Energy 101: Concentrating Solar Power

[fusionstar916]

How about reflective solar cells.

[crazykeefe]

AWWWEEEESOOMMMME!!!!!

[crazykeefe]

Really Groovy!!!!!!

[crazykeefe]

Super KOOOOOOLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[deesa89]

I'm loving it :)

[Ecopolitidae]

CSP is an attempt to squeeze solar into the old energy central station model. These systems are highly inefficient, expensive and are rapidly being out-competed by distributed solar PV. Point of use solar in the VAST built environment is cheaper, faster and generates more local economic benefits while protecting our intact desert ecosystems and nation's cultural legacy.

[gocy]

WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?!

[shannontheguy]

Everybody should be responsible for their own power and each house be powered with solar energy.

[questionsleadtotruth]

research the venus project.  we can power our earth with this and other clean technology. but only by removing money from society. as long as we live with money we will not live with this technology fully.

[kwillo4]

@questionsleadtotruth What's your alternative for money? nice username by the way

[neocivis]

Haha, I was thinking about storaging heat. There is still something missing in this idea, you can use it for desaltination of sea water and use that water to provide energy trough a water power central.

[SunGreenSolarEnergy]

Do solar flares and sunspots have any adverse effect on solar energy systems?

[kwillo4]

@SunGreenSolarEnergy a tiny almost unmeassurable ammount

[ThaigerDon]

GET ON IT

[vifteovn]

@mrhippo79.

Stop mixing up the numbers here!

250MW peak times 8760hours a year equals = 2,19TWh. (250 * 10^6 J / s * 8760h/year).

Of course its not peak all the time (because of night and shade and sun - angles) . Say its peak sunny about 2500 hours/year. Then the produced amount would be: 250MW * 2500h/year = 0.625TWh or 625GWh. Still a handsome amount of power from a desert that can't produce anything else of value.

[PetertheGreatest1]

How much land would such a power plant need compared to a modern coal burner?

[northernsupernova1]

@PetertheGreatest1 about 5 km² for a small coal plant, which is not much considering just the Mojave desert is 65 000 km²

[realtimes1980]

I remember a few years back reading the Bush administration (Corporation) blocked a move for more expansion of CSE to be used as an alternative energy source, the elite know the real truth about renewable energy sources but know the massive inpact & threat it would be to the Oil & other dirty energy giants within the worlds organised corporations. Imagine the positive impact CSE plants would have in poor countries, renewable energy is being held back, it simply would not fit into their NWO

[TheAfricanSoul]

THAT! WAS! AWESOME!

i loved that so much, what an awesome way to change the world! fantastic!!!! :D

[SparxHCS]

So help me with my math here:

The video says 250MW is enough to power 90,000 homes. ???

MWh = MW * Hours

or MWh = 250 MW * 8750 Hr

therefore 250MW is approx. 2.2MWh /yr

DOE EIA average for KWh usage per home is around 9000KWh annual (I believe this is a very very low number).

90,000 homes times 9000 KWh = 810MWh 2.2MWh generated minus 810MWh demand = -807MWh

Aren't we missing over 800Mhr to power these 90,000 homes, or is my math equation totally wrong here?

Anyone?

[latiumful]

@SparxHCS  250MW generated on the instant, not MWh

[ddnguyen278]

Collectors are one time cost and they don't cost much more then the money spent on the fuel for a conventional power plant over its life time. There are already several gigawatt solar plants going up in Arizona. Would be better if there were more but it's a start..

[PigMine2]

Sounds great, but...

The power lost in the transmission lines and all the resources needed to make the collectors make it cost prohibitive.

What about putting solar and wind generators at the place of power useage, like on each home and business.

[libanadam]

@PigMine2 The answer is smart grid technology.

[SparxHCS]

@PigMine2 Don't let anyone tell you different. Your thoughts are heading in the correct direction. Industry, business and large population centers are some of the issues for intelligent T&D and demand side control. The term SmartGrid does not really define anything - it's not just about user's meters. PMUs, Synchrophaser technology, intelligent substation, storage and aggregation, efficiency, and local generation are all parts of an Intelligent grid. Your post is still very valid.

[kasuskasus]

Go, go, go!

[Richardgwm]

cool