Energy · 1982
Concentrated solar power
Fields of mirrors focus sunlight on a tower to run a steam turbine.
Solar One, a 10 MW power tower in California's Mojave Desert, began operating in 1982. Later plants such as Spain's Andasol stored heat in molten salt to generate after sunset, though cheap PV overtook most CSP.
What it built on 2
Related measurements
The dashed line marks when it first worked.
Installed solar capacity Latest: 2.4k GW (2025) Source: Our World in Data
Share of electricity from low-carbon sources Latest: 42.6 % (2025) Source: Our World in Data