Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System

March 05, 2015 | Pulitzer Center

Akshay Deverakonda

Hundreds of thousands of mirrors (called heliostats) reflect sunlight onto one of Ivanpah’s three towers, each rising higher than the Statue of Liberty at 459 feet tall. Image by Akshay Deverakonda. United States, 2014.

From halfway up one tower. The askew heliostats are meant to partially diffuse the solar flux created, while the unlit tower in the distance is offline for maintenance purposes. Image by Akshay Deverakonda. United States, 2014.

One of Ivanpah’s three towers seen from the point of view of another. Image by Akshay Deverakonda. United States, 2014.

The heliostats at Ivanpah – made of glass and manufactured on site. Each is individually controlled via computer and is the size of a grown man. Image by Akshay Deverakonda. United States, 2014.

Rows of heliostats at Ivanpah follow the sun all day. Image by Akshay Deverakonda. United States, 2014.

The glow of the boiler at the top of one of Ivanpah’s towers is caused by concentrated sunlight that superheats the air around the boiler to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. Heliostats stand at attention, reflecting sunlight onto the closest tower. Image by Akshay Deverakonda. United States, 2014.

In late 2013, the first of many industrial solar projects went online in southern California. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System is the largest solar thermal plant in the world. It quickly became embroiled in controversy after reports surfaced of birds that were ignited when they flew through the high temperature solar flux field generated by Ivanpah’s operation. Tensions have arisen between energy and conservation advocates, two groups both typically seen as “green.” This slideshow of the solar plant pairs with an article that uses Ivanpah as a case study to examine the tug of war over the claim of effective science against the backdrop of the rise of “Big Solar.”