This document provides an overview of solar energy and solar power plants. It defines solar energy and describes the main types as thermal and photovoltaic. The key parts of a solar power plant are then outlined, including heliostats, boilers, turbines, generators, and more. The document explains how solar power plants operate to convert sunlight to steam to electricity. Advantages and disadvantages of solar energy are briefly discussed. Production and uses of solar energy around Europe and in countries like Spain, Germany, and the UK are also summarized.

1. Done by:
Pablo Trasbach Sánchez
Sonia María Romero Vidal
Antía Ramallo Blanco
Bilingual section of Technology
Group 3º ESO-B
Ies Praia Barraña – Boiro (Spain)
March, 2016

2. Index
• Definition of solar energy
• Types of solar power
• Parts of a solar power plant
• How does a solar power plant operate?
• Advantages and disadvantages
• Production in Europe
• Uses of solar energy around the world
• Uses of solar energy around Europe
• Uses of solar energy around Spain
• Conclusions

3. Solar energy is a renewable energy
obtained by the use of electromagnetic
radiation from the Sun. It is possible to
transform it into thermal or electric
energy.
Definition of solar energy

4. Types of solar power
• Thermal solar energy: It consists
of using solar energy to produce
thermal energy. It can be used to
warm water, for heating, etc.
• Photovoltaic solar energy: It’s an
energy source that produces
electric energy from solar energy by
using a semiconductor device called
photovoltaic cell.

5. Parts of a solar power plant

6. 1. Heliostats: They are a series of adjustable
mirrors on which the light of the Sun is
reflected, making it converge into the boiler.
2. Boiler: It is the part of the solar power
station where the solar beams reflected by
the heliostats converge, reaching a high
temperature. Once they reach this high
temperature, they warm up the water that
passes through the boiler, transforming it
into steam.
Parts of a solar power plant

7. 3. Turbine: The steam generated in the boiler
moves the turbine, which is attached to the
generator. The movement of the turbine
produces mechanical energy that is
transformed into electricity in the generator.
4. Generator: It generates electric energy
from the rotating movement of the turbine.
5. Accumulator: It stores the thermal energy
that has not been used.
Parts of a solar power plant

8. 6. Power adapter: It transforms electric energy
in order to be sent to the electric network.
7. Condenser: It transforms the steam from the
turbine into water.
8. Water pump: It resends the water to the
boiler.
9. Control centre: It is where the process of
transformation of solar energy into electric
energy is controlled.
Parts of a solar power plant

9. A set of mirrors that can be orientated, called
heliostats, reflect and concentrate the solar
beams in a boiler placed in a tower.
The boiler heats up the water which
evaporates into steam and passes through
pipes.
The water steam acquires a lot of pressure
which is used for moving a turbine connected
to the generator.
How does a solar power
plant operate?

10. The movement of the turbine produces
electricity, which travels from the generator
up to the transformers, raising the tension in
order to be transported from the electric
network all the way up to the centers of
consumption.
After moving the turbine, the water steam
returns to be condensed again and the
process restarts.
How does a solar power
plant operate?

11. It doesn’t pollute.
Solar panels do not work
at night.
It is safe.
In winter, there is less
sunshine and less
energy.
It is easy to use.
In cooler areas, solar
panels cannot produce
very hot water.
Solar panels take up a
lot of space.
Advantages / Disadvantages

12. Production in Europe
In Europe, the leading producers are
Germany, Italy, Spain and France.
In Spain, the regions with the greatest
number of solar power plants are
Andalucia and Cataluña.
In France, the Solar Oven of Odeillo is a
centre of investigation of solar energy.
Germany is one of the world leaders in the
production of photovoltaic solar energy.

13. Uses of solar energy
around the world
Solar energy has inscreased 20% around the
world in the last few years because of the
increasing sensibility of our society towards the
need to replace fossil fuels, in addition to the
advances in the systems (improvement of the
quality and reduction of costs). Water warming
by means of solar power and its production of
electricity, apart from being an ecological
alternative, has turned into an economically
attractive and competitive technology.
Throughout the world, both photovoltaic solar
power and thermal solar power are being used.

14. Uses of solar energy
around the world
At least 40GW of PV systems were installed
globally in 2014, up from 37GW in 2013, setting
a new record for the solar PV sector.
China, Japan and the USA were the three top
markets in 2014.
Cumulative capacity was 178GW in 2014.
The 540GW mark at a global level could be
reached in five years’ time.
Solar Power covers more than 1% of the world’s
electricity demand.

15. Uses of solar energy
around Europe
In 2014, for the first time, the United
Kingdom led the development of solar power
in Europe with 2.4GW, followed by Germany
with 1.9GW, and France with 927MW.
Europe now installs less solar power capacity
than China or Japan individually, but still more
than the US. However, Europe is still the
world’s largest producer with more than 88GW
installed at the end of 2014.
Solar Power could grow in Europe by 80 % by
2019.

16. Uses of solar energy
around Europe

17. Uses of solar energy
around Spain
Spain was one of the first countries worldwide
in investigation, development and use of solar
energy. Due to a favorable legislation, Spain
was one of the countries with more
photovoltaic power in the world in 2008, with
2708MW installed in that year alone.
However, after some political retroactive
changes and a type of “solar tax”, this country
has virtually disappeared from the European
PV map.

18. Uses of solar energy
around Spain

19. Conclusions
Solar energy has a lot of advantages but it
has many disadvantages too. It is an
ecological energy which is used to obtain
electric and thermal energy, but solar power
plants need a lot of space. Solar energy is the
third most important renewable energy
around the world. In Europe, the biggest
producers of solar energy are Germany, Italy,
Spain and France. In Spain, there are lots of
solar power plants in Andalucia and Cataluña.