The Top Renewable Energy Projects Around the World: Inspiring Examples of Sustainable Energy Solutions
With the world’s climate at a tipping point, people across the globe are looking for inspiring stories to provide them with the hope that things can get better, proof that we can pull ourselves out of this mess.
Renewable energy projects can often be a great source of inspiration, whether those are projects supplying underdeveloped nations with solar panels or massive solar furnaces powering whole cities. If you’re looking for some insights into the technologies that’ll likely save our planet, read on.
SEGS, California
Perhaps the most iconic renewable energy project is the Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) in the Mojave Desert, California, USA – if you’ve ever driven or even flown past it, you’ll know why.
SEGS was one of the world’s first solar thermal power facilities, consisting of a collection of separate solar power plants that collectively generate 354 megawatts (MW) of electricity. SEGS uses parabolic troughs to focus sunlight onto pipes that are filled with a heat transfer fluid (molten salt), which is then used to generate steam to turn turbines and generate electricity.
In addition to looking like something out of science fiction, the project has been powering the area for years now!
CSP, Chile
Located in the heart of the Atacama Desert in Chile, the Cerro Dominador Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project is another project to look out for when it comes to renewable energy innovation. Found in one of the areas with the highest levels of solar radiation in the world, it represents a core part of Chile’s greater plan to switch over to 20% renewable energy by 2025.
Cerro Dominador is one of the first CSP projects in Latin America and the largest of its specific kind in the world, with a capacity of 110 MW. Due to advanced technologies, it’s able to provide energy 24 hours a day, not only when the sun is shining – something that’s pretty groundbreaking given how many people are concerned about solar energy not providing power 24/7.
Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex, Morocco
In Morocco, the Noor Ouarzazate Solar Complex is a shining example (pardon the pun) of concentrated solar power done on an absolutely massive scale. It’s the world’s largest CSP project, with a total capacity of 580 MW – roughly 5 times larger than the plant in Chile.
The plant consists of several phases, including Noor I, Noor II, and Noor III, each leveraging different kinds of CSP and energy storage technologies to ensure that power can be made available 24 hours a day.
Hopefully, these few examples will have you inspired by the capacity for human innovation; it certainly seems that although it was people who caused the current environmental catastrophe, it can also be people who get us out of it. These projects are massively decreasing our reliance on fossil fuels, helping us to slowly bring down the emissions we release into the air.
I’d also like to send an extended thanks to the team at Exagen for helping us bring this article together with their expertise and insights.
