eSolar used SolidWorks’ 3D CAD software to design the heliostat mirrors for its 5-megawatt pilot concentrated solar power (CSP) plant launched recently.

The mirrors reflect and concentrate sunlight to a boiler. The boiler then generates steam to power a standard turbine that will create solar energy. Twenty licenses of SolidWorks software were used to design the exact mirror specifications for the project that can withstand extreme winds and yet be light enough so that it will be easily adjusted.

Early this August, eSolar announced that the 5-MW pilot CSP plant has commenced full operations, providing clean electricity to 4,000 homes near Los Angeles. eSolar is a California-based company that develops and constructs modular and scalable solar thermal power plants. Its parent company is Idealab.

GoEngineer, an authorized reseller of SolidWorks software, provides eSolar with ongoing software training, implementation and support for the solar plant.