On the Rise: Solar Thermal Power ?

[LMagic007]

On the Rise: Solar Thermal Power ?

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has identified the potential for more than 7,000 gigawatts (GW) of concentrating solar power generation on lands in the southwestern United States alone

The report concludes that with leadership at the state and federal level and the right policies, that, putting 80 GW, enough to power 25 million homes, of concentrating solar power in place by 2030 is within reach.

Concentrating solar power development has accelerated dramatically since the beginning of 2007. More than 4,000 MW of solar thermal projects are in some phase of development nationwide and could be completed by 2012.

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/05/_on_the_rise_so.html

http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/uploads/EX/qu/EXqur2dJBZQbJESwUtulZA/On-The-Rise.pdf

Parabolic Trough Thermal Energy Storage Technology
http://www.nrel.gov/csp/troughnet/th...y_storage.html

[Deathridesahorse]

Great news.

I understand the US uses approximately 987 GW of electricty at the moment.

**Or, maybe that's just a convenient to remember number?!?**

[LMagic007]

Yea I belive it is around the 1 terrawatt mark.

[LMagic007]

Storing the Sun: Molten Salt Provides Highly Efficient Thermal Storage

using the highly efficient properties of molten salt for heat transfer, one technology insulates electricity production from weather volatility and, more importantly, it offers the capability to dispatch electricity as needed without requiring the use of natural gas. This technology is a concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, built around a proprietary central receiver tower and molten salt loop.

Thermal storage is widely regarded as the future for the renewable energy campaign because, unlike many intermittent renewable resources such as wind energy, it offers a "zero-emissions" technology with firm capacity and dispatchability characteristics. The thermal storage system provides an added benefit: allowing the plant to be designed to optimize the electricity load profile to meet specific market needs. A plant can be designed, for instance, to maximize electricity production during a period of peak demand or to continue to produce electricity after the sun goes down.

Storing the Sun: Molten Salt Provides Highly Efficient Thermal Storage

[prashamk]

Check some recent updates on the topic.

[LMagic007]

Originally Posted by prashamk

Check some recent updates on the topic.

Great news.

In 2001, the price of CSP-produced electricity averaged 35 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). While currently Acciona’s brand-new Nevada Solar One plant is producing electricity at 17 cents/kWh. Abengoa Solar, a Spanish company, has produced CSP electricity for as low as 14 cents/kWh. While new gas-fired plants produce electricity at about 11 cents/kWh—a rate that is expected to increase with rising fuel costs—the U.S. Department of Energy expects the cost of CSP to drop below 8 cents/kWh in the next few years and potentially below 5 cents/kWh by 2015.

[Deathridesahorse]

Originally Posted by LMagic007

Great news.

Whoah: bring on 2015!

I understand the next big thing on the solar calendar will be the starting up of solar tres?!?

[Windguy]

In a way, a scheme would be for the government to build the tower and everyone just purchases mirrors which are far cheaper than solar panels. A method could be for every new electric vehicle bought you spend so many thousands extra and for the life of that car you get free charging.

It would be great to own a car that has no oil, fuel, air filters, oil filters, sparkplugs, radiator coolant, 10,000kay servicing etc. A few thousand dollars on mirrors would definitely offset all of those.

[Wobs]

using the highly efficient properties of molten salt for heat transfer, one technology insulates electricity production from weather volatility and, more importantly, it offers the capability to dispatch electricity as needed without requiring the use of natural gas. This technology is a concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, built around a proprietary central receiver tower and molten salt loop.

Other than the gas that's used to keep the molten salt flowing.

Thermal storage is widely regarded as the future for the renewable energy campaign because, unlike many intermittent renewable resources such as wind energy, it offers a "zero-emissions" technology with firm capacity and dispatchability characteristics. The thermal storage system provides an added benefit: allowing the plant to be designed to optimize the electricity load profile to meet specific market needs. A plant can be designed, for instance, to maximize electricity production during a period of peak demand or to continue to produce electricity after the sun goes down.

Shame it also shuts down when its windy:

http://192.107.92.31/test/owemes/59.pdf

The effect of the sea proximity on CSP plants have not yet deeply evaluated; it is clear that some effects could be significant in terms of material requirements (e.g. corrosion on steel structures) and possible increase on mirror cleaning requirements, due to salt deposition.
Also the higher wind energy content usually present in coastal areas should be taken into account, since the wind has a disturbing effect on reflecting surfaces. For instance, the normal operation of ENEA parabolic troughs requires a windspeed less than 7 m/s; at wind speeds up to 14 m/s the plant will operate, but with a progressive reduction in optical efficiency, due to the effect of gusts on the reflecting structures. At wind-speed over 14 m/s the plant must be cut-out from service (i.e. the collectors must be rotated in order to protect the structure from excessive wind loads).

[Wobs]

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has identified the potential for more than 7,000 gigawatts (GW) of concentrating solar power generation on lands in the southwestern United States alone

Not in any practical sense.

The report concludes that with leadership at the state and federal level and the right policies, that, putting 80 GW, enough to power 25 million homes, of concentrating solar power in place by 2030 is within reach.

At what environmental cost?
And 80GW will never be available at any one time. At best they'll see 20GW available if the capacity is 80GW. But that is grossly optomistic given the whole range of limiting factors.

Concentrating solar power development has accelerated dramatically since the beginning of 2007. More than 4,000 MW of solar thermal projects are in some phase of development nationwide and could be completed by 2012.

Good.