ESolar Heliostat Solar Tower Modules Score

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ESolar has a signed contract with Southern California Edison to supply 245 MW of solar thermal power. The new plant will supply over 100 MW of power by 2012, ramping up to full production of 245 MW by 2013.

Each pre-fabricated module consists of several solar towers each associated with thousands of heliostats, or mirrors. The mirrors precisely track the sun over the course of the day and reflect light to a receiver at the top of each tower. The concentrated light boils water in a central receiver, routing the steam to a traditional turbine to produce electricity. eSolar’s solar thermal technology is unique in that it uses shorter towers, small mass-manufactured mirrors and advanced tracking software, achieving economies of scale within a minimal footprint and easy connection to transmission lines. __Source

More information about the deal at LATimes
H/T NextEnergyNews

ESolar's modular heliostat technology appears to share many advantages with BrightSource solar thermal technology. Both technologies should allow quicker and cheaper construction, with lower operating costs and lower demands for on-site cooling water. Solar thermal is currently superior to photovoltaic solar due to higher efficiences and much cheaper storage options.