Current Status of Technology and Market for  Commercial Solar Power Projects 

Dr. Alireza Moharrer
Project Manager
Worley-Parsons Group
Monrovia, California

The  objective  of  this  presentation  is  to  inform  the  audience  of  current  solar power plant projects in the U.S. It can also serve as a starting point for engineers who are  early  in  their  career    and  seeking  career  development  paths  with  solar  power businesses. 

With  the  continual  rise  in  demand  for  electricity,  depleting  conventional  sources  of fossil energy, and a changing business environment, solar power has stepped into the foreground  of  large  scale  power  projects.  The  U.S  .  is  known  world  wide  for  having very  sunny  regions.    It  is  also  known  for  being  a  pioneer  in  alternative  power  which includes  solar  power.  This  presentation  will  show  the  overall  aspects  of  major commercially proven technologies for solar power utilization. Furthermore, it will show the  status  of  major  project  developers  in  the  U.S.    The  major  focus  will  be  on concentrated solar thermal power and photovoltaic technologies. 

Dr.  Moharrer  has  15  years  of  experience  with  mechanical  process  design  and  project  engineering  of  power  plant  projects.    He  has  worked  on  the  engineering  and  construction of several power projects in the size of 40 -1,000 MW. Recently, he was the responsible for the preliminary directing engineering of a 50 MW concentrated solar thermal  power  project  in  Spain.  Dr.  Moharrer  is  currently  a  Project  Manager  with  Worley Parsons Group out of Monrovia office and is a registered professional engineer with the State of California.