Jonathan Fahey, Contributor
Page 5 of 11
Solar Energy Generating Systems, Mojave Desert, Calif., U.S.
Capacity: 354 MW
Year completed: 1990
This system, known as SEGS, is a collection of nine plants that redirect the sun’s heat to tubes of synthetic oil. The heat in the oil is transferred to water, producing steam that turns a turbine. Bright Source Energy is planning a bigger 440 MW solar thermal project, also in the Mojave Desert. But these plants seem quaint compared with a Chinese plan announced this month to build a series of solar thermal plants in the Mongolian desert designed by eSolar that could reach 2,000 MW.