Solar Trust of America
Encyclopedia
Solar Trust of America is an integrated solar industrial solutions company based in Oakland
, California
. The company is developing the Blythe Solar Power Project
, the largest solar plant in the world in the Mojave Desert
, among other projects. On April 18, 2011 the company was offered conditional commitment for a $2.1 billion loan guarantee by the Department of Energy
(DOE) for the construction of the Blythe project, the largest loan offered to a solar energy project under the program at the time of the announcement.
and Ferrostaal.
. Other projects are located near Palen, CA and Amargosa Valley, NV
.
technology. Specifically, Solar Trust of America uses the new Heliotrough technology, developed by Flagsol GmbH. Heliotrough reduces costs by about 20% compared to its predecessor Skal-ET. The cost reduction is achieved through a 10% increase in efficiency. Due to improvements in reflector geometry, 99% of solar irradiation can now be reflected onto the absorber pipe, compared to 95% previously. In June 2010, Heliotrough won the "Concentrated Solar Power Innovation Award" at the 4th Concentrated Solar Power Conference in San Francisco.
. The multi-billion dollar Blythe Project will include four independent 250 MW plants that combined will deliver 1,000 MW of nominal generating capacity to the California power grid. On October 25, 2010, Solar Millennium LLC, the development subsidiary of Solar Trust of America, received full permitting by the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) to develop 7000 acres (28.3 km²) of public land for the project. On April 19, 2011 the Blythe Plant received conditional commitment from the Department of Energy for a $2.1 billion loan guarantee to help finance the construction of the first half of the plant. The loan guarantee is the largest ever made by the DOE for a renewable energy project, and it is the second largest overall in the history of the program.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The company is developing the Blythe Solar Power Project
Blythe Solar Power Project
The Blythe Solar Power Project is a solar power station under construction in Riverside County, California. The project is being developed by Solarhybrid/Solar Millennium's subsidiary Solar Trust of America, in a joint venture with Chevron Energy Solutions....
, the largest solar plant in the world in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, among other projects. On April 18, 2011 the company was offered conditional commitment for a $2.1 billion loan guarantee by the Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
(DOE) for the construction of the Blythe project, the largest loan offered to a solar energy project under the program at the time of the announcement.
Background
Solar Trust of America was founded in 2009 to develop utility scale solar energy projects in American Southwest. The company is a joint venture between Solar MillenniumSolar Millennium
Solar Millennium is a German globally active company in the renewable energy sector founded in 1998 in Erlangen, Germany, which is specialized in the designing and implementation of solar thermal power plants...
and Ferrostaal.
Projects
Solar Trust of America has 2,000 MW of solar projects in advanced stages of permitting at locations throughout California and Nevada, including the world’s largest permitted solar power plant facility near Blythe, CABlythe, California
Blythe is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the "Palo Verde Valley" of the Lower Colorado River Valley region, an agricultural area and part of the Colorado Desert along the Colorado River. Blythe was named after Thomas Blythe, a gold prospector who established primary...
. Other projects are located near Palen, CA and Amargosa Valley, NV
Amargosa Valley, Nevada
Amargosa Valley is an unincorporated community in Nye County, in the U.S. state of Nevada.-Description:The community is named for the Amargosa River which flows through the valley from its origination in Nevada to its terminus in Death Valley, California...
.
Technology
The company's projects employ parabolic trough concentrated solar powerParabolic trough
A parabolic trough is a type of solar thermal energy collector. It is constructed as a long parabolic mirror with a Dewar tube running its length at the focal point. Sunlight is reflected by the mirror and concentrated on the Dewar tube...
technology. Specifically, Solar Trust of America uses the new Heliotrough technology, developed by Flagsol GmbH. Heliotrough reduces costs by about 20% compared to its predecessor Skal-ET. The cost reduction is achieved through a 10% increase in efficiency. Due to improvements in reflector geometry, 99% of solar irradiation can now be reflected onto the absorber pipe, compared to 95% previously. In June 2010, Heliotrough won the "Concentrated Solar Power Innovation Award" at the 4th Concentrated Solar Power Conference in San Francisco.
The Blythe Solar Power Project
Solar Trust of America is currently developing the Blythe Solar Power Project, a 1,000 MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in east Riverside County, CaliforniaRiverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
. The multi-billion dollar Blythe Project will include four independent 250 MW plants that combined will deliver 1,000 MW of nominal generating capacity to the California power grid. On October 25, 2010, Solar Millennium LLC, the development subsidiary of Solar Trust of America, received full permitting by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
(BLM) to develop 7000 acres (28.3 km²) of public land for the project. On April 19, 2011 the Blythe Plant received conditional commitment from the Department of Energy for a $2.1 billion loan guarantee to help finance the construction of the first half of the plant. The loan guarantee is the largest ever made by the DOE for a renewable energy project, and it is the second largest overall in the history of the program.
Management
The Solar Trust of America management team is composed of:- Uwe T. Schmidt, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
- Josef Eichhammer, President and Chief Operating Officer
- John D. Clapp, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
- Steven J. Brewer, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer
- Thomas R. Miller, Treasurer