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CSP (Concentrated Solar Power). Is this finally the “real” future of renewables :. Focused Solar. Focused Solar comes in a variety of options; Parabolic Trough Linear parabolic mirrors focusing light on a tube Very efficient (60%) utilize salt heated to 1000 degrees
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CSP (Concentrated Solar Power) Is this finally the “real” future of renewables:
Focused Solar • Focused Solar comes in a variety of options; • Parabolic Trough • Linear parabolic mirrors focusing light on a tube • Very efficient (60%) utilize salt heated to 1000 degrees • Insulated storage for salt • Then boil water, steam turns turbine, turbine turns generator. Voila! 24 hour solar electricity
Abengoa Solar Two 280 MW CSP with six hours of thermal storage under construction. One Gila Bend, AZ (70,000 homes), the other near Barstow, CA (54,000 homes)
Greentech Mediafor the latest in . . .well, greentechand from National Renewable Energy Lab—Thermal Storage
Then there is the “Solar Power Tower” • 625 solar panels focus sunlight onto a small area at top of 300 foot tall tower. • Utilize liquid sodium as a fluid to collect and transport heat to generate electricity • Power 65,000 homes Integral is Sevilla PV, an integrated photovoltaic array that will power 1800 homes
Solar One “Power Tower” in Barstow California A solar power tower located in Barstow, California, and completed in 1981. The Solar One had a design capacity of 10,000 peak kilowatts, and was composed of a receiver located on the top of a tower surrounded by a field of reflectors. The concentrated sunlight created steam to drive a steam turbine and electric generator located on the ground.
Concentrating Solar with Sterling Engines Sterling Energy Systems has since gone bankrupt, due to the dramatic lowering cost of Photovoltaic (Sunlight directly to electricity). At this point only demo sites of this technology exist.
Geothermal Energy“Hot Rock” System This is the design for the Newberry Geothermal site SE of Bend at Newberry Crater/Paulina Lake area. It is very experimental and they have over $30 million Invested so far. OPB story on this project.
Binary SystemUtilizes a secondary closed loop of low boiling point substance to drive the turbine
U.S. GeothermalNeal Hot Springs—Harney CountyBinary System • 23 MW Energy (perhaps enough for 26,000 homes) • $136 million cost • Presold the energy for 11.8 cents/kwh • On-line late 2012
Ground/Water Source Heat Pump Heating and Cooling for individual residences
Benefits • 50% - 70% more efficient than fossil fuel systems • 25% - 50% less operating cost
Drawbacks • Costs “Several Times” more than other heating/cooling systems--$70,000 for one single family installation that I read about. • Not many installers or repair/adjustment companies yet
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion • As Near as I can tell there are no operating systems utilizing the temperature differences in the ocean. In theory and in demos it works, but the costs are so high that nobody has yet invested in a commercial scale site. This system requires temperature differences of 20 degrees C (36 degrees F) between ocean thermal zones to function.
Water Turbines as an Energy Source Benefits • 784 times more dense than air • Dependable—Tide goes in and out on a regular basis. Rivers flow at a dependable rate Drawbacks REALLY hostile environment to mechanical things Marine life disruption potential great
Marine Current TurbineWorld’s First Commercial Scale Tidal Turbine (Strangford Lough, N. Ireland)1.2 MW capability (1000 houses)
Tidal Barrage SystemAdvantage is that this one can function as a Grid Storage system saving impounded water and letting it out at low tide
Murdoch UniversityTidal Barrage and Tidal Turbines Christian Science Monitor Article “Tidal turbines: New sparks of hope for green energy from beneath the waves”
On the sea surface • Lots of Experimenting, no commercial examples yet—at least none that I know of, but here are some of the ideas. • The sea is a really hostile environment to work in, both chemically and mechanically. Ask any ocean fisherman.
Pelamis Wave Energy ConverterOR Loch Ness Monster!30 of these might power 20,000 homes