EcoLocalizer

With all of the sunshine that we get here in Southern California, we should have solar panels everywhere soaking up all of the free (and clean!) energy. Fortunately for us, SoCal Edison leads the nation in the purchase of renewable energy, a pursuit that helps to spur development projects to provide it.

Just this week, the utility announced that it had signed a new contract for an additional 245 megawatts of solar power with Pasadena-based eSolar. But this isn’t just another massive installation of photovoltaic panels - it’s the nation’s first commercial project to use “power tower solar thermal technology.”

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“Huh?” you might ask. In short, it works like this: thousands of mirrors track the sun (see eSolar’s photo above), reflecting light to central receivers at the top of each tower. This concentrated light then boils water in a central receiver, producing steam. The steam is sent to a traditional turbine to produce electricity. Ta da! Though eSolar isn’t the only provider of this technology, they do claim several advantages over competitors, like shorter towers, the use of small, mass-manufactured mirrors and advanced tracking systems - all designed to maximize economies of scale while maintaining a minimal footprint.

Currently, SoCal Edison buys more than 90% of all solar energy produced, procuring 12.5 billion kilowatt hours of renewable energy, and making up 16% of the energy supplied to its customers. Adding this project, along with others under contract, will boost that number to 20%. That’s a big number, considering that SoCal Edison serves more than 13 million people.

To be built in the Lancaster area, the project will begin delivering energy in 2011, ramping up to the full 245 megawatts by 2013.

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