Renovalia Energy to Invest $500 Million in Seven Concentrated Solar Plants in Spain

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Renovalia Energy S.A. (Madrid, Spain) is planning to invest $500 million to build seven concentrated solar power plants in Spain. The facilities, which are to be in the city of Puertollano, in the Castilla La Mancha region, will have a total capacity of 72 megawatts (MW) and will be equipped with a Stirling engine provided by Infinia Corporation (Kennewick, Washington). Construction will begin in early 2012 and be completed in 2014 or 2015.

These solar thermoelectric generators consist of a parabolic reflector and a Stirling engine that generates electricity with heat from solar radiation. It uses a mirrored, parabolic concentrator dish to reflect and focus the sun's energy onto the hot end of the engine. This concentrated solar energy creates a temperature differential across the engine--the heat from the concentrated sunlight at one end and the ambient air temperature at the other. This difference creates thermal expansion-contraction of a fluid that produces energy through a generator that transforms it into electricity.

This technology is characterized by its efficiency, low maintenance and operating range. The main difference from other solar thermal technologies is that it does not need water or gas to produce electricity. The engines need no lubrication, are quiet and can be connected to the grid in phases.

Today, Spain is a world leader in solar technology, thanks to the abundance of solar radiation, becoming a major exporter of green energy. By 2013, Spain expects to operate about 60 concentrated solar power plants.

Renovalia Energy is a renewable energy producer with a portfolio of more than 2,500 MW that is diversified both geographically and technologically. It operates in seven countries, making it one of the largest producers of clean energy.

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