17 February 2011
Solar power is one of the cheapest sources of energy
The world's first commercial solar tower plant gives a breathtaking glimpse of the future of power generation. What's stopping the technology's widespread adoption? - Guardian
Seville, Spain hosts the first commercial operation of solar tower technology in the world. According to the report, it features over 1,000 freestanding heliostat mirrors that follow the arc of the sun. In a process referred to as Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), the mirrors reflect solar rays to the tower, where water is boiled, and then steam is generated to drive a turbine, which in turn produces electricity. This electricity is sold to the national grid.This is all possible because Spain's government has provided subsidies and incentives in support for the solar industry.
Without government support, it's possible that the entire operation could not exist. That is because the upfront investment is huge, as most of the money goes into building the plant. The investor community tends to see solar plants as high risk.But according to the video report, once economies of scale are achieved, solar power is one of the cheapest sources of energy. The report argues that it's hard to detect the value of solar power because currently, conventional sources of electricity are subsidized, artificially making them appear to be cheap.
GOOD reports that "concentrated solar power... will be a core element of the transition from dirty coal to clean energy."As Gus Schellekens of PricewaterhouseCoopers argues, "Solar has a huge role it can play, the fact that it's an endless supply of energy...the one thing that's needed to unlock much of that is the political leadership and will." - Huffington Post
Comments (4)
Magdolna
Nelsonfung
Rasada
Batteries have to be maaitinned just like in your car. Batteries are built into a "bank" and work as a whole unit.
They do make maintenance free AGM's but they also cost a little more. Or you can opt to go without batteries meaning solar during the day, pulling from the power company at night.
That will eliminate the cost of batteries, their replacement every 5 years, and the charge controller that regulates the battery bank. Depending on your expected savings, this could be the right choice. The cost is going to depend on your consumption and the home. Its not always a good fit for everyone so every house is taken on its own standings based on location to the sun and the consumption in the house. Its difficult to nail down a price because there is no "ball park" Each is custom to the home. Compare two people in the exact model of homes in the same neighborhood. One faces South and one faces East. Panels have to face South for at least 5 hours a day so the one with the natural roof facing that direction can just lay flat on racking but the one facing east needs special racking and brackets to tilt the panels up and away from the roof and towards the south.
More cost involved and may include additional structural reinforcement to the trusses. Also, if a family of 4 lives in 1, and a family of 2 lives in the other, then one is going to use more power to heat water, wash clothes, run the dishwasher more etcetera. The average home is 5Kw but you can check your power bill today and see what your Kw usage is. Also, a home using all electric heat versus someone using natural gas to heat is going to be way more expensive to supply the power to the electric baseboard heaters. I would use an online solar calculator to see what your specific savings might be and often they can give you an estimated cost.
This is in AC. The Solar being produced is in DC. A basic no battery will take the electricity from the panels to the Inverter which converts the DC into AC so you can use it. You will get about 77% through the inverter so the DC will be designed to produce more electricity taking that derate (loss) through the inverter into account. Now, if you want batteries, which are DC just like the panels, you push electricity from the panels into a charge controller, then into the batteries to keep them charged, then out of the batteries into the inverter, and out of the inverter to hook into your meter and then to your panel. When the batteries are fully charged, the charge controller will switch off and push right into the inverter and to your house bypassing the batteries.
A good charge controller is essential. If you have extra electricity being produced over and above your consumption needs, it pushes to the power company and you are paid a small credit for this by the power company. As you draw power at the house through the batteries at night, you wont be pushing any extra. Systems are designed for 3 days of autonomy meaning batteries are to supply 3 days where no sunlight exists from weather but you want to be careful not to run everything at once so you don't deplete batteries. Once they are discharged to a certain percent, the charge controller stops feeding the house from the batteries (at night or during periods of autonomy) and you will begin to pull power direct from the grid via a new two way meter that comes with the solar install.
Sorry, the Utility will not let you be an island or totally off grid if they have infrastructure in your area. In my opinion, I would never lease. While attractive to not pay up front, in the long run, it may prove more expensive for you than had you put in your own system. Plus, I have seen some leases that if you sell the home, and the new owner is not willing to take the lease, you then are still obligated for the next up to 30 years for those lease payments. Sour Face!The upside is, they do all the maintenance including the batteries. Banks and Appraisers are beginning to recognize the value of renewable systems and Law makers are supporting financing methods to allow homeowners the ability to obtain a system of their choice. Look for Geothermal to make big moves in the next 5 years.
It's a great system with the best investment return for your money.
Venna