Solar-Electrical Conversion and Land UseSolar-Electrical Conversion and Land UseSolar-Electrical Conversion and Land UseSolar-Electrical Conversion and Land Use
  • Home
  • Services
    • Services Overview
    • Technical Training
    • Plant Engineering
    • Technology Transfer
    • Short Course Catalog
  • Industries Served
    • Power Generation
    • District Energy
    • Transmission & Distribution
    • Pulp and Paper
    • Water and Wastewater Treatment
    • Beverage
    • Heavy Industry
  • Who We Are
    • Our Team
    • Experience
    • Careers
  • Blog
  • Contact us
✕
Teaching in a classroom
Tiered Approach to Complex Training Requirements
July 15, 2019
Flow chart of FCS' Approach to Power Plant Training
The FCS Difference: Training for Power Generation and Process Plants
August 22, 2019
Show all

Solar-Electrical Conversion and Land Use

Published by James Wiggins at August 5, 2019
Solar Energy Panels and Dish
The power industry has two main methods for solar-electrical conversions including Concentrated Solar and Photovoltaic. Both types must be considered as we continue to explore renewable options for power production.

Concentrated Solar System

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants use mirrors to direct solar energy creating high temperatures in the heat exchangers. The temperatures are high enough to generate steam, and that steam is used to generate electric energy. The electric energy is produced using a steam turbine similar to that used in most fossil fuel power plants.

The three major types of concentrating solar thermal power plants currently in use in the industry are:

  • Solar Power Towers
  • Linear Concentrating Systems
    • Parabolic Troughs
    • Linear Fresnel Reflectors
  • Solar Dish/Engine Systems

Photovoltaic Systems

Photovoltaic solar-electrical conversion is the most common way to convert solar energy to electrical energy. A photovoltaic (PV) cell is commonly referred to as a "solar cell.' An assembly of many PV cells or solar cells is referred to as a "solar panel." Solar panels are used to convert solar energy from the sun into electrical energy. Photovoltaic systems transfer solar energy directly to electrical energy, unlike the concentrated solar thermal plants that transfer the solar energy to thermal energy, which is then converted to electrical energy.

Concentrated Solar System vs Photovoltaic System

One major drawback of solar energy production is a large amount of land required for power production. Concentrated solar typically takes up more land per megawatt of generation than photovoltaic. On average, concentrated solar power plants occupy 10 acres/MW of generation while photovoltaic farms occupy 8 acres/MW of generation. In comparison, traditional coal-fired and natural gas power plants occupy approximately 0.5 and 0.35 acres per MW of generation, respectively. When land use by solar energy production is compared to that of traditional power production, the 2-acre difference between concentrated solar and photovoltaic seems even more important.

Photovoltaic systems can be installed anywhere concentrated solar can be installed. However, areas of the world where concentrated solar power is effective are limited. Commercial concentrated solar thermal power plants are only profitable in areas with extremely high solar irradiance (the flux of radiant energy per unit area), such as geographic locations closer to the equator and/or with consistent drier weather because they must be installed in large scale projects, typically over 20 MW. In contrast, photovoltaic may be scaled way down and installed in residential areas around the world.

Going Forward

As we continue to diversify our power production, we must consider the pros and cons of the different types of generation. In areas with less land to occupy, traditional coal, natural gas, or nuclear power plants are more feasible. In geographical locations with high solar irradiance, dry weather, and few cities (such as deserts), concentrated solar may be the best option. In residential areas, photovoltaic may be the best choice on top of our homes and businesses.
James Wiggins
James Wiggins
James Wiggins is a Vice President at FCS. After nearly a decade as a US Navy operator and mechanic, He shifted focus to providing operational readiness services and training to energy-producing plants and process facilities. With 15+ years of industry-related experience, he possesses a wealth of knowledge and is passionate about providing value to his customers.

Related posts

January 20, 2023

Liquid Glass: The characteristics of Laminar Flow


Read more
September 23, 2022

Valve Packing: Understanding Packing for Maintenance


Read more
June 13, 2022

Understanding Valve Symbols in FDs and P&IDs


Read more

1 Comment

  1. Simon Roh says:
    February 28, 2021 at 5:02 am

    The method of generating electricity using solar energy still has higher power costs compared to traditional generation methods, such as fossil and nuclear power and is difficult to reach grid parity in any power systems.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Blog Posts

  • 0
    Liquid Glass: The characteristics of Laminar Flow
    January 20, 2023
  • 0
    Hybrid Power Plants
    January 5, 2023
  • 0
    Bridging the Skills Gap: Fixing the staffing problem in power generation.
    December 13, 2022

Fossil Consulting Services, Inc.

6325 Woodside Court, Suite 222
Columbia, Maryland 21046
Telephone: (410) 312-6240
Email: FCS@FossilConsulting.com

NEW FCS Logo_White
© 2022 Fossil Consulting Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved.