017</td><td>118.03</td><td>2.58</td><td>120.60</td></tr><tr><td>2018</td><td>110.38</td><td>2.57</td><td>112.95</td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Fossil backup, night time preservation, and morning pre-heating, is provided by natural gas and provides up to 2% of total output. </p> Solar generation (<a href="/facts/MW%25C2%25B7h/qvVkEmPH">MW·h</a>) of Nevada Solar One <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a><table><tbody><tr><th>Year</th><th>Jan</th><th>Feb</th><th>Mar</th><th>Apr</th><th>May</th><th>Jun</th><th>Jul</th><th>Aug</th><th>Sep</th><th>Oct</th><th>Nov</th><th>Dec</th><th>Total</th></tr><tr><th>2007</th><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>1,876</td><td>8,827</td><td>10,251</td><td>10,186</td><td>6,075</td><td>3,101</td><td>896</td><th>41,212</th></tr><tr><th>2008</th><td>1,942</td><td>4,837</td><td>11,696</td><td>14,759</td><td>14,868</td><td>19,308</td><td>13,935</td><td>12,987</td><td>12,785</td><td>9,141</td><td>4,207</td><td>2,222</td><th>122,687</th></tr><tr><th>2009</th><td>2,239</td><td>3,971</td><td>11,982</td><td>13,920</td><td>16,096</td><td>11,638</td><td>13,839</td><td>16,117</td><td>13,314</td><td>8,754</td><td>5,838</td><td>2,940</td><th>120,648</th></tr><tr><th>2010</th><td>2,147</td><td>4,143</td><td>10,349</td><td>13,261</td><td>18,850</td><td>20,674</td><td>14,863</td><td>17,989</td><td>16,220</td><td>7,186</td><td>5,476</td><td>1,842</td><th>133,000</th></tr><tr><th>2011</th><td>3,137</td><td>6,370</td><td>8,772</td><td>14,625</td><td>16,516</td><td>20,698</td><td>13,698</td><td>16,732</td><td>10,752</td><td>9,420</td><td>4,333</td><td>3,210</td><th>128,263</th></tr><tr><th>2012</th><td>2,740</td><td>5,814</td><td>9,719</td><td>13,152</td><td>19,733</td><td>21,710</td><td>14,140</td><td>12,159</td><td>12,798</td><td>9,679</td><td>5,003</td><td>2,288</td><th>128,935</th></tr><tr><th>2013</th><td>2,641</td><td>7,023</td><td>10,355</td><td>14,613</td><td>17,063</td><td>18,402</td><td>10,552</td><td>10,166</td><td>5,149</td><td>9,382</td><td>4,142</td><td>3,302</td><th>112,790</th></tr><tr><th>2014</th><td>3,336</td><td>4,976</td><td>10,120</td><td>12,321</td><td>15,501</td><td>19,698</td><td>12,011</td><td>11,987</td><td>12,007</td><td>8,145</td><td>4,609</td><td>1,516</td><th>116,227</th></tr><tr><th>2015</th><td>2,051</td><td>6,375</td><td>9,993</td><td>13,982</td><td>9,993</td><td>15,337</td><td>12,565</td><td>11,308</td><td>9,221</td><td>6,684</td><td>5,624</td><td>2,519</td><th>105,652</th></tr><tr><th>2016</th><td>1,693</td><td>7,797</td><td>8,403</td><td>8,547</td><td>16,628</td><td>17,835</td><td>17,669</td><td>12,517</td><td>12,274</td><td>6,715</td><td>4,924</td><td>1,885</td><th>116,887</th></tr><tr><th>2017</th><td>2,560</td><td>3,876</td><td>10,683</td><td>13,305</td><td>16,753</td><td>19,672</td><td>10,770</td><td>13,111</td><td>10,236</td><td>9,839</td><td>3,908</td><td>3,312</td><th>118,025</th></tr><tr><th>2018</th><td>284</td><td>2,947</td><td>7,996</td><td>13,492</td><td>15,677</td><td>19,517</td><td>12,645</td><td>11,296</td><td>12,636</td><td>7,310</td><td>4,474</td><td>2,105</td><th>110,379</th></tr><tr><th>2019</th><td>2,041</td><td>4,185</td><td>9,035</td><td>10,898</td><td>12,168</td><td>16,321</td><td>15,335</td><td>15,317</td><td>10,316</td><td>9,736</td><td>3,583</td><td>1,306</td><th>110,241</th></tr><tr><th>2020</th><td>2,105</td><td>6,121</td><td>6,348</td><td>8,284</td><td>15,581</td><td>15,388</td><td>17,367</td><td>12,717</td><td>9,634</td><td>8,040</td><td>3,841</td><td>1,940</td><th>107,366</th></tr><tr><th>2021</th><td>882</td><td>5,565</td><td>8,056</td><td>13,261</td><td>16,038</td><td>12,173</td><td>8,571</td><td>11,918</td><td>8,601</td><td>5,466</td><td>3,761</td><td>1,417</td><th>95,709</th></tr><tr><th>2022</th><td>2,277</td><td>5,085</td><td>7,717</td><td>11,909</td><td>15,303</td><td>12,204</td><td>10,430</td><td>6,734</td><td>8,782</td><td>7,323</td><td>2,791</td><td>1,201</td><th>91,756</th></tr><tr><th>2023</th><td>1,706</td><td>3,105</td><td>4,942</td><td>11,597</td><td>12,823</td><td>12,973</td><td>13,971</td><td>9,485</td><td>8,149</td><td>7,474</td><td>3,319</td><td>1,759</td><th>91,303</th></tr><tr><th colspan="13">Total (2007–2023)</th><th>1,851,080</th></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="in-popular-culture">In popular culture</h2> <p>Nevada Solar One served as inspiration for the HELIOS One solar