Human Impact on the Earth: Spain's Andasol Solar Power Station

Alan Taylor
October 5, 2015
16 Photos
In Focus

Ahead of the UN Climate Conference in December, Reuters has released the third of their “Earthprints” series focusing on how humans change the landscape of the planet, featuring the Andasol Solar Power Station. From Reuters: “On a barren, sun-baked plateau in southern Spain, row upon row of gleaming mirrors form one of the world’s biggest solar power plants and harness the sun’s power even after dark. The Andasol plant provides electricity for up to about 500,000 people from about 620,000 curved mirrors. The glass alone would cover 1.5 square km (0.6 square miles)—the size of about 210 soccer pitches.”

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An area of southern Spain at the base of the Sierra Nevada mountains is seen in a combination of NASA satellite images taken in 1999, before the construction of the Andasol Solar Power Station, and animated to fade to a view from 2014, with the power plant clearly visible. #

NASA / Reuters

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A worker walks through solar collector assemblies at the Andasol Solar Power Station near Guadix, Spain, on August 10, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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An aerial view of a solar field at the Andasol Solar Power Station on June 30, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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A part of a power block at the Andasol Solar Power Station on June 29, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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The sun reflects off a solar collector assembly during sunset near Guadix, Spain, on June 30, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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Pipes are seen in front of solar collector assemblies at the Andasol power station on August 10, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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Solar collector assemblies are seen behind flowers at the Andasol power station on June 30, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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A worker drives among solar collector assemblies at the Andasol Solar Power Station on July 1, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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An aerial view of the Andasol solar power station on June 30, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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A worker checks solar collector assemblies on June 30, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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The main pipe of a power block is pictured on June 29, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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A view of a solar field at the Andasol solar power station on July 1, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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The moon is seen between reflector panels of a solar collector assembly on June 30, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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Staff check a solar collector assembly on August 11, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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A general view of the Andasol Solar Power Station on August 10, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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An aerial view of Andasol Solar Power Station near Guadix, southern Spain, on August 8, 2015. #

Marcelo del Pozo / Reuters

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