California formally opens large solar plant

Associated Press ^ | Feb 9, 2015 5:48 PM EST

[Olog-hai]

Actually, that’s the Ivanpah Solar Thermal Plant (rather than photovoltaic cell plant), which is in the Mojave Desert close to Las Vegas. Solar thermal plants use heat derived from the sun to create steam, which is then used to turn turbines to generate AC power

This new one is in the Sonoran Desert. Photovoltaic cells generate DC power, and there are going to be inherent losses due to needing to invert the DC power to AC for transmission.

[GeronL]

All of these are money siphons

[Olog-hai]

Ah well . . . what with this being desert land, that just may fit into the “cultivation of wastelands” part of the Ten Planks of Communism.

[SZonian]

Those damned commies aren’t around in the desert during the Spring...it isn’t a wasteland...

But in the interests of “progress”...Desert Tortoises are expendable.

[beethovenfan]

High-tech bird fryer. But hey, it’s “green”.

[aumrl]

good point SZonian.
The article makes no mention of storage batteries either.
Without them duplicate generation must be maintained.
(You know for minor things like clouds, storms and night.)
Double the systems = double the cost.

[jyro]

I suppose those 160,000 homes all go to bed at sundown.

[Team Cuda]

“The plant, which uses photovoltaic panels....”

Read the article before responding.

[rawcatslyentist]

>"Who gets subsidized for this?"

Kenny Rogers Roasters

[mowowie]

Gee i wonder where those thousands of solar panels were built.....

[Olog-hai]

Turns out that Desert Sunlight, the photovoltaic plant herein referenced, has already killed birds, in fact.

[TangoLimaSierra]

I understand that you can get freshly incinerated endangered and protected migratory fowl in the gift shop.

Not the way photovoltaic systems work. No fried birds.

[TangoLimaSierra]

Turns out that Desert Sunlight, the photovoltaic plant herein referenced, has already killed birds, in fact.

That part of the article is bullshit.. The birds would have to dive head first into panels to die. No way to burn them.

[BobL]

“160,000 homes”

Roughly about 1/4 of what a single nuke reactor or large coal plant can produce.

Try again California.

[Fightin Whitey]

These people are bleeping crazy.

Four thousand acres shot to hell.

Birds and game killed, broiled, heedlessly.

Taxpayer money goes to start the thing, run the thing, endlessly repair the thing.

It is insanity on display and it is cheered by those who supposedly cherish the land, wildlife, small and beautiful technology, and independence from a giant, monstrous government.

The world has gone beserk.

[Olog-hai]

Well, for Desert Sunlight’s sake, it’d better be false.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Maybe they can get some of those coal miners from West Virginia to move out there and take “high paying high tech jobs” washing solar panels at $8.00 a hour.

[Mastador1]

Oh my gosh did I step on the solar gods toes with sarcasm, abashed am I!

[familyop]

Yep, them solar panels are worse than reflector/boiler plants. Them panels have to get their wattage from somewhere, so you know that they suck the wattage right out of the birds. Kills 'em all deader'n door nails. And the suckage attracts all of the birds in the world to that location, just like a whirlpool of seduction. Purty soon, there won't be no birds a'tall. This here tells the whole story.

[familyop]

Photo-voltaic panels don't kill birds. The following instruction is great for kids, administrators and journalists known by their initials instead of their whole first names.

How do Photovoltaics Work?
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2002/solarcells/