Solel Solar Systems Ltd. ( he, סולל) was an Israeli
solar thermal
Solar thermal energy (STE) is a form of energy and a technology for harnessing solar energy to generate thermal energy for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors.
Solar thermal collectors are classified by the United Sta ...
equipment designer and manufacturer based in
Beit Shemesh
Beit Shemesh ( he, בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ ) is a city located approximately west of Jerusalem in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of in .
History Tel Beit Shemesh
The small archaeological tell northeast of the modern city w ...
,
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. Solel made equipment for
solar thermal power
Concentrated solar power (CSP, also known as concentrating solar power, concentrated solar thermal) systems generate solar power by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate a large area of sunlight into a receiver. Electricity is generated when ...
plants, facilities that used the sun's heat to create steam and turn an electricity generator.

In 2007, Solel signed a contract with
Pacific Gas & Electric
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building, in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 milli ...
to supply 553 MW from its planned Mojave Solar Park,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
. The
parabolic trough
A parabolic trough is a type of solar thermal collector that is straight in one dimension and curved as a parabola in the other two, lined with a polished metal mirror. The sunlight which enters the mirror parallel to its plane of symmetry is fo ...
project was cancelled in 2011. In a joint venture with the Spanish Valoriza Energía, Solel planned a parabolic-trough plant in Spain. After three years of construction, one of originally three 50-MW units started operation in December 2011.
In October 2009,
Siemens signed a $418-million contract to buy Solel Solar Systems.
As part of the deal, Siemens committed itself to leave the company headquarters and some of its manufacturing facilities in Israel for at least five years.
Three years later, in an environment of plunging prices for photovoltaic power generation, Siemens announced plans to sell off the subsidiary, without success. In 2013, Siemens gave up its solar business.
[Handelsblatt]
''Vergebliche Käufersuche, Siemens schliesst seine Solarsparte''
June 17, 2013.
See also
*
Solar power in Israel
The use of solar energy began in Israel in the 1950s with the development by Levi Yissar of a solar water heater to address the energy shortages that plagued the new country.Petrotyranny by John C. Bacher, David Suzuki, published by Dundurn ...
References
{{Siemens
Manufacturing companies of Israel
Solar energy companies of Israel
Solar thermal energy
Siemens
Beit Shemesh