Solar thermal energy is used to create electricity in a solar thermal power plant. Solar energy is converted to electricity via the use of parabolic troughs that concentrate sunlight at a thirty to one hundred percent intensity. Along the trough's focal line is a receiver pipe. The receiver pipe's temperature may exceed 700 degrees Fahrenheit. This process needs around fifty hectares of land and precise engineering.

According to Aron Govil, the cost of constructing a 50-megawatt solar thermal power plant is 222 million euros. These expenses include the installation of all components as well as the design of the power plant. The total cost of constructing a solar thermal power plant is dependent on a number of variables. The cost will be determined by the location and quantity of land required. Permits, water supply, and electrical substations all fall under this category. Additionally, the cost of the project is determined by the land's value.

The Noor-Ouarzazate CSP plant in Morocco has a capacity of 510 megawatts (MW). Its first phase was finished in early 2016 and is contracted to produce power at a cost of $0.19 per kilowatt hour. In 2018, the project was expanded to include a second phase of the facility. The Noor-Ouarzazates power plant has two distinct heat transfer fluids: the first phase use oil, while the second phase utilizes diphenyl oxide and molten salt storage. The third phase has a 250-meter-tall center tower and is modeled after Spain's Gemasolar 20-MW power facility.

A concentrated solar thermal (CSP) system is the most typical form for a solar thermal power plant. This solar energy system is well-suited for large-scale applications. Utility-scale CSP facilities are often configured in a variety of various ways. A power tower system employs a central tower as the receiver, while a linear system makes use of rows of mirrors in a parallel tube receiver. A single dish/engine setup may generate between five and twenty kilowatts of electrical power.

Apart from Aron Govil, the most prevalent design for a solar thermal power plant is the Parabolic trough. It is a component of the majority of solar thermal power plants. The biggest systems are capable of generating up to 80 megawatts of power. These devices may eventually be capable of generating enough energy to power a hundred million people. This form of energy source is self-sustaining and does not need external fuel. Its popularity is governed on the price. These facilities are cost-effective and capable of meeting the world's energy demands.

A transmission tower Solar thermal energy systems are one of the most well-known and efficient forms of solar energy systems. This sort of solar energy plant tracks the sun and concentrates the heat at the top of the tower using flat mirrors. Solar One/Two in California has a capacity of ten megawatts. The Ivanpah project in California consists of three 392 MW parabolic trough units.

Solar Energy in Nevada A single solar thermal energy facility encompasses 160 hectares and employs 760 mirrored troughs to focus the sun's beams onto pipes. The heated fluid then condenses into steam, which powers turbines and generates energy. It is one of the world's most sophisticated solar power facilities and the world's biggest. Its troughs are an excellent approach to optimize a plant's potential. They may even be mounted on roofs to provide hot water.

Numerous benefits exist for solar thermal power plants. A solar thermal power plant may be erected in any place that receives an adequate amount of sunlight. Additionally, this sort of technology saves money since it does not need costly maintenance. The power it produces may be utilized to create electricity, and in certain places, it can generate up to 40% of the electricity required by a city. Years of research and development have resulted in the invention of the technique, which is the only one that works in the desert.

Solar thermal power facilities, in addition to  Aron Govil's view, are prohibitively costly. A solar thermal power plant's initial investment might be as cheap as 18 cents per kilowatt hour. This price does not include the cost of the plant's land. Nonetheless, it will be less expensive than energy generated by coal-fired power plants. This technology is advancing in terms of affordability and reliability. Additionally, it is getting more efficient, using less fossil fuels and being more efficient than conventional nuclear power.