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Diploid
Cuban


Registered: 01/09/03
Posts: 19,274
Loc: Rabbit Hole
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World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned
#5073110 - 12/16/05 08:07 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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http://www.nationalacademies.org/headlines/20051118.html
November 18 - Two Southern California utility companies are planning to build two large sun-powered power plants to form the world?s most ambitious solar-energy project. Larger-than-normal dishes combined with a 200-year-old engine design will be situated across two solar farms, one with the capacity to generate 500 megawatts of electricity in the Mojave Desert and a 300-megawatt plant in Imperial Valley, Calif.
Instead of using panels of photovoltaic cells, 40-foot-tall curved dishes will focus solar energy on Stirling engines, each producing up to 25 kilowatts. The dishes are being tested, and 20,000 will be spread across 4,500 acres of desert and 12,000 dishes will cover 2,000 acres at a separate site. Construction will begin on the larger site in 2008. At the end of 2004, the United States only had 397-megawatt solar-energy capacity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The National Research Council report Renewable Power Pathways: A Review of the U.S. Department of Energy's Renewable Energy Programs makes recommendations on how the government can help encourage renewable energy technologies in a competitive market.
-------------------- Republican Values: 1) You can't get married to your spouse who is the same sex as you. 2) You can't have an abortion no matter how much you don't want a child. 3) You can't have a certain plant in your possession or you'll get locked up with a rapist and a murderer. 4) We need a smaller, less-intrusive government.
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Randolph_Carter
НơĻ?ĢΉōsŧ

Registered: 06/13/00
Posts: 29,281
Loc: Shroomery B-list.
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Re: World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: Diploid]
#5075679 - 12/17/05 03:51 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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I'd imagine that solar power (apart from the entire concept of sattilite energy beamed down from orbit) would be remarkably location-dependant. But fuck, cover half the desert with this shit, lets get it going!
-------------------- "..all those molecules thrashing their kinky little tails, hot for destiny and the street." Gibson Nuke baby seals for Jesus! (This has been a +1 production.)
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supercollider
superconducting


Registered: 10/13/00
Posts: 1,234
Loc: Waxahachie
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Re: World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: Diploid]
#5077065 - 12/18/05 12:02 AM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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All the energy we have came from the sun at one time or another. The most efficient way to go will be to skip the animal & plant matter and the thousands of years of fossilization and go right back to the source. It's just a matter of finding technology to collect enough of it.
-------------------- Supercollider? I just met her!
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Darcho
PhysicallyDetermined

Registered: 07/26/04
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Re: World’s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: supercollider]
#5077923 - 12/18/05 12:02 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Even hydro, wind and nuclear power?
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psyka
Praetorian


Registered: 06/09/03
Posts: 1,652
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Re: World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: supercollider]
#5077984 - 12/18/05 12:18 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yea so many solar collectors seems like a waste.
BTW, this isnt photovoltaic cells, they're mirrors that transfer the radiation to a focal point. Similiar to 20,000 magnifying glasses. I'd rather fund solar cell, and nano-technology development. I think that would be the best bet.
-------------------- As the life of a candle, my wick will burn out. But, the fire of my mind shall beam into infinite.

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Baby_Hitler
Errorist



Registered: 03/06/02
Posts: 27,660
Loc: To the limit!
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Re: World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: psyka]
#5078733 - 12/18/05 03:59 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Stirling engines currently outperform PV cells. That's why they chose to go with them.
Personally, I like the solar zinc process:
http://www.physorg.com/news6381.html
-------------------- This space for rent
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supercollider
superconducting


Registered: 10/13/00
Posts: 1,234
Loc: Waxahachie
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Re: World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: Darcho]
#5079761 - 12/18/05 08:35 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Yes, even hydro, wind, and nuclear power, though on a much longer scale in the case of nuclear.
-------------------- Supercollider? I just met her!
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Swami
Eggshell Walker

Registered: 01/18/00
Posts: 15,413
Loc: In the hen house
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Re: World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: psyka]
#5080612 - 12/19/05 02:26 AM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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BTW, this isnt photovoltaic cells, they're mirrors that transfer the radiation to a focal point. Similiar to 20,000 magnifying glasses.
So we could fry lots of ants all at once?
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The proof is in the pudding.
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Seuss
Error: divide byzero


Registered: 04/27/01
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Re: World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: Swami]
#5080778 - 12/19/05 04:44 AM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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> So we could fry lots of ants all at once?
You can heat a lot of water to steam to power turbines to generate power.
-------------------- Just another spore in the wind.
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psyka
Praetorian


Registered: 06/09/03
Posts: 1,652
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Re: World?s Largest Solar Farms Planned [Re: Seuss]
#5080823 - 12/19/05 05:22 AM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Metal power, certainly is interesting 
Heres one on using nano-particles of iron: http://www.drive.com.au/editorial/article.aspx?id=10663&vf=3&bg=5&pp=2
-------------------- As the life of a candle, my wick will burn out. But, the fire of my mind shall beam into infinite.

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