While solar pv experienced huge growth in recent years due to falling prices solar csp growth has been slow due to technical difficulties and high prices.
Csp solar panels.
Concentrated solar power also known as concentrating solar power or concentrating solar thermal power works in a similar way conceptually.
At a csp installation mirrors reflect the sun to a focal point.
Unlike csp which uses the sun s energy pv solar panels make use of the sun s light instead.
Concentrating solar power plants can integrate thermal energy storage systems to use to generate electricity during cloudy periods or for hours after sunset or before sunrise this ability to store solar energy makes concentrating solar power a flexible and dispatchable source of renewable energy.
The plants consist of two parts.
In 2017 csp represented less than 2 of worldwide installed capacity of solar electricity plants.
That heat is then channeled through a conventional generator.
Csp plants generate electric power by using mirrors to concentrate focus the sun s energy and convert it into high temperature heat.
One that collects solar.
Csp technology utilizes focused sunlight.
This solar power complex is a concentrated solar power station located in the mojave desert in eastern riverside county california about 25 miles 40 km west of blythe.
Photovoltaic pv solar panels on the other hand are completely different from csp.
Csp technology produces electricity by concentrating and harnessing solar thermal energy using mirrors.
The solar power plant consists of two independent 125 mw net 140 mw gross sections using solar trough technology.