But it's a dry heat.
They should put that solar power plant where the sun don’t shine. Literally.
“World’s First 24/7 Solar Power Plant Powers 75,000 Homes” for 3 hours per day.”
WOW!!!!!!!
That is mighty socialist and third world of them is it not?
They meant “24/7”, or 24 divided by 7.
Oh just so awesome..../s
What I love about these schemes is that the solar “farms” bank their collected energy into giant battery arrays. Those batteries require the very caustic process of mining for things like lead and nickel. So while we’re not destroying the air, we’re destroying the Earth by strip mining for precious metals.
But it's a dry heat.
But what is the cost per kwh?
Maybe they heat a fluid in an insulated container, and during the “off” hours, trickle the fluid across a Peltier, and claim power generation?
Is this how solar should be done?
A relative lives in California. He pays $110 per month for solar electricity. A company mounted the collectors on his roof at no charge. Excess electricity goes to the grid and he gets credits. If he needs more electricity that the collectors provide, he gets it from the grid with his credits or cash if his credits are used up.
No charges at all but the $110 per month and, in his case, occasional payments to PG&E. He loves it.
It sounds like they have an interesting concept with storing heat energy within molten salt. Good idea. Easier than making a giant Lithium Energizer Bunny Battery, which is what exactly I'd expect from a half-assed government project with near-unlimited finding.
Except that it doesn't work as designed, and the PR flaks lie about performance. Which is also *exactly* what I'd expect from a government project.
I've made a prediction....in a few years (5? 7?), when all of the government funding dries up and they move on to sexier technology, there will be massive, derelict solar farms scattered everywhere hither and yon. Just field after field of rotting solar panels, every one a potential Superfund site.
You heard it here first.
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/ivanpah-solar-plant-falling-short-of-expected-electricity-production
In fact now here in 2016,,,they are endanger of going under.
Think of the diesel powered mining material necessary to collect the raw materials. Think about the fossil fuels used in the coke ovens to create the steel framing. Think about the photovoltaics and electrical components. Think about the transportation of the raw materials and the component parts and then the finished products. Then, there is the electricity consumed in factories during assembly and routine business operation.