Can Sunshine Power the U.S.?: "This Fresnel solar thermal plant eliminates the need for super hot oil by directly heating water to a lower temperature of roughly 535 degrees F (280 degrees C) at a higher pressure, about 50 bars, or 50 times atmospheric pressure. Then, it uses the resultant steam to turn the same low-temperature turbines as those employed in nuclear reactors.
The amount of electricity produced is simply a function of sunlight and the number of mirrors. 'We're moving from 80- to 100-megawatt designs to 700 megawatts and above,' says John O'Donnell, Ausra's executive vice president."
