BrightSource’s LPT solar thermal technology generates power the same way as traditional power plants – by creating high temperature steam to turn a turbine. However, instead of using fossil fuels or nuclear power to create the steam, BrightSource uses the sun’s energy.

BrightSource’s system uses proprietary software to control thousands of tracking mirrors, known as heliostats, to directly concentrate sunlight onto a boiler filled with water that sits atop a tower. When the sunlight hits the boiler, the water inside is heated and creates high temperature steam. Once produced, the steam is used either in a conventional turbine to produce electricity or in industrial process applications, such as enhanced oil recovery (EOR). By integrating conventional power block components, such as turbines, with our proprietary technology and state-of-the-art solar field design, projects using our systems are able to deliver cost-competitive, reliable and clean power when needed most. In addition, by integrating our technology with natural gas or other fossil fuels through a process referred to as hybridization, projects using our systems are able to further increase output and reliability.

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