Solar Power Already Cost-Competitive
-
-
-
-
- TouchArt
- added this
-
more from Green:
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_8481520
Alternative energy sources - Solar powerThe biggest knocks against solar and wind power are that they can't be done on a massive, city-powering scale, and that the energy they make can't be stored for a cloudy day, the middle of the night or a late-afternoon demand surge.
But turn table salt into hot lava and the problem is solved. Scientists have learned that heated, liquid salt is "basically a thermal coffee carafe for the sun," said NREL's Mark Mehos, an expert in concentrating solar power.
Massive fields of mirrors — NREL helps develop the most reflective surfaces — concentrate the sun on pipes or towers filled with molten salt. The salt heats to 734 degrees and transfers the heat to pipes filled with water. The water turns to steam strong enough to drive utility-size electrical turbines for power generation.
The key is that molten salt can store up to seven hours of sunshine-generated energy for up to a week at a time. The American Southwest and northern New Mexico are some of the best places in the world to locate such power plants, and NREL works on the technology for heat storage and the coatings that make solar panels more efficient. The cost of the power is still higher than everyday electricity, but competitive at "peak load" times of the day.
"Ironically, you're using solar heat to create air conditioning," Mehos said. "Oil at $90 a barrel does a lot of interesting things" to technology.
-
- groups:
- Green, News and Politics, Politics, Earth and Science
-
- tags:
- News and Politics, Politics, Green, Earth and Science, 8 more
-
-
ocanada
-
Even sweden has been able to utelize solar power effectively than I believe we certainly could do so as well.
- 1 year ago
-
ocanada
