Concentrated Solar Power

Concentrated solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus sunlight to generate electricity, primarily for utility-scale use. While the U.S. led in installed capacity as of 2009 with 429 MW, Spain followed with 182 MW. The technology varies from parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel reflectors to dish/engines and power towers. CSP is noted for its ability to provide power during peak late-afternoon demand and its potential for baseload generation via thermal storage or natural gas hybridization. Economic challenges include high initial construction costs, though operational costs are lower than fossil fuel plants. Policy mechanisms like feed-in tariffs in Spain and Israel, and investment tax credits in the U.S., are identified as key drivers for deployment.

• CSP technology is primarily used for large, centralized utility power and is most effective in arid, flat locations with solar radiation of at least 5.5 kWh/m2/day. The highest potential capacities globally are found in Australia, the Sahara Desert, and the U.S. Southwest.
• There are four main types of CSP systems: Parabolic Troughs (the most developed), Linear Fresnel Reflectors (demonstration stage and cheaper due to flat mirrors), Dish/Engine systems (highest efficiency at 31.5 percent but smaller capacity), and Power Towers (which use molten salt to trap thermal energy at higher temperatures).
• To provide baseload power during the night or cloud cover, CSP plants use either supplemental natural gas or thermal storage. Systems with storage can operate by sunlight alone for 70 percent of the year, compared to 15-30 percent without it.
• Water usage is a significant concern in desert climates. Wet cooling systems use 758-957 gallons of water per MWh, similar to coal plants, while dry cooling systems can reduce this usage by up to 97 percent, though they increase costs and reduce efficiency by 5 percent.
• As of 2009, the United States led the world in installed CSP capacity with 429 MW, followed by Spain with 182 MW. In the U.S., approximately 7,000 MW was in development, with 3,000 MW expected to be operational by 2011.
• CSP has higher initial construction costs than fossil fuel plants—80 percent of total cost is construction—but zero fuel costs and operations costs up to 30 percent lower than natural gas plants. In the U.S., CSP costs 14-16 cents/kWh, compared to 9 cents for natural gas and 6 cents for coal.
• Policy tools such as feed-in tariffs in Spain and Israel have spurred growth. In the U.S., the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 renewed a 30 percent investment tax credit for solar energy for eight years.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2009). Concentrated Solar Power. https://www.eesi.org/files/csp_factsheet_083109.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Concentrated Solar Power. 2009. https://www.eesi.org/files/csp_factsheet_083109.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Concentrated Solar Power |date=August 2009 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/csp_factsheet_083109.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2009concentrated, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Concentrated Solar Power}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2009}, month = aug, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/csp_factsheet_083109.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }