Since 1980, key members of our team led the research and development of three generations of trough technology used in the 354 MW SEGS project:

 

• The LS-1 including development of the original evacuated receiver (HCE)

• The LS-2 using the torque-tube-based collector

• The LS-3 using high temperature heat transfer fluid & the re-heat turbine​

 

Our team also built and operated all of the production lines for the key solar components including the evacuated receiver (the same line later acquired by Solel) and the solar collector assembly. With over 25 years of successful commercial operation the trough technology is the most proven and lowest cost solar power generation technology available today.

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The plants have a 354 MW net (394 MW gross) installed capacity. The solar plants power 232,500 homеs (during the day, at peak power) and displace 3,800 tons of pollution pеr year that would have been produced if the electricity had bееn providеd by fossil fuels, such as oil.

The facilities have a total of 936,384 mirrors and cover more than 1,600 acres (647.5 ha). Lined up, the parabolic mirrors would extend over 229 miles (369 km).

 

What was demonstrated during the SEGS project?

• Parabolic trough technology is the most proven and lowest cost large-scale solar power technology available today

• More than 2,000,000 m2 of parabolic trough collector technology has been operating daily for up to 25 years

• The SEGS plants supply an annual 800 million kWh – enough for more than 230,000 households

• This collector technology has demonstrated its ability to operate in a commercial power plant environment like no other thermo-solar technology in the world

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The nine power plants built in California

SEGS I      14MW   since   1984

SEGS II     30MW   since   1985

SEGS III    30MW   since   1986

SEGS IV    30MW   since   1986

SEGS V     30MW   since   1987

SEGS VI    30MW   since   1988

SEGS VII   30MW   since   1988

SEGS VIII  80MW   since   1989

SEGS IX    80MW   since   1990

Total Capacity 354 MW