Paper: Introduction

Solar thermal energy collection in its purest definition is the use of solar energy to generate work in the form of heat. This is different from photovoltaic cells in that photovoltaic cells use solar energy to directly create electricity. The most basic example of solar thermal energy collection is a solar oven. Solar ovens use mirrored surfaces inside of a container to focus solar energy to create enough heat inside the container to cook food. The use of mirrors to focus solar energy is common in solar thermal energy collectors, especially when high temperatures are required. Solar heaters are also commonly used in households to heat water and the air of the house. At the large scale, solar thermal energy collecting power plants use the focusing of sunlight to create steam and spin turbines to create electrical energy. This project is mostly concerned with these solar thermal power plants and evaluating their viability as a part of the greater power grid. In 2012, renewable energy produced eleven percent of all energy produced in the United States; only two percent of the renewable energy was produced using solar energy. In Arizona, state standards require that 15 percent of all consumed energy must come from renewable sources by the year 2025, in 2013 the 7.8 percent of consumed energy came from renewable sources most of which came from interstate imports from the Glen Canyon and Hoover Dams. Because of the desert climate and almost constant exposure to sunlight, many areas in Arizona are ideal places for the expansion of solar energy. In the year 2012, Arizona became the home of the world’s largest photovoltaic power facility. Solar thermal energy collection is another way that the collection of solar energy can be expanded both in the state of Arizona and in the United States; however, there are limitations that are being addressed to make growth possible.