Comments on: Europe’s first commercially operating solar power station http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/ Musings on politics: anti-war, global warming, peak oil and otherwise Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:15:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: DJ http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/comment-page-1/#comment-134375 DJ Thu, 03 May 2007 21:24:23 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/#comment-134375 Solar thermal in the Mojave has been done. Wikipedia has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_One" rel="nofollow">this report</a> on the 10 MW Solar One/Solar Two thermal solar projects near Barstow, CA. Thay claim the space is much less than a hydro dam (with lake) or coal palnt (with mine). The article refers to the projects as successful, but there's no information on why the plant was shut down. Solar thermal in the Mojave has been done. Wikipedia has this report on the 10 MW Solar One/Solar Two thermal solar projects near Barstow, CA. Thay claim the space is much less than a hydro dam (with lake) or coal palnt (with mine). The article refers to the projects as successful, but there’s no information on why the plant was shut down.

]]> By: Bob Morris http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/comment-page-1/#comment-134354 Bob Morris Thu, 03 May 2007 19:09:28 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/#comment-134354 Ideas have been proposed to put vast arrays of solar in the deserts of the southwest US, thus theoretically generating huge amounts of power. There's even plans to convert the power to hydrogen and store it. Ideas have been proposed to put vast arrays of solar in the deserts of the southwest US, thus theoretically generating huge amounts of power. There’s even plans to convert the power to hydrogen and store it.

]]> By: Davide Simonetti http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/comment-page-1/#comment-134348 Davide Simonetti Thu, 03 May 2007 17:53:21 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/#comment-134348 Eli, It's hard to tell from the pictures how much space the power station uses but I doubt it can be that much more than a conventional plant because there must be a limit to the distance the mirrors can work. Of course if they put in more towers and mirror arrays then the space problem would be more evident. What I liked was the suggestion in the article that deserts could be used to supply clean energy, although I guess water would have to be pumped to the power plants. Eli,

It’s hard to tell from the pictures how much space the power station uses but I doubt it can be that much more than a conventional plant because there must be a limit to the distance the mirrors can work. Of course if they put in more towers and mirror arrays then the space problem would be more evident. What I liked was the suggestion in the article that deserts could be used to supply clean energy, although I guess water would have to be pumped to the power plants.

]]> By: Eli Stephens http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/comment-page-1/#comment-134343 Eli Stephens Thu, 03 May 2007 17:36:23 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2007/05/03/europes-first-commercially-operating-solar-power-station/#comment-134343 Saw this on BBC News (TV) last night - very cool. Especially that its solar-thermal, not solar-electric. It would be interesting to see a comparison of the efficiency (and costs) of the two; it wasn't in this report. It does take up a lot of room, but does it take up more room than a power plant, or a coal mine, or an oil derrick? I don't know. Saw this on BBC News (TV) last night - very cool. Especially that its solar-thermal, not solar-electric. It would be interesting to see a comparison of the efficiency (and costs) of the two; it wasn’t in this report.

It does take up a lot of room, but does it take up more room than a power plant, or a coal mine, or an oil derrick? I don’t know.

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