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SOLAR MILLENNIUM AG

Solar Thermal Power Plants - The Facts.

  • It would take just one thousandth of the world's desert areas to supply the world's increasing electricity demand over the next decades using solar power alone.
  • Solar electricity can be transported cost-effectively over great distances. When compared to Central Europe, the same power plant in North Africa can generate three times as much electricity. Transport to Central Europe using the appropriate electricity networks (high voltage direct current) would result in a power loss of just 10%.
  • Solar thermal power plants have the potential to entirely replace conventional power plants in the long term. They can be integrated into the existing energy infrastructure and can generate electricity on demand.
  • The electricity supplied from solar-thermal power plants is ideal for the electricity demand in sunny countries. Due to the use of air-conditioning units, electricity consumption is at its highest during the same time of the day as the most intense solar radiation (see graphic).
  • Solar thermal power plants are even today a very competitive option for covering peak-load usage in many locations.
  • Thermal storage enables solar thermal power plants to generate electricity even when the sun is not shining. They therefore make a decisive contribution to grid stability as well as to supply dependability for industry and households.

The base load in electricity grids is currently covered primarily by coal and nuclear power. The medium and peak loads require power plants to be kept on standby and which are able to react flexibly to an increased electricity demand. Electricity generation costs during these peak times are currently especially high for power supply companies. Solar thermal power plants are ideal for covering this demand because the peaks in demand are caused primarily by the use of air-conditioning, i.e. at midday and during the afternoon in summer, which is also when sunshine is most frequent and intense. Used in hybrid power plants or in combination with thermal storage, solar thermal power plants will also be able to contribute to covering the base load in the future.