Frequently Asked Questions
What does Ausra do?
Ausra develops and deploys utility scale solar technologies to serve global electricity needs in a dependable, market competitive, environmentally responsible manner. Ausra designs, manufactures and builds large scale solar electric power stations.
What does "Ausra" mean?
We feel that our company is part of the dawn of a new energy age that will employ our oldest energy source. Ausra was the Lithuanian goddess of the dawn, descended from the extremely ancient Indo-European goddess of the sunrise "Hausos" or "Ausus." The word survives in modern Lithuanian meaning "dawn". The root also appears in many other forms, including the Greek Eos "dawn," the Latin "aurora," the Sanskrit "ushas." The letters "AUS" suggest "from the east" but for us they reflect the Australian heritage of our technology. The word also contains "US," alluding to our new headquarters in the United States. Finally, "RA" is the earlier version of the Egyptian sun god.
What is Ausra's technology?
Ausra's zero-carbon power plants generate electricity by driving steam turbines with sunshine. Solar concentrators boil water with focused sunlight, generating high-pressure steam which drives conventional turbine generators. Ausra's core technology, the Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) solar collector and steam generation system, was originally conceived in the early 1990s by Ausra's founders in Australia.
Can solar power plants provide power at night?
Solar thermal power plants gather the sun's energy as heat. Solar thermal power projects now online and in construction in Europe include heat storage units which can store enough power for 1 to 20 hours of operation. Thermal energy storage puts the storage before the generator—heat is stored, not electric power. Storing heat is simpler, cheaper, and substantially more efficient than storing electric power. Ausra is developing plants that will be able to store energy during daylight hours and generate power as needed. When available, this flexibility will make Ausra's power plants an important potential contributor to peak, shoulder and base electricity loads.
Who are Ausra's customers?
Ausra's customers are electric utilities and other purchasers of wholesale power located in the U.S. and around the world. The company’s first customer was Macquarie Generation, the largest power producer in Australia. Ausra is currently in negotiations for power projects in the U.S. and Europe.
Where are Ausra's power plants located? How many plants does Ausra plan to build?
Solar thermal electric power can be generated cost-effectively in many areas of the world. Some of the best locations for solar power plants are in the western United States, in much of southern Europe and northern Africa, and in large areas of northern India and western China. Ausra is ready to scale and deliver power plants where our customers want them. The company currently has a power project in the testing and commissioning phase in Australia, a project breaking ground this year in Portugal and a project in the permitting phase in central California. A significant number of large projects are being negotiated in other locations.
What is the scale of plants planned?
Ausra is developing a generation of plants in the 100-500 MW class.