PS10 solar power tower facts for kids
Quick facts for kids PS10 Solar Power Plant |
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| Official name | Planta Solar 10 |
| Country | Spain |
| Location | Sanlúcar la Mayor, Andalusia |
| Coordinates | 37°26′32″N 06°15′15″W / 37.44222°N 6.25417°W |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 2004 |
| Commission date | 30 March 2007 |
| Construction cost | €35 million |
| Owner(s) | Abengoa Solar |
| Constructor(s) | Principal: • Abener (Abengoa Energía) Subcontract: • Tecnical-Tecnicas Reunidas • ALTAC |
| Solar farm information | |
| Type | CSP |
| CSP technology | Solar power tower |
| Heliostats | 624 |
| Power generation information | |
| Installed capacity | 11 MW |
| Capacity factor | 24% |
| Annual generation | 23.4 GW·h |
| As of March 2012 | |
The PS10 Solar Power Plant (which means Planta Solar 10 in Spanish) is a special kind of solar power plant. It is located in Sanlucar la Mayor, Spain. This plant uses the sun's energy to make electricity. It was one of the first large-scale solar power towers in the world.
Contents
How PS10 Makes Electricity
The PS10 plant works by using many mirrors to focus sunlight onto a tall tower. This process is called concentrated solar power.
The Giant Mirrors
The plant has 624 large, movable mirrors. These mirrors are called heliostats. Each heliostat is very big, about 120 square meters (1,290 square feet) in size. They are designed to follow the sun's path across the sky. This way, they can always reflect the sunlight towards the tower.
The Central Tower
In the middle of the field of mirrors stands a tall tower. The mirrors reflect the sun's light to the very top of this tower. Inside the tower, there are pipes filled with water. The super-hot sunlight heats this water.
Turning Heat into Power
When the water gets very hot, it turns into steam. This steam is under high pressure. The steam then rushes through pipes to spin turbines. These turbines are connected to generators, which create electricity. At its best, the PS10 plant can produce 11 megawatts of electricity.
Why PS10 is Important
The PS10 solar plant is very useful for providing electricity, especially during the hottest parts of the day. This is when people use a lot of air conditioning, which needs a lot of power. By using solar energy, PS10 helps to create clean electricity without burning fossil fuels. This means less pollution and a healthier planet.
Other Pages to Explore
Images for kids
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Solar Towers from left: PS10, PS20.
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The first three units of Solnova. I (right) III (left, front) and IV (left rear). The two towers in the background are the PS10 and PS20 solar power stations.
See also
In Spanish: PS10 para niños
