A solar power tower, also known as 'central tower' power plant or 'heliostat' power plant, is a type of solar furnace using a tower to receive focused sunlight. It uses an array of flat, movable mirrors (called heliostats) to focus the sun's rays upon a collector tower (the target). Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems are seen as one viable solution for renewable, pollution-free energy. Early desi. CostIn 2021, the US (NREL) estimated the cost of electricity from. .
• Some concentrating solar power (CSP) towers are air-cooled instead of water-cooled, to avoid using limited desert water • Flat glass is used instead of the more expensive curved glass. .
There is evidence that such large area solar concentrating installations can burn birds that fly over them. Near the center of the array, temperatures can reach 550 °C (1,022 °F) which, with the solar flux itself, is enough to i.