Resources
Press Releases
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BrightSource Energy Names Steven Goers Senior Vice President of Operations
(OAKLAND, CA) MAY 20, 2013 – BrightSource Energy, Inc., a leading concentrating solar thermal technology company, has named Steven Goers as senior vice president of operations, effective immediately. Goers brings more than 30 years of experience in power plant engineering and management, and international power development to his role at BrightSource.
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New CSP Alliance Report Highlights Economic Value of Concentrating Solar Power with Storage
(OAKLAND, CA) December 20, 2012 – The Concentrating Solar Power Alliance (CSPA), an advocacy organization dedicated to educating U.S. regulators, utilities and grid operators about the unique benefits of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) and of thermal energy storage, today issued a technical report titled, “The Economic and Reliability Benefits of CSP with Thermal Energy Storage: Recent Studies and Research Needs.”
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California Public Utilities Commission Unanimously Approves Two BrightSource Energy Contracts with Southern California Edison
(OAKLAND, CA) October 25, 2012 – BrightSource Energy, a leading concentrating solar thermal technology company, announced today that the California Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved two amended BrightSource contracts with Southern California Edison.
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BrightSource Energy Raises More Than $80 Million of Additional Equity Financing
(OAKLAND, CA) October 24, 2012 – BrightSource Energy, a leading concentrating solar thermal technology company, has raised more than $80 million in additional equity financing. This brings BrightSource’s total equity financing to more than $615 million and positions the company for significant international growth.
In the News
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300,000 mirrors: World's largest thermal solar plant (377MW) under construction in the Mojave
Treehugger.com - The largest concentrating solar power plant (100 MW) in operation is currently in Abu Dhabi, but it won't stay at the top of the list for too long. Brightsource Energy is putting the finishing touches on its massive Ivanpah concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in the Mojave desert, and if all goes well, the switch should be flipped this year.
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CSP Thermal Energy Storage vital for utilities and grid operators
altenergymag.com - The modern age of CSP can arguably be traced back to the 354MW Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) in the Mojave desert, which now make up the oldest operating plant in the world, as well as one of the largest. However, recent developments in the industry will see SEGS eclipsed by 5 projects that are scheduled to come online in 2013-14, with a combined total of 1312MW.
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New Study: Concentrating Solar With Storage Can Benefit the Grid
Greentech Media- The evidence is piling up that when the real value of energy is considered, electricity generated from concentrating solar power plants with storage capability outperforms solar photovoltaic and wind power.
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BrightSource Energy Update: Flagship Ivanpah Project Is 75 Percent Complete
San Jose Mercury News- Oakland’s BrightSource Energy has an update about Ivanpah, the massive solar thermal plant currently under construction in California’s Mojave Desert.
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Delivering GW-Scale Low Cost Clean Power Solutions
Energize Magazine- Concentrated Solar Thermal Power offers an impressive solution to balancing South Africa's requirements for a low cost, low carbon large scale energy solution.
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BrightSource and Alstom Clinch Israeli Solar-Thermal Project
Recharge News- California-based BrightSource and its partner Alstom, which recently deepened its investment in the CSP specialist, expect to plough $600m-$700m in the plant, which will be based on BrightSource's cutting-edge tower technology.
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Take a Look at the World's Largest Solar Thermal Farm
Smithsonian - The Mojave Desert is blooming. When completed in 2013, this series of 170,000 mirrors will power 140,000 California homes.
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A Bet on the Sun
NY Times - The Beauty of the Largest Solar Farm in the World - Slide Show. A photo essay of the Ivanpah project by photographer Jamey Stillings.
Newsletter - OneSun
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Newsletter
Welcome to OneSun - the newsletter of BrightSource Energy – published periodically to keep you abreast of the latest developments in solar energy generally and concentrating solar power (CSP) specifically.
