The World’s First Baseload (24/7) Solar Power Plant

If the cost of energy rises then that payoff becomes much quicker. Also, the technology is getting better, cheaper, and more versatile all the time.

You must have been looking at PV(photovoltaic)---converting sunlight directly into electricity.

Solar thermal(heat) energy is a completely different story. Cheap and easy to collect, highly efficient(100%), and easy to use. And solar thermal energy is an ideal auxiliary with already existing building and water heating systems.

Very laudable, sensible, and interesting about Google's venture. But, can we rely upon Wikipeodia for veracity or accuracy any longer?

The Spanish venture collects the power when the sun shines. It only uses a portion of the power when in operation, and stores the rest as thermal energy(heat) for use when the sun is not shining.

I don't see anything ominous or potentially environmentally disastrous in that technology.

This is actually a really bad idea, think about it, you would be pumping energy into the earths biosphere that is not normally getting in, energy usually ends up in waste heat, you will be actually heating up the earth and we already have too much of that now, its ok to capture/use energy that already gets in from space naturally in fact it is more than enough to power mankind 100 times over.

O.K. Johnny, you make a very valid point! I wonder at what point within our gravitational pull and atmosphere it would be safe to collect solar heat in out atmosphere? When you state that there is enough...100 times..., are you referring precisely to solar energy that is readily accessible?

take away big oil

Both! The "15 hours" is the battery portion of the plant, meaning that this would have enough thermal battery storage to keep generating electricity for 15 hours after the sun stops shinning.

This is certainly not the first solar tower power station, but this one is the first to offer such an extended time of after dark power generation. The PS10 Solar Power Plant, was Europe's first commercial concentrating solar power tower operating near Seville, in Andalucia, Spain. PS10 now has a sister plant, PS20, and four more plants are planned in the same area.

Welcome to the sustainable and appropriately powered future.

Ah, thanks for explaining what passed over my head.

Thanks for sharing. It's a nice piece, just wish this got more attention, specially here in the U.S. One more reminder how the U.S, is falling behind in the field of renewable energy. Still this shows great hope for the future so very nice to see!

This is SOOO fascinating... and promising! Really glad you shared this with us.

To be sure.

15 hours thermal storage, 9 hours of direct solar heat= 24 hour production.

15 hours of storage---depending on the latitude you are located at---that should be sufficient to store enough power until the next sunrise.

Sorry covelgibbs---I posted before I saw yours(hadn't scrolled down yet). Good explanation.

I vote ^ to this post all the way around, thanks, good post!