Solar Energy Generating Systems

Solar Energy Generating Systems
Part of the 354 MW SEGS solar complex in northern San Bernardino County, California.
Map
CountryUnited States
LocationMojave Desert
Coordinates35°01′54″N 117°20′53″W / 35.0316°N 117.348°W / 35.0316; -117.348
StatusOperational
Construction began1983
Commission date1984
OwnerNextEra Energy Resources
Solar farm
TypeCSP
CSP technologyParabolic trough
Collectors936,384
Site resource2,725 kWh/m2/yr
Site area1,600 acres (647.5 ha)
Power generation
Units operational2
Units decommissioned7
Nameplate capacity160 MW
Capacity factor19.2%
Annual net output539 GW·h (2015)

Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) is a concentrated solar power plant in California, United States. With the combined capacity from three separate locations at 354 megawatt (MW), it was for thirty years the world's largest solar thermal energy generating facility, until the commissioning of the even larger Ivanpah facility in 2014. It was also for thirty years the world's largest solar generating facility of any type of technology, until the commissioning of the photovoltaic Topaz Solar Farm in 2014. It consisted of nine solar power plants in California's Mojave Desert, where insolation is among the best available in the United States.

SEGS I–II (44 MW) were located at Daggett (34°51′45″N 116°49′45″W / 34.86250°N 116.82917°W / 34.86250; -116.82917); they have been replaced with a solar photovoltaic farm.

SEGS III–VII (150 MW) were installed at Kramer Junction (35°00′43″N 117°33′32″W / 35.01194°N 117.55889°W / 35.01194; -117.55889); all five SEGS have undergone demolition.[1][2][3]

SEGS VIII–IX (160 MW) are located at Harper Lake (35°01′55″N 117°20′50″W / 35.03194°N 117.34722°W / 35.03194; -117.34722).[4] NextEra Energy Resources operates and partially owns the plants located at Kramer Junction. On January 26, 2018, the SEGS VIII and IX at Harper Lake were sold to renewable energy company Terra-Gen, LLC.

A tenth plant (SEGS X, 80 MW) had been in construction and SEGS XI and SEGS XII had been planned by Luz Industries, but the developer filed for bankruptcy in 1992, because it was unable to secure construction financing.[5] The site of SEGS X was later licensed for a solar photovoltaic farm, Lockhart Solar PV II.[6]

Most of the thermal facilities were retired by 2021,[7] and photovoltaics were built on the same sites.

  1. ^ "SEGS III – VII - Kramer Junction". California Energy Commission. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference cca-press-release was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference sb-resurgence-project was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ The Energy Blog: About Parabolic Trough Solar
  5. ^ "Large Solar Energy Projects". California Energy Commission. Archived from the original on 14 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  6. ^ ""2021-07-14 Lockhart Solar PV II NOP"" (PDF).
  7. ^ Cheah, Cindy (21 September 2021). "World's longest-operating solar thermal facility is retiring most of its capacity - Today in Energy - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)". www.eia.gov. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021.