power plant's geographic location in the 2010 videogame <i><a href="/facts/Fallout%3a_New_Vegas/rvdKTK0H">Fallout: New Vegas</a></i>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul> <li>United States portal</li><li>Renewable energy portal</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Copper_Mountain_Solar_Facility/VUoz7oqp">Copper Mountain Solar Facility</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Dish_Stirling/VHzn41co">Dish Stirling</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/List_of_solar_thermal_power_stations/pUW0rKhg">List of solar thermal power stations</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Renewable_energy_in_the_United_States/aSrktBDY">Renewable energy in the United States</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Renewable_portfolio_standard/wfzqpWNb">Renewable portfolio standard</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Solar_power_in_Nevada/UpUAJJSs">Solar power in Nevada</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Solar_power_plants_in_the_Mojave_Desert/3hdQbyfh">Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Solar_power_tower/x5J1350Y">Solar power tower</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Solar_thermal_energy/VHzn41co">Solar thermal energy</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="http://www.powermag.com/nevada-solar-one-boulder-city-nevada/?printmode=1">PowerMag: Nevada Solar One, Boulder City, Nevada (12/15/2007)</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="http://www.acciona-na.com">Acciona Energy North America's official site</a></li> <li><a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0209-solar.html">Largest solar power plant in a generation to be built in Nevada</a></li> <li><a href="http://solarpaces2008.sandia.gov/SolarPACES%20PLENARIES/2%20WEDNESDAY%20INDUSTRY%20DAY%20SESSIONS/1%20PLEN%20CSP%20PLANTS%20TODAY/01%20Acciona%20Cohen%20SOLARPACES%202008.pdf">Solar Steam at Nevada Solar One</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Solar Steam at Nevada Solar One <a href="http://solarpaces2008.sandia.gov/SolarPACES%20PLENARIES/2%20WEDNESDAY%20INDUSTRY%20DAY%20SESSIONS/1%20PLEN%20CSP%20PLANTS%20TODAY/01%20Acciona%20Cohen%20SOLARPACES%202008.pdf" target="_blank">http://solarpaces2008.sandia.gov/SolarPACES%20PLENARIES/2%20WEDNESDAY%20INDUSTRY%20DAY%20SESSIONS/1%20PLEN%20CSP%20PLANTS%20TODAY/01%20Acciona%20Cohen%20SOLARPACES%202008.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>ACCIONA’s Nevada Solar One <a href="http://www.acciona.us/Business-Divisions/Energy/Nevada-Solar-One" target="_blank">http://www.acciona.us/Business-Divisions/Energy/Nevada-Solar-One</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Technology News Daily. Nevada Solar One Archived 2007-07-07 at the Wayback Machine. <a href="http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/7150" target="_blank">http://www.technologynewsdaily.com/node/7150</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Utility-Scale Solar Plant Goes Online in Nevada". June 4, 2007. Retrieved February 9, 2020. <a href="http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2007/2007-06-05-09.asp#anchor2" target="_blank">http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jun2007/2007-06-05-09.asp#anchor2</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>"Arizona Utility to Buy Power from a 280-Megawatt Solar Power Plant". energyvortex.com. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080616040624/http://www.energyvortex.com/pages/headlinedetails.cfm?id=3402" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20080616040624/http://www.energyvortex.com/pages/headlinedetails.cfm?id=3402</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>"Acciona Energía website". Retrieved 2008-06-17. <a href="http://www.acciona-energy.com" target="_blank">http://www.acciona-energy.com</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Nevada's Largest Solar Power Plant Opens". Southwest Contractor. June 2007. Retrieved 2009-08-01. <a href="http://southwest.construction.com/features/archive/0706_feature4.asp" target="_blank">http://southwest.construction.com/features/archive/0706_feature4.asp</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"ACCIONA invests 220 million euros in a solar thermal electric power plant in Nevada (USA)" (in Spanish). 2006-02-13. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2006-10-23. