The Stillwater GeoSolar Hybrid Plant is a combined 61 MW

solar energy Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun that is harnessed using a range of technologies such as solar power to generate electricity, solar thermal energy (including solar water heating), and solar architecture. It is an essenti ...

and geothermal power plant in the U.S. state of Nevada. Located NE of Fallon, near Stillwater, the site includes a 26MW solar photovoltaic plant and a 2MW solar thermal plant that were added to a 33MW geothermal plant.

Overview

The project is the world's first combined solar/geothermal plant and constructed by Enel Green Power. It is also the first triple hybrid power plant, combining geothermal, photovoltaic and solar thermal power generation, using the Organic Rankine cycle. POWER Engineers Inc. provided detailed engineering services for the original binary geothermal plant as well as for the 2 MW Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) system. The total output of 15 GWh/month from the plant was sold to NV Energy. In summer, the PV plant produces more when the thermal plant is less efficient due to dry cooling in high temperatures.

Geothermal plant

The plant entered into operation in 2001, and revitalized in 2009.

Solar photovoltaic plant

Covering , the plant has 89,000

polycrystalline silicon Polycrystalline silicon, or multicrystalline silicon, also called polysilicon, poly-Si, or mc-Si, is a high purity, polycrystalline form of silicon, used as a raw material by the solar photovoltaic and electronics industry. Polysilicon is produ ...

solar panels A solar cell panel, solar electric panel, photo-voltaic (PV) module, PV panel or solar panel is an assembly of photovoltaic solar cells mounted in a (usually rectangular) frame, and a neatly organised collection of PV panels is called a phot ...

and has a generation capacity of 26 MW. The photovoltaic generation was designed to make up for the reduction in output from the geothermal plant due to high ambient temperatures during summer midday hours.

Solar thermal plant

An additional 2 MWe (17 MWth) using concentrated solar power (CSP) in parabolic troughs began construction in 2014. In addition to generating electricity, the CSP facility is expected to extend the life of the geothermal reservoir used for the geothermal portion of the facility. The CSP plant became operational in 2015.

External links

Photo and video, 2015
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Notes

Energy infrastructure completed in 2009 Energy infrastructure completed in 2012 Buildings and structures in Churchill County, Nevada Geothermal power stations in Nevada Solar power stations in Nevada {{Nevada-struct-stub