Csp systems concentrate radiation of the sun to heat a liquid substance which is then used to drive a heat engine and drive an electric generator.
Concentrated solar panel system.
Concentrated solar thermal systems csp are not the same as photovoltaic panels.
The plants consist of two parts.
A brief video showing how concentrating solar power works using a parabolic trough system as an example is available from the department of energy solar energy technologies web site.
One that collects solar energy and converts it to heat and another that converts the heat energy to electricity.
Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity either directly using photovoltaics pv indirectly using concentrated solar power or a combination concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and solar tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam.
Generally concentrated solar power is not installed at a residential scale and instead will almost always be installed over a large area as a utility scale generating facility.
Here in we review basic solar energy facts of competing solar technologies csp vs pv.
Concentrated solar power csp also known as concentrating solar power concentrated solar thermal systems generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight onto a receiver.
Csp vs pv technologies.
Concentrated solar power system types.