亮源能源公司

公司收入：不詳

公司總部：奧克蘭

所屬行業：電力

成立時間：2006年

員工人數：350人

????人們通常指責太陽能的普及速度不夠快，對解決美國面臨的能源短缺問題作用有限。亮源能源公司（BrightSource）希望能夠改變這種局面。該公司目前正斥資21億美元，在莫爾韋沙漠建設一座392兆瓦的太陽能熱電廠。艾文帕發電廠能為14萬戶家庭提供電力，將于2013年投入使用。太陽能光電板被廣泛應用于大型公共項目中， 而該公司的新技術與此有所不同。亮源能源工廠使用35萬塊鏡子，通過不斷旋轉，跟蹤太陽的運動，將太陽的熱能反射到450英尺的高塔上。太陽的熱能將高塔上水罐中的水燒熱，產生蒸汽，從而使發電渦輪機運轉。顧問咨詢機構IDC能源觀察（Energy Insights）研究部經理杰伊?霍爾曼表示，該工廠產生的電力比燃煤或燃氣發電站產生的電力價格要高。但是，該公司相信，它能在2015年提供具有競爭性價格優勢的電力供應。

????——布萊恩?杜梅因

BrightSource

Revenue: Not available

Headquarters: Oakland

Industry: Power generation

Founded: 2006

Employees: 350

????The rap on solar is that it can't scale up fast enough to make much difference in solving our nation's energy challenges. BrightSource aims to help change that with its $2.1 billion, 392-megawatt solar thermal plant in the Mojave Desert that will generate enough electricity to power 140,000 homes; the Ivanpah facility will go online in 2013. The technology is different from photovoltaic panels, which are also used in big utility projects. The BrightSource plant employs 350,000 mirrors that rotate to track the movement of the sun and reflect its heat onto a 450-foot tower. The sun's heat boils a tank of water in the tower, which creates steam, which runs a turbine that generates electricity. Jay Holman, a research manager at consulting firm IDC Energy Insights, says the electricity this plant generates will be more expensive than that from coal- or gas-fired electric plants. The company believes it can get its prices competitive by mid-decade.

????--B.D.