Are there solar energy power plants?
Yes. Many utility companies have recently installed large photovoltaic arrays to provide consumers with solar generated electricity or as backup systems for “critical” equipment. Solar thermal power plants produce electricity more cheaply than photovoltaic plants, at least in regions where there is little to no cloud cover. (Solar thermal systems need direct sunlight; photovoltaic systems will still function in cloudy conditions, though their output is diminished.) The first commercial solar thermal plant was erected in California’s Mojave Desert in 1984. Despite the success of this project, and the great potential of solar thermal plants in general, only a handful have been built worldwide in the past decade, though there are a number in the planning stages. For an interesting article comparing photovoltaic and solar thermal power plants, download this PDF: http://www.volker-quaschning.de/downloads/VGB2001.pdf 15. How much of the world’s energy does the United States use? Though we ma
