does anybody have any links/info on water usage by solar plants?

[Kali]

also re: data center cooling plants/towers?

[DeSwiss]

1. Nope.

I don't have any links like that on me. But I do hear that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRUl1mJQHmc&feature=player_embedded">"tidal power" uses a whole bunch of water.

- In fact it's drowning in it......


K&R

[thereismore]

2. They do need to hose down those panels one in a while. You know, radioactive dust. nt

[Night Crawler]

3. Here's some info on Palo Verde Nuclear power facility

It's the largest operating Nuclear Power facility in the world, it's in the middle of the Arizona desert.

Located in the Arizona desert, Palo Verde is the only nuclear generating facility in the world that is not situated adjacent to a large body of above-ground water. The facility evaporates water from the treated sewage of several nearby municipalities to meet its cooling needs.(snip)
20 billion US gallons (76,000,000 m³) of treated water are evaporated each year.This water represents about 25% of the annual overdraft of the Arizona Department of Water Resources Phoenix Active Management Area. At the nuclear plant site, the wastewater is further treated and stored in an 80 acre (324,000 m²) reservoir for use in the plant's cooling towers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Verde_Nuclear_Generating_Station

[Kali]

5. um, thanks

but I was looking for info on solar facilities:hi:

[Night Crawler]

7. I know, this is for comparison if someone finds it.

I haven't.

[Kali]

8. apparently, depending on the type of system, they can use as much as coal or nuke

I was kind of shocked. Found this from 2009 and just attended a meeting with info for our local watershed group. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/business/energy-environment/30water.html?_r=1&ref=earth&pagewanted=print

[kristopher]

4. You could try this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=281598&mesg_id=281598

[Kali]

6. didn't see anything about water use

in the article or the thread

[Confusious]

9. 1,500 to 3,000 acre feet per year

http://climateprogress.org/2009/05/13/concentrated-solar-thermal-power-csp-with-storage/

Kind of a bullshit article. They probably underplay things.

"Yes, at $1 billion, this 200 MW plant is on the pricey side — though not as staggeringly pricey as new nuclear power”

A new nuke at these prices would cost $7.5 billion. Which is a comparable price... and it will last 80 years, not 20 or 40.

Says "thermal storage." They'll be heating up water.