Energy Agency Funds Solar Projects Aimed at Generating Baseload Power

[jpak]

http://sunpluggers.com/news/energy-department-funds-solar-projects-aimed-at-generating-baseload-power-0493

The U.S. Department of Energy has agreed to invest as much as $62 million in the next five years toward the use of concentrating solar power to generate baseload electricity.

Concentrating solar power, or CSP, uses mirror reflectors or lenses to concentrate the sun's energy and convert it to heat that can drive an engine or turbine to produce electricity. This form of solar technology has so far been designed and used not for rooftops or backyards but for large-scale solar power plants.

It has the advantage of allowing the storage of heat energy for use in generating electricity at times when the sun isn't shining. A disadvantage, in addition to the need for considerable open space, is that some types may require substantial amounts of water.

Solar photovoltaic technology, which requires water only for occasional module cleaning, has the disadvantage of producing electricity only when exposed to sunlight.

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[NYC_SKP]

1. While it lacks the magic simplicity and scalability of solid state PV...

I don't know how anyone can argue against the value of CSP.

It's like any fossil fuel power plant, without the fossil fuels.

Where AC and other daytime loads constitute a significant part of demand, this is a no-brainer.

I don't think the "substantial amounts of water" part is a feature of every design, however.

:patriot:

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Energy Agency?

http://energy.gov/news/8958.htm

May 7, 2010

Secretary Chu Announces up to $62 Million for Concentrating Solar Power Research and Development

Investment will speed the commercialization and deployment of cutting-edge solar technologies

Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the selections of projects for investment of up to $62 million over five years to research, develop, and demonstrate Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems capable of providing low-cost electrical power. This funding will support improvements in CSP systems, components, and thermal energy storage to accelerate the market-readiness of this renewable energy technology. Accelerating breakthroughs in renewable energy technologies supports the Administration’s strategy of diversifying the U.S. energy portfolio to increase our energy independence while fostering a fast-growing clean-energy economy.

“Developing low-cost, renewable energy generation is crucial to meeting our nation’s increasing demands for electricity,” said Secretary Chu. “By investing in the development of low-cost solar technologies we can create new jobs and pave the way towards a clean-energy future.”

CSP technologies concentrate the sun's energy and capture that energy as heat, which then drives an engine or turbine to produce electrical power. CSP plants can include low-cost energy storage, allowing them to provide electricity even when the sun is not shining. Boosting these technologies today will generate the clean-technology careers of tomorrow and will help expand the market for utility-scale solar energy. The projects announced today will seek to improve component and system designs to extend operation to an average of about 18 hours per day, a level of production that would make it possible for these plants to displace traditional coal-burning power plants.

The thirteen award selections announced today fall into two areas:

...