BrightSources solar thermal system
1999 Harrison Street , Suite 2150 , Oakland, California, United States

BrightSource designs, develops and deploys concentrating solar thermal technology to produce high-value steam for electric power, petroleum and industrial-process markets worldwide. BrightSource combines breakthrough technology with world-class solar power plant design capabilities to generate clean energy reliably and responsibly. BrightSource’s solar thermal systems are designed to minimize impact to the environment and help customers reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.  We select project areas that are near roads and existing transmission lines – places where human activity has already left its mark, such as grazing lands; where there is a reduced need for new transmission lines, and where environmental impacts can be minimized.  Our systems use a low impact design with minimal grading and disruption of soil and plants. The heliostats used to focus the sun’s energy on our central tower are mounted on pylons that are placed directly into the ground. This approach minimizes the need for grading and use of concrete pads that are common in other renewable energy technologies, such as PV, wind and other competing solar thermal systems. The use of individual pylons also allows for vegetation to co-exist within our solar field and to avoid areas of sensitive habitat. Our technology is also extremely efficient and optimized to capture as much of the solar resource as possible in each location, generating the most energy from the land and resources used to build and operate our plants.

At the heart of BrightSource’s proprietary solar thermal system is next-generation solar field design, optimization software and a control system that enable the creation of high pressure, high temperature steam. The steam can then be integrated with conventional power plant components for electricity generation or for use in industrial process applications, such as thermal enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Benefits of BrightSource’s solar thermal system include:

• Optimized solar field design to match utility peak generation demand requirements
• More reliable and consistent power output than intermittent renewable resources such as photovoltaic (PV) solar and wind
• Increased production capability through thermal energy storage and hybridization with fossil fuels
• Application for industrial purposes, including enhanced oil recovery (EOR)