Calif., completed a three-year period of power production testing in July 1987. During this period the plant's capacity factor, system efficiency, and availability were studied to assess the operational capability of Solar One to reliably supply electrical power. The long-term performance of key plant components, such as the heliostats and the receiver, was also studied. During the three years of power production operation, Solar One achieved increases in capacity factor, system efficiency, and availability. Heliostat operation was reliable, and only small amounts of mirror corrosion were observed. Receiver tube leaks did occur, however, and were the main cause ofthe plant's unscheduled outages. Solar One provided valuable lessons which will aid in the design of future solar central receiver plants.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.