HOW SOLAR POWER PLANT WORKS

Solar power plants use the sun's rays to produce electricity. Photovoltaic plants and
solar thermal systems are the most commonly used solar technologies today.

TYPES OF SOLAR POWER PLANTS

I. Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants
II. Solar Thermal Power Plants
Solar cells such as these are used in photovoltaic solar technology. There are two types
of solar power plants. They are differentiated depending on how the energy from the
sun is converted into electricity - either via photovoltaic or "solar cells," or via solar
thermal power plants

SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS

A photovoltaic power station, also known as a solar park, is a large-scale photovoltaic
system (PV system) designed for the supply of merchant power into the electricity grid.
They are differentiated from most building-mounted and other decentralised solar power
applications because they supply power at the utility level, rather than to a local user or
users. They are sometimes also referred to as solar farms or solar ranches, especially
when sited in agricultural areas. The generic expression utility-scale solar is sometimes
used to describe this type of project.
The solar power source is via photovoltaic modules that convert light directly to
electricity. However, this differs from, and should not be confused with concentrated
solar power, the other large-scale solar generation technology, which uses heat to drive
a variety of conventional generator systems. Both approaches have their own
advantages and disadvantages, but to date, for a variety of
reasons, photovoltaic technology has seen much wider use in the field. As of 2013, PV
systems outnumber concentrators by about 40 to 1.

1. Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight to direct current (DC) electricity.

2. The inverter converts DC into alternating current (AC) electricity.

3. Finally, the electricity travels through transformers, and the voltage is boosted for
delivery onto the transmission lines so local electric utilities can distribute the
electricity to homes and businesses.
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
1. Linear Concentrating System
2. Solar Power Towers
3. Solar Dish System

1. Linear Concentrating System

Linear concentrating solar power (CSP) collectors capture the sun's energy with large
mirrors that reflect and focus the sunlight onto a linear receiver tube. The receiver
contains a fluid that is heated by the sunlight and then used to heat a traditional power
cycle that spins a turbine that drives a generator to produce electricity. Alternatively,
steam can be generated directly in the solar field, which eliminates the need for costly
heat exchangers.

Linear concentrating collector fields consist of a large number of collectors in parallel

rows that are typically aligned in a north-south orientation to maximize annual and
summer energy collection. With a single-axis sun-tracking system, this configuration
enables the mirrors to track the sun from east to west during the day, which ensures
that the sun reflects continuously onto the receiver tubes.

Linear systems may incorporate thermal storage. In these systems, the collector field is
oversized to heat a storage system during the day so the additional steam it generates
can be used to produce electricity in the evening or during cloudy weather. These plants
can also be designed as hybrids, meaning that they use fossil fuel to supplement the
solar output during periods of low solar radiation. In such a design, a natural gas-fired
heater or gas-steam boiler/reheater is used. In the future, linear systems may be
integrated with existing or new combined-cycle natural-gas- and coal-fired plants.

2. Solar Power Towers

Solar power tower convert sunshine into clean electricity. The technology uses many
large, sun-tracking mirrors commonly referred to as heliostats to focus sunlight on a
receiver at the top of a tower.

A heat transfer fluid heated in the receiver is used to generate steam, which, in turn, is
used in a conventional turbine-generator to produce electricity. Early power towers such
as the Solar One plant uses steam as the heat transfer fluid. Current power towers such
as Solar Two use molten nitrate salt. Nitrate salt is used because of its superior heat
transfer and energy storage capabilities

3. Solar Dish System

Dish/engine systems use a parabolic dish of mirrors to direct and concentrate sunlight
onto a central engine that produces electricity. The dish/engine system is a
concentrating solar power (CSP) technology that produces smaller amounts of
electricity than other CSP technologies—typically in the range of 3 to 25 kilowatts—but
is beneficial for modular use. The two major parts of the system are the solar
concentrator and the power conversion unit.

SOLAR POWER PLANT IN THE PHILIPPINES

Capacity
Station Commissioned Community Status
(MW)

Bataan Solar
Power
5.02 2016 Morong, Bataan Operational
Plant (Ka Tei
Solar Inc.)

Toledo Cebu
Solar Power
5 2016 Toledo, Cebu Operational
Plant (Ka Tei
Solar Inc.)

Burgos Solar
Power 4.1 2015 Burgos, Ilocos Norte Operational

Plant (Energy
Development
Corporation)

CEPALCO
Cagayan de
Cagayan de Oro, Misamis
Oro 1.1 2004 Operational
Oriental
Photovoltaic
Power Plant

Surallah
Under-
Photovoltaic 5 Surallah, South Cotabato
construction
Power Plant

Philippine
Solar Farm
30 March 2015 Ormoc City, Leyte Operational
Leyte Inc.
(PSFLI)

Badoc-Vintar
Badoc and Vintar, Ilocos
Photovoltaic 20 Approved
Norte
Power Plant

San Carlos City, Negros

SaCaSol I 45 May 15, 2014 Operational
Occidental

La Carlota, Negros
islaSol I 32 December 2015 Operational
Occidental

islaSol II 48 March 2016 Manapla, Negros Occidental Operational

ECOGLOBAL ZamboEcozone , Zamboanga Under-

100 - 300 2015
INC. City construction
ADI 2 March 25, 2015 Batangas Operational

Solar
63.3 March 15, 2016 Calatagan Batangas Operational
Philippines

Solar
1.5 Sept. 20, 2014 SM Mall North Edsa Operational
Philippines

Solar
0.7 Nov. 24, 2015 Central Mall Binan Laguna Operational
Philippines

Raslag Solar
10 January 2015 Mexico, Pampanga Operational
Power Plant

Valenzuela
Solar 8.6 Nov.28, 2015 Valenzuela, Metro Manila Operational
Energy, Inc

MIRAE Asia
20 Feb.10, 2016 Curimao, Ilocos Norte Operational
Energy Corp.

Cadiz Solar
132.5 March 3, 2016 Cadiz, Negros Occidental Operational
Power Plant

Sindicatum
Renewable 22 2016 Mabalacat City,Pampanga Operational
Energy

Enfinity S.A. 28.6 2016 Digos, Davao Del Sur Operational

Citicore
25 2016 Silay City, Negros Occidental Operational
Power, Inc.

Citicore 16 2016 Mariveles, Bataan Operational

Power, Inc.

Citicore
60 2016 Toledo City, Cebu Operational
Power, Inc.

First
Cabanatuan
10.26 2016 Cabanatuan City Operational
Renewable
Venture

Reference:

https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/dishengine-system-concentrating-solar-
power-basics

https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/power-tower-system-concentrating-solar-
power-basics

https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/articles/linear-concentrator-system-basics-
concentrating-solar-power

http://www.dw.com/en/how-does-a-solar-power-plant-work/a-5073142

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photovoltaic_power_station

https://www.doe.gov.ph/list-existing-power-plants