SolarReserve

SolarReserve, LLC
Company typePrivate
IndustrySolar thermal power
Founded2008; 16 years ago (2008)
Defunct2020
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
,
U.S.
Key people
Tom Georgis (CEO)
Bill Gould(CTO)
WebsiteSolarReserve.com (archived)

SolarReserve was a developer of utility-scale solar power projects which include Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Photovoltaic (PV) technology. The company has commercialized solar thermal energy storage technology that enables solar power tower CSP plants to deliver electricity day and night. In this technology, a molten salt is used to capture the energy from the sun and store it. When electricity is needed, the stored liquid salt is used to turn water into steam to turn a turbine and generate electricity.[1][2]

As of May 2015, SolarReserve has developed and secured long-term power contracts for 482 megawatts (MW) of solar projects representing $2.8 billion of project capital, with a development pipeline of more than 6.6 gigawatts (GW) globally.[3] SolarReserve reached its lowest price yet at ¢6.3/kWh for the 2019 Copiapó Solar Project.[4] By 2020, the company had ceased operations.[5] An affiliate of SolarReserve filed a lawsuit to inspect the books of Tonopah Solar Energy LLC, a power plant project SolarReserve invested but ended losing control.[6] A Delaware judged rule rejected SolarReserve's affiliate claim.[7]

  1. ^ WIRED, The Window, Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project Part 1: The Facility-The Window-WIRED
  2. ^ Grunwald, Mike. The Green Revolution is Here, TIME, June 5, 2014. (Subscription required)
  3. ^ Dipaola, Anthony. SolarReserve Seeks South African Plants, Expansion Into MidEast, Bloomberg, May 9, 2014
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kraemer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference defunct was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Deign, Jason. "America's Concentrated Solar Power Companies Have All but Disappeared". America’s Concentrated Solar Power Companies Have All but Disappeared.
  7. ^ Leonard, Mike. "SolarReserve Loses Second Suit Over Failed Nevada Energy Venture". Bloomber Law.