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070928231159/http://www.acciona.es/default.asp?x=0002060101&z=000105&item=152&bus=1" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20070928231159/http://www.acciona.es/default.asp?x=0002060101&z=000105&item=152&bus=1</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Kryzanowski, Tony (2007). "Raising Arizona's renewable power". www.altenerg.com. enerG Magazine. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2019. <a href="https://www.altenerg.com/back_issues/index.php-content_id=51.htm" target="_blank">https://www.altenerg.com/back_issues/index.php-content_id=51.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"Siemens website - steam turbines for CSP plants". Archived from the original on 2010-09-18. Retrieved 2010-07-01. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100918122539/http://www.energy.siemens.com/hq/en/power-generation/renewables/solar-power/concentrated-solar-power/steam-turbine.htm" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100918122539/http://www.energy.siemens.com/hq/en/power-generation/renewables/solar-power/concentrated-solar-power/steam-turbine.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Sun shines on solar power steam turbine generators". EngineerLive. Retrieved 2010-07-01. <a href="http://www.engineerlive.com/Design-Engineer/Engines_Turbines/Sun_shines_on_solar_power_steam_turbine_generators/20007/" target="_blank">http://www.engineerlive.com/Design-Engineer/Engines_Turbines/Sun_shines_on_solar_power_steam_turbine_generators/20007/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Flabeg AG - solar power mirror installations <a href="http://www.flabeg.com/en/02_05_trackrecord.html" target="_blank">http://www.flabeg.com/en/02_05_trackrecord.html</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Solel website". Retrieved 2008-06-17. <a href="http://www.solel.com" target="_blank">http://www.solel.com</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>Schott AG - special glass tubing <a href="http://www.schott.com/english/news/press.html?NID=2037" target="_blank">http://www.schott.com/english/news/press.html?NID=2037</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Spain Pioneers Grid-Connected Solar-Tower Thermal Power Archived 2018-09-27 at the Wayback Machine p. 3. <a href="http://www.iea.org/impagr/cip/pdf/issue36SolarP.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.iea.org/impagr/cip/pdf/issue36SolarP.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Nevada Solar One Goes Online Archived 2007-05-23 at the Wayback Machine <a href="http://www.solartoday.org/2007/mar_apr07/nevada_solar_one.htm" target="_blank">http://www.solartoday.org/2007/mar_apr07/nevada_solar_one.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Sunny Outlook: Can Sunshine Provide All U.S. Electricity? <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=sunny-outlook-sunshine-provide-electricity" target="_blank">http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=sunny-outlook-sunshine-provide-electricity</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Energy Information Administration. "Nevada Solar One, Annual". Electricity Data Browser. Archived from the original on October 9, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2015. <a href="/wiki/Energy_Information_Administration" target="_blank">/wiki/Energy_Information_Administration</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"Nevada Solar One, Monthly". Electricity Data Browser. Energy Information Administration. Retrieved March 8, 2017. <a href="https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/56405/?pin=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.56405-SUN-ALL.M&linechart=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.56405-SUN-ALL.M" target="_blank">https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/browser/#/plant/56405/?pin=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.56405-SUN-ALL.M&linechart=ELEC.PLANT.GEN.56405-SUN-ALL.M</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>"HELIOS One and El Dorado Dry Lake". The Lucky Thirty Kate. <a href="https://theluckythirtykate.com/portfolio/helios-one-and-el-dorado-substation-fallout-new-vegas/" target="_blank">https://theluckythirtykate.com/portfolio/helios-one-and-el-dorado-substation-fallout-new-vegas/</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>