The document compares and contrasts two types of large-scale solar power plants: the Agua Caliente photovoltaic plant and the Ivanpah solar thermal plant. It outlines key details about each plant such as their location, size, cost, environmental impacts, lifetime, and purchasers of the generated power. While both require large amounts of land and have high build and maintenance costs, the document recommends thermal solar due to its longer lifetime and ability to provide backup power and cogeneration capabilities.

1. Solar Power Plants
Photovoltaic vs Thermal
Thomas R. Smith
BSTEC 108
Audience
Grant County Public Utility District
Board of Commissioners
Ephrata, WA

2. Green Energy from Solar Power
Reduces carbon footprint Reduces need for fossil
fuels
1

3. Two types of solar power
Photovoltaic Solar Power Thermal Solar Power
2

4. Solar Power
Electrical Production
• Most common photovoltaic solar power
• Panels mounted ever where now
• Residential and commercial power uses
• Thermal solar power strictly utilities
3

5. Agua Caliente
Yuma County,
AZ
World's Largest
Solar Photovoltaic
Plant
4

6. Ivanpah
Mojave
Desert, CA
World’s Largest
Solar Thermal Power
Plant
5

7. Photovoltaic vs Thermal
Power Plants Facts
Agua Caliente
• Project Size: 290 MW
• Carbon offset 220,000 ton
per year
• Acreage required 2,400
acres
• Cost to build $1.8 billion
Ivanpah
• Project Size: 392 MW
• Carbon offset 400,000 ton
per year
• Acreage required 3,500
acres
• Cost to build $2.2 billion
6

8. Photovoltaic vs Thermal
Homes Served & Power Cost
Agua Caliente
• Serve around 100,000
average homes
• Cost per kilowatt hour
13.9 to 15.5 cents
• Power cost federally
subsidized
Ivanpah
• Serve around 280,000
average homes
• Cost per kilowatt hour 12
to 17 cents
• Power cost federally
subsidized
7

9. Photovoltaic vs Thermal
Power Storage Capacity
Agua Caliente
• Large battery storage
system
• Require Dc to Ac
rectification system
Ivanpah
• Large high pressure steam
vessel
• Natural gas back-up
system
• Cogeneration Steam
8

10. Photovoltaic vs Thermal
Systems Maintenance
Agua Caliente
• Clean Photovoltaic cell
• Replace Batteries 3-5yrs
• Battery Disposal
Ivanpah
• Clean Heliostats
• Maintain Steam System
• Recycle Metals
9

11. Photovoltaic vs Thermal
Environmental Concerns
Agua Caliente
• Require lots of land
• Hazardous Materials
Ivanpah
• Require lots of land
• Waters Usage
10

12. Photovoltaic vs Thermal
Plant Lifetime Expectancy
Agua Caliente
• 25 years lifetime
• Replace solar panel
Ivanpah
• 30-year lifetime
• Replace Turbine System
11

13. Current Utility Power Purchasers
Agua Caliente
• Pacific Gas and Electric
Company
Ivanpah
• Pacific Gas & Electric
Company
• Southern California Edison
12

14. Solar Systems
Final Comparison
Photovoltaic
• Lots of land used
• Toxic materials
• Battery Maintenance
• Carbon offset
• Build and Maintenance
Costs
Thermal
• Lots of land used
• Water usage
• Cogeneration capacity
• Carbon offset
• Build and Maintenance
Costs
13

15. Solar System Recommended
Thermal Solar System
• Build and Maintenance Costs
• 30-year lifetime
• Back-up power system
• Cogeneration capacity
14

16. Works Cited
• Augustine, Michael. "Ivanpah Solar Plant the World’s Largest."
Http://guardianlv.com. Guardian Liberty Voice, n.d. Web.
• Borry, Rick, Ph.D., and Gage, Brett. "Concentrated Solar Thermal vs.
Photovoltaic Solar." TECHNOLOGICAL NICHES: (n.d.): n. pag.
Http://www.principalsolarinstitute.org/uploads/custom/3/_document
s/CSvsPV_WhitePaper.pdf. Principal Solar, Inc. Web.
• "Busting 4 Myths About Solar PV vs. Concentrating Solar Power."
Renewable Energy World. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014.
• "CSP - CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER Solar Thermal Power." CSP -
CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER Solar Thermal Power. N.p., n.d. Web.
18 June 2014.

17. Works Cited
• "Energy Department Announces Projects to Advance Cost-Effective
Concentrating Solar Power Systems." Energy.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 18
June 2014.
• "Federal Solar Energy Projects | PV Systems for Government Agencies
| SunPower." Federal Solar Energy Projects | PV Systems for
Government Agencies | SunPower. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014.
• "Ivanpah." Http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/ivanpah-solar-
project. BrightSource Energy, Inc., n.d. Web.
• "Ivanpah Project." NRG Solar. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014.

18. Works Cited
• Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System:. Sacramento, CA: CH2M
Hill, 2007. Web.
• Neuman, Scott. "Shiny And New: World's Largest Solar Plant Opens In
California." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 18 June 2014.
• "SEIA." Major Solar Projects List. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014.
• "Solar Thermal vs. Photovoltaic." Solar Thermal vs. Photovoltaic. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 18 June 2014.