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Solar Steam Power

Check out this stuff. I was looking at high temperature solar collectors for an idea that I have, and I found that the idea had already been built. Here it is....


http://www.solel.com

Background
The oil crises of the early 70's highlighted the possibilities of alternative energy sources. The Americans and the Germans sponsored the development of a number of parabolic trough process heat and water pumping systems.

In 1984, Luz International Israel Ltd. of Israel developed nine power plants generating a total of 345MW of electricity for over half a million residents in the Mojave Desert in Southern California displacing the use of over 2 million barrels of oil a year.

The nine plants called SEGS (Solar Electric Generating System( range in size from 14 to 80 MW and are located on three sites; Dagett, Kramer Junction and Harper Lake.
Each SEGS has a solar field and conventional power block through which super heated steam powers a turbine and creates electricity. SEGS is a hybrid plant that can also operate on natural gas.

Comments

  • Doug Wagoner
    Doug Wagoner Member Posts: 78
    solar steam

    Is there any evidence the projects have paid for the cost of construction? How does the future look for more of these?
  • Still makes oil look cheap....

    It takes a HUGE scale to make it worth it, and even then........$$$$

    The day will come, however, when operating costs will balance with up front costs, and then this stuff will catch on big.

    Unless someone figures out how to sell the sunlight, like they did with the land.

    Noel
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • Now THATS

    a focusing constipator if I've ever seen one..

    And they said that solar is dead...

    Looks to be alive and kicking to me!!

    ME


  • That's funny you say that about selling land.

    I tell my friends all the time that no-one can really own land.

    We pay for the protection of the government to keep someone else from coming on to "our" land.

    But way back when somebody just said "That land belongs to me" what a crock. The earth belongs to everyone and no-one.

    Same with the sun, the air, the water, the trees, etc.
This discussion has been closed.