May 24, 2006—Ormat Technologies announced recently that its subsidiary Ormat Nevada has completed the first US solar trough power plant in Arizona. The one-megawatt Ormat Energy Converter (OEC) for the Arizona Public Service Company (APS) Saguaro Solar Facility was dedicated in April.
The project was implemented by APS in collaboration with Solargenix Energy, Ormat, and others, and is reportedly the first project to combine solar trough technology with a specially designed Organic Rankine Cycle-based OEC power block, similar to the type used by Ormat in geothermal and recovered energy generation power applications worldwide.
The plant’s process, which APS believes is an example of the future of energy generation, consists of the sun’s energy being concentrated by parabolic mirrors in a trough formation to receivers. This concentrated solar energy heats up thermal oil, which then transfers its heat to the OEC power unit working fluid. Use of Organic Rankine Cycle technology reportedly facilitates generation of power even with fluctuating and low temperature heat.
Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a vertically integrated company primarily engaged in the geothermal and recovered energy power business.
