General Discussion

TrollBuster9090

(6,135 posts)

21. I just have one question, thought. Does this generate more or less electrical power than

Thu Feb 13, 2014, 05:21 PM

Feb 2014

than if you'd just laid out an equivalent area of photovoltaic solar panels, that would cost only a fraction of the amount to install and maintain?

Does anybody know?

I've always figured that the simplest thing to do with solar energy is to just lay out a bunch of solar panels in the deserts of California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas etc., and supply enough electricity to power the entire country's grid during the day; then switch over to the dumb power grid (coal, hydro, and maybe...not so dumb...GEOTHERMAL) during the night.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

110 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

The World's Largest Solar Plant Started Creating Electricity Today [View all] G_j Feb 2014 OP

We are One with the Infinite Sun Berlum Feb 2014 #1

aho G_j Feb 2014 #3

K&R! There should be hundreds more in the pipeline (no pun intended). Enthusiast Feb 2014 #2

Drove by it last year and it is truly amazing to see! zappaman Feb 2014 #4

We're seriously thinking about panelling our roof......we've got great south and west roof space for a kennedy Feb 2014 #5

Geez! Who has the Windex contract to clean all those mirrors????? benld74 Feb 2014 #6

Ray Nagan? Cheviteau Feb 2014 #39

Great job security though. RGinNJ Feb 2014 #7

Wonderful! Safe and uses land that is not useful to us for other purposes. JDPriestly Feb 2014 #8

Why does land have to be useful? hunter Feb 2014 #24

Where would people park? Vinnie From Indy Feb 2014 #28

Under the shade created by the pole-mounted panels LondonReign2 Feb 2014 #31

That's a great idea. In the South, we really need some shade to park in. Our cars loudsue Feb 2014 #57

All ready in existence in Germany. pangaia Feb 2014 #89

We've already got quite a few parking lot solar instalations in our community. hunter Feb 2014 #40

Picture at the link awoke_in_2003 Feb 2014 #59

Have u been out West? EX500rider Feb 2014 #32

Yeah, I've wandered it, quite a bit actually. hunter Feb 2014 #35

The entire US could be run off a relatively small area of desert.. EX500rider Feb 2014 #43

I don't want energy to run the entire US as it is. hunter Feb 2014 #45

Yes we all can't wait to go back to being hunter-gather's.. n/t EX500rider Feb 2014 #46

Um, okay. hunter Feb 2014 #47

Well maybe i mis-understood you.. EX500rider Feb 2014 #49

Lowerng energy use, expanding wilderness, controlling our own reproduction, is not "primitive." hunter Feb 2014 #50

Well in another 1,000 years i think we will be there... n/t EX500rider Feb 2014 #66

Like any number of Star Trek episodes cindge Feb 2014 #82

The earth of Star Trek TOS and TNG *was* the techno-utopia. hunter Feb 2014 #92

You should be pimping FUSION POWER snooper2 Feb 2014 #56

I think cheap fusion would be an environmental catastrophe worse than coal. hunter Feb 2014 #63

that is nice and all but not going to happen...You'll just have to go off-the-grid by yourself snooper2 Feb 2014 #64

Sounds like a fairly Luddite position. EX500rider Feb 2014 #98

Yes horrible it would be...lights and running water for everybody...n/t EX500rider Feb 2014 #100

What's keeping people from lights and running water now? hunter Feb 2014 #102

It's because of mismanagement and corruption. EX500rider Feb 2014 #103

Solar and wind powered water pumps are as simple as it gets. hunter Feb 2014 #104

That's a nice start,,, EX500rider Feb 2014 #107

How fair is it that many have this while others starve? hunter Feb 2014 #108

"My only agreement in your list is clothes dryers and refrigerators." EX500rider Feb 2014 #109

That's an easy thing to power with solar and wind too. hunter Feb 2014 #110

Have you been in Florida? Plenty of sun, but corrupt, disgusting politicians like gov. Rick Scott AikidoSoul Feb 2014 #97

Yes i live here thanks for the update. n/t EX500rider Feb 2014 #99

++++ swilton Feb 2014 #76

I am sure the EiR did not use *useless* anywhere in the report. nadinbrzezinski Feb 2014 #67

What happens when it gets dark? Bandit Feb 2014 #9

How do transistor radios work when you close the window? nt valerief Feb 2014 #12

Not a great analogy. former9thward Feb 2014 #13

The better analogy is how do transistor radios work when you stop broadcasting. Gravitycollapse Feb 2014 #48

"The main advantage of this type of solar plant is that it�s easy to store energy.." G_j Feb 2014 #14

