What is Solar Power?
Many power plants today use fossil fuels as a heat source to boil water. The steam from the boiling water rotates a large turbine, which activates a generator that produces electricity. However, a new generation of power plants, with concentrating solar power systems, uses the sun as a heat source.
Southern Nevada's abundant sunshine combined with NV Energy's robust transmission grid and ample open land make this an excellent location for the development of solar power. In fact, Nevada is now ranked #1 in the nation for installed solar energy capacity on a per person basis.
Solar Facilities that Serve NV Energy Customers
Crescent Dunes Solar Energy – 110 megawatts
Still in the development stage, this concentrate solar thermal project will include a molten salt storage system to enable electricity generation even when the sun is hidden by clouds or into the night. It will be located near Tonopah, NV and is owned by SolarReserve. The project is expected to be in service by 2014. SolarReserve’s molten salt, concentrating solar power tower technology was successfully demonstrated in California under a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored pilot project in the late 1990s. The new facility will utilize a molten salt receiver designed and engineered by Rocketdyne, now a part of United Technologies Corporation.
Edward W. Clark Generating Station – 0.18 megawatts
Three dual-axis, concentrating photovoltaic solar tracking arrays that produce 180,000 kilowatts of power that are owned and operated by NV Energy.
Las Vegas Valley Water District (6 projects) – 3.1 megawatts
Six Las Vegas-area solar photovoltaic projects totaling 3.1 megawatts owned and operated by PowerLight Corporation. These installations began producing electricity in 2006 and 2007.
Nellis Air Force Base – Solar Star – 12 megawatts
Owned by Fotowatio, this solar photovoltaic power project is one of the largest in the West and produces 12 megawatts of energy for the Nellis Air Force Base, located north of Las Vegas. It began producing electricity in 2007.
Nevada Solar One – 64 megawatts
A 64-megawatt concentrating solar thermal plant that is located in the Eldorado Valley near Boulder City, NV. It is owned and operated by Acciona Solar Power and came on line in 2007.
Procaps Laboratory – 0.2 megawatts
A 0.2 megawatt solar photovoltaic installation in Henderson, NV, which is owned by Your Vitamins and began producing in 2004.
RV Apex Solar Power – 20.5 megawatts
Still in the development stage, this photovoltaic project near Apex, NV is owned by Fotowatio and is expected to be in operation in 2011.
Searchlight 1 – 17.5 megawatts
Still in the development stage, Searchlight 1 is a solar photovoltaic project owned by American Capital Energy. It is expected to be in operation in 2010 and is located near Searchlight, NV.
Silver State Solar – 50 megawatts
Still in the development stage, this photovoltaic project near Primm, Nevada is owned by NextLight Renewable Power, which has now been acquired by First Solar. It will be located adjacent to the Walter M. Higgins Generating Station and is expected to be operational in 2012.
SolarGenerations – 4 megawatts … and growing
NV Energy customers benefit from an incentive program to help them offset the installation costs of new renewable energy systems. Program categories include residential, small business, schools, public buildings and agriculture. Approximately 600 solar projects have been installed or funded throughout Nevada.