IVANPAH SOLAR POWER PLANTTAYLOR LESZCZYNSKI JANUARY 22, 2015VICKI WELTON PM3220JEREMY HEINZ

INTRODUCTION

Solar Power is a popular concept in California; with over 1,008 power plants their newest Plant Ivanpah has become the largest Solar Power Plant in the world.

WHAT IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE?

• A structure or facility used for:• The operation of a society or enterprise• Generally buildings, roads, and power supplies

HOW IS IT AN INFRASTRUCTURE?

• Ivanpah is a• Power source• Essential for energy use in California• Helps provide 70% of energy to the states

WHY WAS IT BUILT?

• To Upgrade the Plants we know today• it represented a number of significant milestones: • The largest solar thermal plant in the world• The first large-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) project in the

U.S. to employ power tower technology,• The biggest project funded to date by the Department of Energy’s

(DOE’s) Loan Projects Office (LPO).

HISTORY OF SOLAR POWER

• The origin for the idea of Solar Power was from the Industrial Revolution• The earliest known record of the direct conversion of solar

radiation into mechanical power belongs to Auguste Mouchout• Who begin this work in 1860• The beginning of a long chain of events that brought on the Solar

Power Craze

HOW A POWER PLANT WORKS

EFFECTIVENESS IN AMERICA

• Solar power is more affordable, accessible, and prevalent in the United States than ever before.• Since 2008, U.S. installations have grown thirteen-fold from

1.2 gigawatts (GW) to an estimated 15.9 GW today.• California wants to make 1/3 of its renewable energy solar by

2020

EFFECTIVENESS IN THE WORLD

• UK• Cut your electricity bills.• Get paid for the electricity you generate.• Sell electricity back to the grid.• Cut your carbon footprint.

The UK is starting a reward program for the use of Renewable Energy.

SOLAR ENERGY

PROS• Renewable• Abundant• Sustainable• Environmentally Friendly• Good Availability• Reduces Electricity Costs• Many Applications• Shared Solar• Silent• Financial Support from Governme

nt/State• Low Maintenance• Technology is Improving

CONS• Expensive• Intermittent• Energy Storage is Expensive• Associated with Pollution• Exotic Materials• Requires Space

COMPARATIVE TO OTHER ENERGY SOURCES

FOSSIL FUELSPROS

• Well Developed• Cheap and

Reliable

CONS• Contribute to

Global Warming• Non-Renewable• Unsustainable• Incentivized• Accidents

Happen

WATERPROS

• Green• Renewable• Reliable Area

Efficient• Offshore Wave

Power

CONS• Environmental

Effects• Cost

COMPARATIVE TO OTHER ENERGY SOURCES

NUCLEARPROS

• Relatively Low Costs

• Base Load Energy

• Low Pollution• Thorium• Sustainable?• High Energy

Density

CONS• Accidents

Happen• Radioactive

Waste

WINDPROS

• Green• Renewable• Space efficient • Rapid Growth• Prices are

decreasing• Low Operational

Cost• Good Domestic

Potential

CONS• Unpredictable • Costs• Threat to Wildlife• Noise • Looks

IVANPAH POWER PLANT

• Opened December 2013• The first renewable plant to receive POWER’s Plant of the

Year Award.• Seven-year project 

TIMELINE & PLANNING

LAYOUT

COST

• Bright source was approved a loan for • 1.3 billon• Eventually moved up to 1.6 billion

• Should recover 33% revenue• By 2020

• NRG Energy help funding• 300 million

• Google also participated in the funding• 168 million• Helped reached final money amount of

• 2.1 billion dollars

FUNDING

• The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Projects Office (LPO).• Google• Bechtel

WHAT ITS ACHIEVED

• Biggest Plant in California• Produces power for over 140,000 homes• Conservation • Desert Tortoise

• 35 Million for protection • Desert Fauna• Anti-bird

3 IN 1

• The three-unit site sprawls over 3,500 acres• —nearly 5 miles from end to end • near Nipton, Calif. • about 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas

• The facility is large enough to be visible from orbit • and the glow of the three power towers is visible from many miles

away when the units are online.

QUESTIONS

• Thank you for your time.