Solar Power
Solar cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. Most people today are familiar with solar power: sunlight-activated photovoltaic (PV) cells recharge our watches, calculators, street lamps, and often our homes. On a larger scale, solar panels are capturing the sun's ever-present energy to power homes and commercial buildings and to feed electricity to the power grid.
Solar energy doesn't pollute, can be scaled to meet almost any need, and requires only a few hours of daylight. (It's not the brightness of the daylight, only the amount of it, that's needed; even in the moist Northwest, we have plenty to draw on, about 80% as much sun power as California).
PSE supports solar energy generation into the grid from many sites, including the White Bluffs region (which has reclaimed much of the former Hanford Nuclear Plant site for solar-power generation) and cooperatives at several locations in Oregon. Refer to our Renewable Demo Projects page to learn more about PSE solar and other renewable energy projects in our communities
Another form of solar power plants to make electricity is called a Central Tower Power Plant, like the one to the right - the Solar Two Project. Sunlight is reflected off 1,800 mirrors circling the tall tower. The mirrors are called heliostats and move and turn to face the sun all day long. The light is reflected back to the top of the tower in the center of the circle where a fluid is turned very hot by the sun's rays. That fluid can be used to boil water to make steam to turn a turbine and a generator. Solar II uses the sunlight to change heat into mechanical energy in the turbine. The power plant makes enough electricity to power about 10,000 homes.