Decreasing cost of PV solar panels change the use of CSP in Blythe Project

The Blythe Solar Power Project in Riverside County, California which it's a 1,000 MW will be generated by solar thermal power station using concentrated solar power (CSP), is now about a half (500MW) will be replaced with photovoltaic(PV) system which will lower cost. The action carried out in line with the decreasing price of solar panels which considered cheaper than using the trough of CSP installation.

The concentrating solar power in the form of parabolic trough design at the beginning project plan will be used to heat up the water to create steam which will be used to spin turbine for generating electricity. Solar Millennium as the project implementer company has forfeited a $2.1 billion loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Energy for construction of phase one of the project to make the switch to PV. The project will now be funded through commercial markets, without the federal support.

The installation using CSP is estimated to cost about $5.79 per watt, meanwhile photovoltaics system would cost about $3.40 per watt. In addition to be cheaper,the PV installation also will eliminate the environment problem of endangered tortoises habitat when using CSP system. The replacement of solar technology using photovoltaic cells might be applied in the overall Blythe project which it's remaining 500 MW still unclear whether it will be replaced with PV too or not.

Although not yet determined the type of solar panels that will be used, but the use of PV system will cost-effective and less maintenance than the CSP system which require more water to operate. The project on an area of 7,025 acres is expected to supply electricity to hundreds of thousands of homes by 2013.