Concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies that use mirrors
instead of photovoltaic (PV) panels are challenging to finance.
CSP is a newer technology that is just starting to bring down
costs through economies of scale and improved efficiencies. But
there is a compelling rationale for concentrating technologies.
PV doesn’t entirely answer the needs of the transmission system,
while CSP with thermal energy storage (TES) can. “Dispatchable
CSP can discharge from storage to serve high-price peak loads
that occur outside the daylight hours, including the late
afternoon and early evening," according to BrightSource Director
of Economic and Pricing Analysis Dr. Udi Helman. The value of
this extra peak power makes CSP more competitive “by several
dollars per megawatt-hour.” PV cannot be dialed up or down,
whereas by channeling more or less CSP output to storage, it can
be ramped. Once in storage, it can also be released in varying
amounts. This is the kind of flexibility conventional generators
have which allows u