CleanTechnica: First Large Scale 24/7 Solar Power Plant to be Constructed in U.S

[txlibdem]

CleanTechnica: First Large Scale 24/7 Solar Power Plant to be Constructed in U.S
By Nicholas Brown, May 22, 2011

The SolarReserve power plant utilizes what is called thermal energy storage to store heat collected from the sun, which is then utilized by the power plant to boil water and produce steam. The steam then turns a steam turbine which generates electricity. This is a how a solar thermal power plant generally works, but keep in mind that there are different types of solar thermal power plants, some of which are not steam.

...snip...

The power plant’s electricity generation capacity (basically, how much it can generate) is 110-MW, which makes it one of the larger-scale solar power plants out there today.

You might have guessed by now that this type of power plant is able to provide electricity at night, and all week, because it stores heat in the form of salt that is released in the evening so that the plant can continue to generate electricity when it is dark, cloudy, or stormy.

“This solar technology is a genuine alternative to baseload coal, nuclear or natural gas burning electricity generation facilities,” Kevin Smith, SolarReserve’s chief executive, said in a statement.

Source: Clean Technica (http://s.tt/12tl3)
http://cleantechnica.com/2011/05/22/first-large-scale-247-solar-plant-to-be-constructed-in-u-s/

To those who say that Solar, Wind and other renewable energy sources cannot replace coal, natural gas or the other poisonous and toxic fossil fuels: this proves you are wrong.

PS, the Obama administration just gave SolarReserve a $737 Million loan guarantee.

[bananas]

1. "Concentrated solar thermal power — a core climate solution"

Joe Romm considers it a core technology for addressing global warming:
"Concentrated solar thermal power — a core climate solution"
http://climateprogress.org/2008/04/14/concentrated-solar-thermal-power-a-core-climate-solution/

He estimates 3 wedges of solar thermal are needed as part of "The full global warming solution":
http://climateprogress.org/2011/01/10/the-full-global-warming-solution-how-the-world-can-stabilize-at-350-to-450-ppm/

[txlibdem]

9. Sorry it so long to reply, just read the article about the wedges (your 2nd link)

3 wedges for concentrating solar thermal,

3 wedges of efficiency — one each for buildings, industry, and cogeneration/heat-recovery for a total of 15 to 20 million GW-hrs. A key strategy for reducing direct fossil fuel use for heating buildings (while also reducing air conditioning energy) is geothermal heat pumps.

2 wedges for wind power (one for the grid, the other to power electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles)

...

This is a sane and comprehensive plan that includes all the elements to successfully tackle global climate change. Bravo!

[bananas]

14. Glad you finally read it, I used to keep a link to it in my sigline

Last year you thought it was an "untrusted source" even though it was recommended by Al Gore, Paul Krugman, and others:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=256825&mesg_id=257043

...
Al Gore said "His blog, Climate Progress, is a must read."
...
Paul Krugman says "I trust Joe Romm on climate"
...

[FBaggins]

2. Sorry... this doesn't come close to replacing coal/gas/nuclear

What it does do is handle concerns about hour-to-hour fluctuations (the minute-to-minute ones are already dealt with by tower/trough designs). A normal PV plant can be hamstrung by just a passing cloud mass... this obviously handles that nicely. It also really improves dispatachability on hot summer peaking days.

But those aren't the only shortcomings that make solar fail as a replacement for coal/gas/nuclear. This design might get you through the night... IF it was a sunny day. It won't get you through a second. Nor through the night after a cloudy day or during the winter months.

Don't get me wrong. It's still very much worth doing. Let's just not exaggerate what it means.

[txlibdem]

3. What you mean is there is NO silver bullet

I wholeheartedly agree. There is such a huge area that includes south-east California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and the western edge of Texas that has plenty of cloudless days and plenty of strong sunshine. This type of solar thermal with molten salt energy storage should be able to provide a good percentage of the energy mix.

As there is no silver bullet to get us off of our fossil fuels addiction, we will still need wind power also with energy storage, as well as geothermal power plants, tidal and wave energy, and increased efficiency in just about every aspect of our lives.

[FBaggins]

5. No single silver bullet, no.

But the main point was just to disabuse readers of the notion that this takes care of replacing coal/gas/nuclear. Note that they expect a bit less than 500k Mwh/year. That works out to about 50% of the rated capacity. MUCH higher than most solar, but also not at all close to baseload plants.

Assuming they can get the cost WAY down, this fits very nicely into the mix for many parts of the country.

1) PV fits well in places where the peak demand needs for air conditioning coincide with the brightest sun, but they still have to deal with clouds and the fact that it remains hot for a couple hours past when the sun is providing the most light to the panels. This deals with all of that.

2) Many forms of storage end up meaning a second generator. If you want to use wind with pumped water storage, you're adding a hydro turbine that doesn't get cheaper just because you only use it periodically. In this case it's all the same equipment. You've merely added an insulated tank.

[jpak]

4. Sorry but with Smartgrids and renewables - gas/coal/electric will become increasingly irrelevant

yup

[FBaggins]

6. Did you mean to type "electric"?

Don't see how that becomes "increasingly irrelevant". But whatever.

The rest of the post is both correct... and irrelevant to the thread. Of course smartgrids and renewables (particularly if you add nuclear) make gas and coal less needed. That doesn't mean that a solar plant with a few hours of storage replaces coal (etc).

But I want to compliment you! "Correct but irrelevant" is still half a step in the right direction. :)

[jpak]

7. no I meant nuclear - and it is irrelevant - except in Japan and Ukraine

where they will be dealing with its "relevance" for a long time

yup

[FBaggins]

8. Hmmm... freudian slip?

So deep down you think that "electric" and "nuclear" are the same thing, eh? :)

and it is irrelevant - except in Japan and Ukraine

Even there it would be irrelevant to this conversation... which was just whether a few hours of storage on a solar plant meant that it could now replace baseload plants.

It can't.

Not that this means the plant isn't a great idea. It is. One would hope that prices would come down substantially after we build a few of them.

[Confusious]

10. Boiling water?

Isn't that old, unimpressive technology, like Nuclear plants do? I mean seriously, what are they thinking?

[txlibdem]

11. How can we get 3 wedges from increases in efficiency?

That's a lot we can do: 3/14 is around 20% savings from efficiency.

=LED and CFL lighting

=Geothermal Heating Cooling, instead of the wasteful heaters and air conditioning units we have now

=Insulation, a proper amount in each building or residence

=Solar water heaters

Can we get to 20% energy saving from those or do we need more high tech or more radical solutions?

[kristopher]

12. EVs.

[txlibdem]

13. Electric Vehicles: absolutely

Thanks.