Greentech Lead America: Guardian Industries has installed
its EcoGuard Solar Boost mirrors at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating
System (ISEGS) in California’s Mojave Desert. The EcoGuard solar boost mirrors
will help deliver solar thermal energy to more than 140,000 homes in
California.
Ivanpah solar plant, a partnership between NRG Solar (a
subsidiary of NRG Energy), Google and BrightSource Energy, is expected to
nearly double the amount of solar thermal energy produced in the U.S. today.
Guardian’s EcoGuard solar boost mirrors track the sun in
two dimensions and reflect the sunlight to a boiler that sits atop a tower.
When the concentrated sunlight strikes the boiler’s pipes, it heats the water
to create superheated steam. This high-temperature steam is then piped from the
boiler to a standard turbine where electricity is generated.
Guardian started supplying the first of 160,000 of its
EcoGuard Solar Boost mirrors to ISEGS in November 2011.
“EcoGuard Solar Boost has been proven to withstand
the extreme conditions found in the Mojave Desert. The technology used in
manufacturing the glass gives it the extra edge in being a more durable and
reliable resource to maximize capturing the sun’s energy for large-scale
use,” said Martin Bracamonte, vice president, Science & Technology,
Guardian Flat Glass Group.
Recently, Guardian
partnered with Pythagoras Solar to manufacture and market SunGuard Photovoltaic
Glass Units (PVGU) for commercial buildings.