It is no secret that there is a “green” movement in America and as time goes on saving our environment is becoming more and more necessary. This movement comes from the way we produce energy, which is through the burning of fossil fuels. When we burn fossil fuels we release large amounts of CO2 and sulphur, which in turn harm the environment and pollute the air. In addition to negative environmental impacts, fossil fuels are non-renewable, meaning they will run out sooner or later. In the search for a renewable energy source, concentrated solar power, or CSP, has received more attention. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay CSP systems are thermal systems that concentrate solar energy to achieve high temperatures. Once sunlight is focused, the energy is converted into heat and kept warm in the oil, as the oil retains heat well. There are three different systems that create concentrated solar energy. The first are parabolic systems, which use curved mirrors to focus sunlight to heat oil to a very high temperature so that it is pumped into a boiler where it heats water to produce steam. The steam then “drives a conventional system of steam turbines to generate electricity” (Solar Energy Industries Association). The second is an electric tower, which generally works similarly to the vacuum system, but uses computer-controlled flat mirrors (heliostats) to focus sunlight. Unlike regular solar power, both of these systems involve thermal storage, which allows energy generated during the day to be used at night to produce steam to generate electricity. The third system is a flat engine system. Unlike the previously mentioned systems, this system “uses a working fluid such as hydrogen that is heated up to 1,200° F in the receiver to drive an engine such as the Stirling engine. Each dish rotates along two axes to follow the sun” (Solar Energy Industries Association). As I stated before, burning fossil fuels emits CO2, causes pollution and is not renewable. CSP technology provides a way to create energy without CO2 emissions or pollution and because the fuel (sunlight) is always and will always be accessible everywhere for free, it is renewable. Furthermore, not only is sunlight everywhere, but thanks to thermal storage, you can use it at any time. That said there are some drawbacks, one of which is the concern that some locations have limited sunlight. I don't think this should hold back production because if we use places like the desert southwest to build CSP systems, which "have potential for much higher electricity production," then we can transfer that energy to a grid. Building these structures in the desert also eliminates the fear of aesthetic pollution because no one will be able to see them there. The last drawback listed was the expense of developing the infrastructure of these systems. Considering the size of these structures it is not surprising that they would be expensive to build, however as fuel (sunlight) is free I believe it will be worth the initial investment. Compared to the current harmful impacts on our environment, these disadvantages are minor and will not be difficult to overcome. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay During this course we have studied a myriad of options for generating electricity.