Also, internationally there is a need to look at alternative energy sources. There are several reasons for this. One is that fossil fuels are a finite resource and therefore have a limited lifespan, and another is the resistance to nuclear power. The Green Party in Germany now wants to decommission nuclear power plants. But probably the most important is the scientific view regarding the effects of carbon dioxide emissions, which result from burning coal and oil, a greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming.
Solar energy has no carbon dioxide emissions.
One solar power station, designed by Schlaich Bergermann and Partners, has been operating in Spain in Manzanares, 150km south of Madrid, since 1982. It was built as a research station to test the efficacy of solar power. The aim of the Spanish power station was to verify the performance of the solar power design. They say that although the construction costs are high, the running costs are extremely low. The solar power station in Spain operated with only two people, so staff costs are low compared with nuclear or coal-fired power stations.