EMPLOYEES中文CONTACTNEWSROOM Technology Markets/Applications Projects Industry Topics Resources Company Industry Topics Overview Environment Site Selection / Plant Design Water Usage / Air Quality Species Protection Decommissioning Renewables Integration Energy / Regulatory Policy Jobs Creation / Economy 34 WATER USAGE / AIR QUALITY Minimal water usage Operating at high temperature and efficiency levels, BrightSource technology can use air rather than water to condense steam, conserving one of the most precious resources in the desert. Once the water is condensed, it is re-circulated to the boiler to be heated into steam, continuing the closed-loop cycle. The dry-cooling method consumes 90% less water than a solar thermal plant using wet cooling. It is not a low-cost option, but we believe that the additional costs incurred by this method are more than merited by its environmental benefits. We take care to maximize every drop of water we use. Water consumed in plant operations is re-used to clean our entire fleet of heliostats, further optimizing resource conservation. Want to know more about our commitment to reducing water use? Find answers to the most frequently asked questions about dry-cooling here. Air quality BrightSource observes best practices designed to minimize and - wherever possible - avoid CO2 and criteria air pollutants. Over the lifecycle of a BrightSource Energy plant, millions of tons of CO2 are avoided. The technology also helps to improve the air quality in the areas where projects are built by displacing hundreds of tons of other criteria air pollutants each year, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE Related Content Bugs. Not Birds. Comprehensive Analysis of Ivanpah Qualifies Avian Impact as “Low” Energy Sprawl or Energy Efficiency: Climate Policy Impacts on Natural Habitat for the United States What We’ll Pay if Global Warming Continues Unchecked Climate Change and Ecosystems of the Southwestern United States TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS / MARKETS PROJECTS ISSUES RESOURCES COMPANY CONTACT SITE MAP PRIVACY POLICY ©2015 BrightSource Energy, Inc. All rights reserved. “BrightSource” and “Luz” are registered trademarks or trademarks of BrightSource Energy, Inc. and may not be used without its prior written permission. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners.