Power project

Andasol Solar Plant

Technically, the Andasol power station was completed just at the end of 2011, but the importance of this massive project in the emerging field of renewable energy merits some mention, if only for the sheer scale of the project.

Unlike many projects in the U.S., Andasol uses solar thermal technology rather than photovoltaics, which have come to dominate the field. The plant features 600,000 mirrors spread across 126 acres of land near Granada in southern Spain. Together, these mirrors can produce as much as 150 megawatts of electricity, making it the largest solar plant in the world.

Combined with a molten salt energy storage system, the power plant can more easily smooth out variations in production or even generate power even after the sun has set.