Highlights:• Partnership at Palen: BrightSource Inks Deal with Abengoa
• Ivanpah Achieves First Steam, First Flux
• BrightSource Spanning the Globe
• CSP Alliance Report Continues to Gain Readership, Renown
• Thank You, Thank You Very Much
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Newsletter
Highlights:
• Contracts Approved, Billions of Investment Dollars Heading to California
• $84 Million Equity Raise Completed
• Getting to an AOTA: An "All of the Above" Energy Policy
• Project Update & Community Spotlight
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Newsletter
Highlights:
• President Bill Clinton Makes a Special Visit to Ivanpah
• A conversation with Marc Sydnor
• SustainOne: The environmentally responsible way to get some sun
• BrightSource on the road
Reports & Studies
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The Value of Concentrating Solar Power and Thermal Energy Storage
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
This paper examines the value of concentrating solar power (CSP) and thermal energy storage (TES) in four regions in the southwestern United States.
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CSPA Report
The Value of CSP with Thermal Storage
The Concentrating Solar Power Alliance (CSPA) has just released “The Economic and Reliability Benefits of CSP with Thermal Energy Storage: Recent Studies and Research Needs.” Authored by Dr. Udi Helman, Brightsource’s Director of Economic and Pricing Analysis, the report synthesizes and reviews recent research highlighting the economic value of CSP with thermal energy storage. Of particular interest to regulators, utility planners and grid operators.
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Simulating Value of Concentrating Solar Power with Thermal Energy Storage in a Production Cost Model
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Concentrating solar power deployed with thermal energy storage provides a dispatchable source of renewable energy. The value of CSP with thermal energy storage, as with other potential generation resources, needs to be established using traditional utility planning tools.
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Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2012: An Overview
IRENA - International Renewable Energy Agency
This report provides the most current, comprehensive analysis of the costs and performance of renewable power generation technologies available today. The results are largely based on new, original analysis of around 8 000 medium‑ to large‑scale commissioned or proposed renewable power generation projects from a range of data sources.
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Insurer Climate Risk Disclosure Survey: 2012 FindIngs & RecommendatIons
Ceres
This report summarizes responses from insurance companies to a survey on climate risk developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). In 2012 insurance regulators in California, New York and Washington required insurers that write in excess of $300 million in direct written premiums, and are licensed to operate in any of the three states, to disclose their climate-related risks using this survey. The aim of the surveyand Ceres’ analysis of the responses is to provide regulators with substantive informationabout the risks to insurers posed by climate change, as well as steps insurers are taking in response to their understanding of climate change risks.
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An Analysis of CSP with Thermal Energy Storage in a California 33% Renewable Scenario
Key Takeaway:
Due to its flexibility in dispatching power to the grid, the value of CSP with storage is $32/MWh to $40/MWh higher than the value of a Photovoltaic (PV) plant.
The analysis evaluates CSP with thermal energy storage (TES) in a scenario in which California derives 33% of its electricity from renewable energy sources in 2020. Employing a commercial grid simulation tool, it examines the avoided operational and capacity costs associated with CSP with TES and compares this value to PV as well as a “baseload” generator (i.e., with constant output). Operational costs include energy, ancillary services, emissions, and variable O&M costs. The analysis demonstrates the key economic benefits of dispatchable CSP – including the flexibility to generate during periods of high market value and withhold production during periods of lower value.
Company Literature & Whitepapers
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Corporate Overview
BrightSource Energy is a leader in solar thermal technology. We concentrate the sun’s limitless energy to produce high-value steam for electric power, petroleum and process markets worldwide.
BrightSource is uniquely positioned and singularly determined to lead the way in responding to the need for clean, reliable, renewable energy.
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BrightSource Energy Company Facts
BrightSource Energy, Inc. designs, develops, and deploys solar thermal technology to produce high-value electricity and steam for power, petroleum, and industrial-process markets worldwide. Our team blends internationally-renowned solar thermal technical experience with world-class finance and project development capabilities.
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Environmental Stewardship Overview
At BrightSource Energy, respect for the environment informs our every thought and action, from the technology we develop to the stewardship we practice. Our concentrating solar power (CSP) technology exists to produce clean energy, address climate change, improve air quality and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Equally imperative is the all-encompassing environmental approach we take to each one of our projects.
Presentations & Webinars
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Speech: United States Energy Association Annual Energy Supply Forum
United States Energy Association Annual Energy Supply Forum - October 4, 2012, Joe Desmond delivered a keynote speech on the topic of "How to Get an All of the Above Energy Policy" for the USEA’s Annual Energy Supply Forum at the National Press Club.
