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The world's largest solar farm has an ingenious way to provide clean energy to half-a-million people

Rebecca Harrington

2015-11-24T15:31:00Z

Spain has made renewable energy a top priority. The government has paid over $76 billion in subsidies for clean energy projects since 1998.

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And the investment has paid off: 42% of Spain's electricity came from renewable sources in 2013, according to the country's grid operator. The majority comes from wind power, but solar provided 13% of the country's energy and is increasingly becoming a bigger part of the pie.

Spain is also home to the largest solar farm in the world, Andasol.

Andasol solar power station — The Andasol solar power station in southern Spain. BSMPS/Wikimedia Commons

Here's how Spain's largest solar farm works — and why it could be a model for the future of energy around the world.

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Andasol is near the city of Guadix in the southern part of Spain.

Andasol_Solar_Power_Station__Spain_ _Google_Maps

The name Andasol combines the region, "Andalucia" with the Spanish word for sun, "sol."

andasol flowers — Solar collector assemblies are seen behind flowers at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain August 10, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

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The solar power station can generate enough electricity for half-a-million people.

andasol sky — An aerial view of Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain August 8, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: Reuters

Andasol first opened in 2008, and it harnesses solar power using giant parabolic troughs.

andasol plant — A general view of the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain August 10, 2015. The plant is the biggest solar farm in the world and provides electricity for up to about 500,000 people. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: NREL

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In 2011, an upgrade was completed that cost $338 million.

andasol feet — Staff walk behind solar collector assemblies at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain August 11, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: NREL

Today, the solar farm takes up over 378 acres of land.

andasol lines — An aerial view of a solar field at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: Power-Technology

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You can even see it from space. These NASA satellite images show the transformation of the landscape before Andasol was built (left, from 1999) and after (right, from 2014).

Andasol space

Reuters photographer Marcelo del Pozo, who captured these photos, used a drone to snap some aerial shots — the only way to get a true sense of its scale.

andasol aerial — An aerial view of the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: Reuters

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Andasol has 620,000 curved mirrors that collect the sun's energy for clean electricity.

andasol mirrors — A view of a solar field at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain July 1, 2015. The 620,000 curved mirrors harness the sun's power even after dark, and the glass alone would cover 1.5 square km (0.6 square miles) - the size of about 210 soccer pitches. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Visitors have to wear special glasses to protect them from the glare off the mirrors.

andasol worker — A worker checks solar collector assemblies at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: Reuters

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During the day, the mirrors move with the sun in order to capture the most light.

andasol sun — The sun shines through reflector panels of a solar collector assembly at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain June 29, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

The mirrors have pipes filled with oil that run along their middles. As the mirrors collect and reflect the sun, the oil heats up.

andasol pipe heat — Solar collector assemblies are seen in front of electricity pylons at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

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The hot oil travels to a central power block where its heat is converted into steam that drives a turbine, generating electricity.

andasol pipes — Pipes are seen in front of solar collector assemblies at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain August 10, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

The oil in the pipes can reach 750 degrees Fahrenheit.

andasol underneath — A worker walks through solar collector assemblies at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain August 10, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

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Extra heat from the oil is stored in molten salts, which can hold heat more efficiently than batteries can.

andasol pipe — The main pipe of a power block at the Andasol solar power station is pictured near Guadix, southern Spain June 29, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: Scientific American

This stored heat lets the plant generate electricity from solar energy even when the sun's not shining. It can provide up to 7.5 hours of energy every night.

andasol sunset — The sun reflects off a solar collector assembly during sunset at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain June 30, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

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Andasol saves the world from 150,000 tons of carbon emissions per year — the amount that a coal-powered plant would use.

andasol truck — A worker drives among solar collector assemblies at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain July 1, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: Power-Technology

By 2050, solar energy could be the biggest source of the world's electricity, and Andasol is leading the way.

andasol birds — Pigeons fly over a solar collector assembly at the Andasol solar power station near Guadix, southern Spain August 10, 2015. REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo Marcelo del Pozo/REUTERS

Source: International Energy Agency

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