Environmental and Energy Study Institute

This fact sheet was written by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute in 2009. The document starts with a brief background on solar thermal energy and then describes the different types of solar thermal systems (parabolic trough, linear fresnal reflectors, dish/engine, power tower). It covers nighttime generation and how systems use supplemental fuels or thermal storage. The “Water and Land Impacts” section discusses land requirements for single rooftop systems to large power tower systems and water usage.