What is the difference between solar thermal power plants and photovoltaic (also known as PV) systems?
Solar thermal power plants, often called Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants, use sunlight to produce steam, which is then used to generate electricity. By contrast, photovoltaic (also known as PV) systems use special panels to collect sunlight and convert it directly to electricity. “Thermal” refers to the fact that it is the heat of the sunlight that is used, and “concentrating” refers to the fact that solar thermal systems concentrate the sunlight, in much the same way that a magnifying glass does, to harness its heat. Solar thermal plants are large utility-scale projects that generate enough power to serve tens of thousands of homes. Their power is usually sold to public utilities, which then sell it to their customers. Photovoltaic systems are usually much smaller and installed on residences, schools, or office buildings.
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