Posts Tagged: real-estate

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3
Aug 10

New Project to Deliver Solar Power After the Sun Goes Down

The holy grail of renewable energy is a solar power plant that continues producing electricity after the sun goes down. A California company has taken a step toward that.

…s license application.
So-called dispatchable solar farms would in theory allow utilities to avoid spending billions of dollars building fossil fuel power plants that are fired up only a few times a year when electricity demand spikes, like on a hot day.

SolarReserve is literally run by rocket scientists, many of whom formerly worked at Rocketdyne, a subsidiary of the technology giant United Technologies. Rocketdyne developed the solar salt technology, which was proven viable at the 10-megawatt Solar Two demonstration project near Barstow, Calif., in the 1990s.
United Technologies has licensed the technology to SolarReserve and will guarantee its performance a crucial advantage for the startup when it seeks financing from skittish bankers to build the Rice solar farm.
As many as 17,500 large mirrors each one 24 feet by 28 feet will be attached to 12-foot pedestals. The mirrors, called heliostats, will be arrayed in a circle around a 538-foot concrete tower.
Atop the tower will sit a 100-foot receiver…

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New Project to Deliver Solar Power After the Sun Goes Down

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11
Apr 10

How To Heat Up Solar

It seems incredible then that the U.S. Senate has again failed to pass a bill that would extend solar tax credits to build new power plants

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How To Heat Up Solar

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1
Feb 10

A Solar Dream from Israeli Kibbutzim

Israel’s first green energy utility company is turning the desert into a vast solar power plant. A group of solar energy fans from a kibbutz, or collective, is using government backing to turn farmland into photovoltaic fields with the first 5-megawatt field expected to be up and running by early next year.

…of Israel’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Another recent decision requires the government-controlled Israel Electric Corp. to purchase electricity generated by renewable energy producers under 20-year contracts a way of ensuring long-term demand and price stability, and thus encouraging investment.

“Southern Israel boasts some of the best solar conditions in the world, and the proximity to the grid makes the venture even more attractive,” says Amit Mor, chief executive of Eco-Energy, an Israeli energy consulting firm. Despite its ideal climatic conditions, the Jewish state was until recently slow to jump on the solar electricity bandwagon. This is true even though Israelis for decades have gotten most of their hot water from rooftop solar water systems, not to mention that Israel is home to several cutting-edge solar energy companies including Solel Solar Systems and richly funded BrightSource Energy, which is also working in Southern California’s Mojave Desert.

Now, for strategic reasons,…

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A Solar Dream from Israeli Kibbutzim

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23
Jan 10

A Solar Salute to America (PIC)

The solar thermal power startup eSolar tricked-out its field of mirrors to send a message to the nation for the 4th of July weekend. Translation: Happy (Energy) Independence Day U.S.A.

…Cute but more interesting is CSP’s eff, low cost and ability to store heat for later use or hold on while a cloud might go by and the ability to use any fuel to run it if needed or increase it’s eff.
A plant like this combined with biomass hybrid is a great combo for places like here in Fla which has clouds and lot of waste biomass. And can be made more eff as most other fossil fuel, nuke plants by putting low temp Rankine generators between the engine and the condenser allowing a much smaller condenser and in many cases, much less water needs for cooling.
Both cutting costs and increasing output/eff.
But even more cost effective, eff is having these on homes, businesses that both pay much more for electricity but could use the heat for hot water or heating. One wouldn’t have to have to buy land , HV powerlines or hire help. That is the real future of CSP, PV, wind, not big wind, solar farms as payback is in 1/2 the time.
What we need is real mass production, standard units that can just be rolled on…

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A Solar Salute to America (PIC)