Thermal mass. DeSwiss Feb 2014 #16

Molten salt is one answer solarhydrocan Feb 2014 #22

Brilliant Mr. Mike.... diverdownjt Feb 2014 #55

Everything is the same except there is no light for about 12 hours XRubicon Feb 2014 #72

it IS beautiful! Whisp Feb 2014 #10

cant wait until all those mirrors iamthebandfanman Feb 2014 #11

+1 Blue_Tires Feb 2014 #44

Probably not. MrModerate Feb 2014 #74

When it's dark . . . OldRedneck Feb 2014 #15

I believe that they have now found ways to store solar energy for short periods of time davidpdx Feb 2014 #94

They should put solar panel . . . aggiesal Feb 2014 #17

The Germans have already done this! So much for American Exceptionalism! Dustlawyer Feb 2014 #30

That's a great idea! calimary Feb 2014 #34

And covering every parking lot Politicub Feb 2014 #37

Seems overly complicated...why use water? dpbrown Feb 2014 #18

Mirror cleaning OnlinePoker Feb 2014 #19

Huge thermal plant opens as solar industry grows ProSense Feb 2014 #20

I just have one question, thought. Does this generate more or less electrical power than TrollBuster9090 Feb 2014 #21

Concentrating solar is FAR better. AtheistCrusader Feb 2014 #27

As it turns out . . . MrModerate Feb 2014 #75

Drove by this a few weeks ago Egnever Feb 2014 #23

AWESOME! Warren DeMontague Feb 2014 #25

FOR NOW. AtheistCrusader Feb 2014 #26

Conveniently located near a rare earth mine. nt bemildred Feb 2014 #29

Amazing what happens when corporate whores are driven into splinter party status Jack Rabbit Feb 2014 #33

I don't get your point. This plant is owned by corporations. El_Johns Feb 2014 #53

Your critique would make more sense if you assume that I want a Communist revolution Jack Rabbit Feb 2014 #73

There was no critique. I simply didn't understand what you meant by: El_Johns Feb 2014 #78

Oh, that's what you want to know Jack Rabbit Feb 2014 #91

I love you, Jack Rabbit. <3 love_katz Feb 2014 #101

This is so cool! Politicub Feb 2014 #36

Whoooo hoooo and its about time! marble falls Feb 2014 #38

From what I am hearing Keefer Feb 2014 #41

that's a problem G_j Feb 2014 #42

Damn you, for bringing the downside nadinbrzezinski Feb 2014 #68

Nice cat avatar XRubicon Feb 2014 #88

Magnificent! Just purely magnificent! Firebrand Gary Feb 2014 #51

Cool! That said, I'd prefer more decentralized generation Recursion Feb 2014 #52

Just doing some jokey non-linear thinking kjones Feb 2014 #54

Too much stupid... must resist.. blacking out now... I am the sole survivor of this thread... XRubicon Feb 2014 #80

Well, I do have a peculiar taste in humor. nt kjones Feb 2014 #95

World�s Largest Solar Thermal Plant Uses As Much Water As Two Holes On Nearby Golf Course ProSense Feb 2014 #58

Parakeet nightmare Aldo Leopold Feb 2014 #60

Good god, sounds like a bunch of binary thinking conservatives in here. Thor_MN Feb 2014 #61

Not only in the middle od the night. Edim Feb 2014 #62

I'm sure the people that decided to spend the money to build this had no clue. Thor_MN Feb 2014 #69

I agree that it doesn't have to. Edim Feb 2014 #70

If you are concerned about the costs, buy yourself a generator. Thor_MN Feb 2014 #71

ya, I seen this driving to vegas last year ujs1500 Feb 2014 #65

Is there any way they can do this without using water? Vashta Nerada Feb 2014 #77

70% of earths surface is water... XRubicon Feb 2014 #79

Yeah. Okay. Vashta Nerada Feb 2014 #81

We are literally surrounded by water XRubicon Feb 2014 #83

What? Vashta Nerada Feb 2014 #85

Ok sorry, I thought you were one of the luddites.. XRubicon Feb 2014 #86

Oh noes�Won't somebody think about the little nuke's protons and neutrons... Tikki Feb 2014 #84

Awesome debunkthis Feb 2014 #87

It's a bird killer. I hate bird killers! jeanliberty90 Feb 2014 #90

More! Loaded Liberal Dem Feb 2014 #93

"Creating"? Helen Borg Feb 2014 #96

Thanks for posting, I never even knew about this WhaTHellsgoingonhere Feb 2014 #105

I've been following this since the project was in the planning stages. NaturalHigh Feb 2014 #106