Switched On: 15,000 Homes Powered By Nevada Solar One
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 06. 9.07
We gave you a heads up that it was about to be switched on! Nevada Solar One, the largest solar thermal power plant built in 16 years, has gone online, and is now providing power to Nevada's electrical grid. Built by Acciona Solar Power, the 64MW power plant is the world's third largest solar thermal power plant, and will generate enough reliable clean energy to power 15,000 homes (up to 134 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year). It covers 400 acres.
The Germany company Schott supplied 11,136 of the 18,240 receivers being used by Nevada Solar One. Electricity generated by the Nevada Solar One power plant will be sold to Nevada Power Company and Sierra Pacific Power Company under long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Professor Dr. Udo Ungeheuer, Chairman of the Board of Management of SCHOTT. said "We are convinced that parabolic trough power plants are on their way to achieving a global breakthrough, thanks to Nevada Solar One. The technology has already proven itself and the costs of generating electricity will soon be competitive. Parabolic trough power plants offer immense potential for generating power in an environmentally compatible and climate friendly manner."
That's 0.027 acre per house or 1,176 square feet per house. About the roof area of a smaller house.
Just to put the "400 acres" into perspective.
If my pre-coffee math system is functioning.
The future looks bright! :D
Yeah!!! Is that all. Let's get going. I'm loving it. Can we bottle some of that and ship it to Connecticut? Just think of it. And it doesn't spew mercury into the Connecticut River. I guess we will have to tell the rest of the world. " We'll think about it".
And if it's on your own roof, your electric bills won't continue to go up over time!
I think your math is correct Bob!
wow, it's beautiful...
clean energy and a compelling macro-installation a la' Christo...
www.sustainableday.com
15,000 homes (up to 134 kilowatt hours of electricity per year).
Is there anyone on your staff that actually has something akin to, say , a college degree? It feels as if EVERY single article has BASIC errors.
What the hell is "134 kilowatt hours of electricity per year" supposed to refer to?
Kindly check http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/recs2001/enduse2001/enduse2001.html
and see that a household uses about 10.000 kilowatt hours per year?
But I guess Germany has 20% solar power: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/go_watch_tv_sav.php
and penguins "waddle" from Chile to Peru: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/05/penguin_gets_wa.php
and a paper is a paper is a paper:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/04/science_holds_k.php
and one foot or so is really the same as 22 stories:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/06/china_mexico_an_1.php
Treehugger: you are OFF my RSS list. Advertising whores. Post count is not the only thing that counts.
Further information about concentrating solar power (CSP) may be found at:
http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/index.htm
and
http://www.trecers.net/index.html
Looks like there is a small error in the units:
1500 homes should consumes about 134 GWh (~15,000*10,000KWh).
This would also be in agreement with 64 MW and 4000 hour of sunshine per year and an efficiency of 50% (64MW*4000h*0.5).
There was a 'million' left out on the KWh numbers.
If the author recieved the same press release as me then that is where the error comes from, it looks like he missed the followup email with correction.
Any additional power put into the grid from green sources is a positive in my book. I'd rather see these panels on the individual homes than out in the middle of nowhere. I think it's best to generate where it'll be used rather than where people won't see anything. I think solar panels look cool on a roof.
I read somewhere else that silicon will go down in price up to 40% due to extra capacity being brought online in the coming months. Hopefully, we'll see many more solar panels being put to good use.
It won't work,it doesn't use oil!
The news of a solar project of this magitude is great, although not well publicized here in Las Vegas. We did have news of Nellis Air Force Base building a hugh multi-million dollar solar complex, to provide a large percentage of power to the base.
The truth is in the pudding (like raisins and flys). Southern Nevada Power has raised the average home owners power bill by between $20-$25 per month starting this month (June 2007). Approved by the State Utilitlies Commission; it is supposedly for development and expansion of new facilities within the State. But they don't want more solar, which may be to renewable and cost effective for the board of directors / CEO / stock holders pocket books.
Our new Govenor (ex Washington House of Rep.) declared immediately after his election that Nevada would explore coal to gasification processes to power our electricity production.
Nevada does NOT have one coal mine or deposit. However our brothers in Utah, the Rome of the West, has highly toxic coal deposits they can't get rid of. Interesting, what? FYI
The politicians fund raisers never give up, do they?
Concentrating solar thermal won't go on anyone's roof, unless it is to generate hot water or space heat. It works best as a plant of this type, in a desert region where there is little cloud cover.
Cloudier areas benefit more from PV panels. If the sky is cloudy enough that the thermal plant does not get up enough steam to operate, much of the input is wasted. PV panels can generate electricity even on cloudy days (just not as much of it).