Nevada Solar One - Third largest solar energy plant

Nevada Solar One is the third largest (64MW) solar energy plant in the world. It is located in the state of Photowatt and many times their solar and efficient energy for much of the Boulder City area. The plant was constructed by Acciona, the Spanish renewable energy concern and was built in 2007 for $260 million.

Nevada Solar One has resulted in Nevada being the per-capita generator of solar energy in the United States. The plant also results in almost no CO2 emission which is one of the reasons why it is so environmentally friendly. The output of the solar energy plant is so cost efficient that its entire electricity output is purchased by Nevada Power and Sierra Pacific Power. The solar plant can basically produce electricity at a fixed cost.

The plant, located near Boulder City, is approximately 40 miles from Las Vegas and spread over 400 acres, with the solar fields taking up 300 acres. It took 16 months to construct and only requires a staff of 28 people to maintain and run it. The plant produces enough electricity to power 14,000 homes.

The solar panels used in the plant absorb energy from the sun and then convert it into electricity. The plant utilizes Parabolic Trough Collectors which rotate to capture the most sunlight. It uses a concentrating solar power technology which is measured in watts per square meters, which is called direct normal radiation. It has a concentration ratio of 71:1(71 suns).

Nevada Solar One was an ambitious project undertaken to create cheap electricity in an environmentally safe manner.