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In the late 70s and early 80s, seven pilot solar power plants (SPPs) of the so-called tower type with a power level of 0,5 to 10 MW were built in different countries of the world. The largest solar power plant with a capacity of 10 MW (Solar One) was built in California. All these solar power plants are built according to the same principle: a field of mirror-heliostats placed at ground level, tracking the sun, reflects the sun's rays onto a receiver-receiver installed on the top of a rather high tower; The receiver is essentially a solar boiler, which produces water vapor of medium parameters, which is then sent to a standard steam turbine.

To date, none of these SPPs are no longer in operation, since the research programs planned for them have been completed, and their operation as commercial power plants has turned out to be unprofitable. In 1992, the Edison Company of Southern California founded a consortium of energy and industrial companies that, together with the US Department of Energy, are funding the Solar Two tower project through the reconstruction of Solar One. The capacity of Solar Two according to the project should be 10 MW, i.е. remain the same as before. The main idea of ​​the proposed reconstruction is to replace the existing receiver with direct production of water vapor for a receiver with an intermediate heat carrier (nitrate salts). The SPP scheme will include a nitrate storage tank instead of the gravel accumulator used in Solar One with high-temperature oil as a coolant. The start-up of the reconstructed solar power plant was planned for 1996. The developers consider it as a prototype, which will make it possible to create a solar power plant with a capacity of 100 MW at the next stage. It is assumed that with such a scale, this type of SPP will be competitive with thermal power plants using fossil fuels.

The second project - the PHOEBUS SPP tower is being implemented by a German consortium. The project involves the creation of a demonstration hybrid (solar-fuel) solar power plant with a capacity of 30 MW with a volumetric receiver, in which atmospheric air will be heated, then sent to a steam boiler, which produces water vapor operating in the Rankine cycle. On the air path from the receiver to the boiler, a burner is provided for burning natural gas, the amount of which is regulated so as to maintain a given power throughout the daylight hours. Calculations show that, for example, for an annual solar radiation income of 6,5 GJ/m2 (close to what is typical for some southern regions of Russia), this SPP, which has a total heliostat surface of 160 m2, will receive 290,2 GW. h/year of solar energy, and the amount of energy introduced with fuel will be 176,0 GW. h/year. At the same time, the SPP will generate 87.9 GWh of electricity per year with an average annual efficiency of 18,8%. With such indicators, the cost of electricity generated by solar power plants is expected to be at the level of thermal power plants running on fossil fuels.

Since the mid-80s, in Southern California, LUZ has created and put into commercial operation nine solar power plants with parabolic trough concentrators (PCC) with unit capacities, which increased from the first SPP to the subsequent ones from 13,8 to 80 MW. The total capacity of these solar power plants has reached 350 MW. In these SESs, PCCs with an aperture were used, which increased in the transition from the first SES to subsequent ones. Following the sun along one axis, the concentrators focus solar radiation on tubular receivers enclosed in evacuated tubes. Inside the receiver, a high-temperature liquid heat carrier flows, which heats up to 380°C and then gives off heat to the water vapor in the steam generator. The scheme of these SPPs also provides for the combustion of some natural gas in the steam generator to produce additional peak electricity, as well as to compensate for reduced insolation.

These SES were created and operated at a time when there were protective laws in the United States that allowed SES to operate without loss. The expiration of these laws at the end of the 80s led to the fact that the LUZ company went bankrupt, and the construction of new SPPs of this type was stopped.

KJC (Kramcr Junction Company), which operated five of the built SPPs (from 3 to 7), set itself the task of increasing the efficiency of these SPPs, reducing their operating costs and making them economically attractive in the new conditions. This program is currently being successfully implemented.

In developing countries, we are talking about the use of relatively small installations for powering individual houses in remote villages to equip cultural centers, where, thanks to photomultipliers, you can use TVs, etc. In these applications, it is not the cost of electricity that comes to the fore, but the social effect. PMT implementation programs in developing countries are actively supported by international organizations, the World Bank participates in their financing on the basis of the "Solar Initiative" put forward by it. For example, in Kenya over the past 5 years, 20 rural houses have been electrified with the help of PMT. A large program for the introduction of PMT is being implemented in India, where in 000 - 1986. 1992 million rupees were spent on the installation of PMTs in rural areas.

In industrialized countries, the active introduction of PMT is due to several factors. First, PMTs are considered as environmentally friendly sources that can reduce the harmful effects on the environment. Secondly, the use of PMTs in private homes increases energy autonomy and protects the owner in case of possible interruptions in the centralized power supply.

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