1000 kW = 1 MW

Available 60% of the time at full production.

24 hrs per day, 365 days per year

Electricity production from a 1000 MW Plant =

1000*1000*24*365*0.60 = 5.3 x 10⁹ kWhr/year

 Solar Electricity at: Whitehorse Ranch, OR ( Alvord Desert)

Total Beam Irradiance per year approximately 1924 kWhr/m²

~ 25 % of land useable without shading heliostats

~ 40 % (Carnot Efficiency) Conversion of thermal energy into electricity

~ 50 % of Solar Radiation can be converted into thermal energy

~ 85% of total energy useable

Electricity/year/m²= 1924*0.25*0.40*0.50*0.85

= 82 kWhr/m²/year

approx 2.1 x 10⁸ kWhr/mile²/year

It would take about 25 square miles of solar electric facilities to produce the same amount of electricity as a 1000 MW power plant since 5.3 x 10⁹kWhr/year are produced by a standard 1000 MW power plant.

Note: Recall that hydro electric plants on the McKenzie River outside of Eugene produce 10 - 80 MW. comparable to a solar plant taking up a 0.3 to 2.5 square mile area.