Aug
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Earlier this week, we launched a first-of-its-kind solar power plant. It’s a solar power tower, the only one in the United States, and it is unique for a few reasons. First of all, it uses 24,000 tracking flat mirrors, as opposed to a small number of curved mirrors. This allows the plant to use less steel, which makes it more cost effective. In return for using less steel, the plant requires more software, which was very expensive to develop, but once developed, replicating it is nearly free.
You can read more about it and see pictures at http://www.esolar.com/
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Congratulations. As someone living in a very sunny part of the developing world I am intrigued. Could I ask what does this cost (excluding land)? And how long do the panels last?
Inspiring!
I am very interesting in promoting your ideas in China. There is a huge niche for you here!
I am young Lawyer Co-Chair in New energy in IPPF Asia an a big fan of your initiatives. First time I was was amazed by your speech in TED and now for your speech in the inauguration of the power tower.
I am in close contact with projects in China that might be interesting for you. One in the central region of China and other one related to the “Chinese Silicon Valley” near Shanghai.
Feel free to contact me at your convenience. Consider me as your collaborator in China. Keep up the good work!
With best regards,
Bill,
I think you should simplify the solar concept for economics: have a system of reflective mylar sheets hanging from a rotating round balloon stadium sized collector: the whole stadium sized unit floats on a thin pool of water, and relatively small stepper motors track the sun by rotating the entire stadium sized floating structure. Inclination of all the hanging mirrors is dealt with by using another balloon structure to lever the whole stadium up and down by pumping air in and out of air bladder system located only on one side of the stadium sized collector.
That reduces your major cost beside building the stadium sized structure down to a few large stepper motors, some stadium sized air -supported roof which is in essence a large balloon with air pumps, and another balloon structure to level the whole thing up on one size. The concentrator focuses on an engine system designed for extreme high heats – likely will have to use ceramic absorbent blocks on the heat receiver size feeding a steam generator system.
I see this system working in my mind as achieving economy of scale without high building costs for collectors. The collector could probably be designed in Persistence of Vision or some other ray tracing program for maximum effieciency.
Very great, and contributory.
How can the software be SO expensive? it is just a bunch of mirrors pointing from A to B, a little bit of maths and trigo, then use these same equations for 24000 locations…