Spain overtakes US with world's biggest solar power station

Discussion in 'Environmental Discussion' started by zenMachine, Jul 13, 2010.

  1. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    The new La Florida solar plant takes Spain's solar output to 432MW, which compares with the US output of 422MW. The plant, at Alvarado, Badajoz, in the west of the country, is a parabolic trough. With this method of collecting solar energy, sunlight is reflected off a parabolic mirror on to a fluid-filled tube. The heated liquid is then used to heat steam to run the turbines. The mirror rotates during the day to follow the sun's movement.

    The solar farm covers 550,000 square metres (the size of around 77 football pitches) and produces 50MW of power. Protermosolar, the association that represents the solar energy sector, says that within a year another 600MW will have come on-stream and projects that by 2013 solar capacity will have reached 2,500MW.

    Spain overtakes US with world's biggest solar power station | Environment | guardian.co.uk
     
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  2. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    I wonder if they're using thermal storage to increase the production factor.
     
  3. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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  4. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Even without co-gen (use of the exhaust heat), these thermal solar farms achieve outstanding yields -- I think close to 50% efficiency.

    This tech and wind deployed on commercial scale is the future.
     
  5. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Are you thinking about time-shifting production useage ? That really isn't an issue yet, because the output is still only a small fraction of total use.
     
  6. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    Nee. I'm talking about storing heat in molten salts and then using that heat after the sun has gone down to continue producing electricity.
     
  7. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    This is more the sort of power struggle we need. 'My solar's bigger than yours!' :)
     
  8. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Ahh. Nifty idea. How big a mountain is required ?
     
  9. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    Molten salts are brilliant. Cheap (no exotic) materials and they're more efficient than batteries (about 90%).

    Here's a quick synopsis.

    and to quickly answer your question...

     
  10. jcgee88

    jcgee88 Member

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    Using thermal is more efficient than PV, but such
    facilities by their nature have to be some distance
    from the cities that consume the energy. Does
    anybody know what the transmission cost is, as
    a percent of efficiency? I wouldn't be surprised if
    it were on the order of 10% or more.
     
  11. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    long distance transmission losses run about 8% in the US.