Where can solar thermal plants be built?
In theory, a solar thermal plant can be built anywhere that the sun shines, however cost considerations dictate that they be built in areas of high solar radiation – a measure of how much power can be generated in a single square meter of surface area in a typical year. The best solar radiation is found in high desert areas, such as the Mojave Desert in Southern California, where the sun shines reliably 330 to 350 days a year. Another major consideration is that solar plants need to be built in the vicinity of power transmission lines serving markets large enough to use all of the power generated by the plant.
