After the success of Solar One - the world's first large-scale thermal solar power plant - and its update, Solar Two, Europe has now entered into the race for sustained solar power.
Solar Tres, located West of Ejica in the Andalusia district of Spain, has been modeled on the Solar One and Two projects, which were developed and updated in the Marstow Desert, California, in 1981 and 1995. Like its American predecessor, Solar Tres will produce energy through heliostats: large mirror assemblies that track and reflect the sun's rays throughout the day. From there, it is bounced onto a central column, named the 'Solar Power Tower', which absorbs and stores the energy, to be converted into thermal power.
What marks Solar Tres above its prototypes is that it uses molten salt as its conducting fluid, so that the energy can be stored in molten form and converted at any time. It means that the new European Solar Power Tower can be operational 24 hours a day, allowing for greater energy storage and conversion, and it outstrips its US counterparts, which ran on oils, and so had a lower capacity for storage after conversion.
It also looks to expand on the size of Solar One and Two, with a heliostat field that is three times larger than Solar Two at its optimum. It means that Solar Tres has a potential capacity of 15MW, where Solar One and Two could reach a maximum of 10MW. Not only can it run more efficiently, then - working right round the clock - but its output is greater, allowing for sustainable energy that is produced more quickly and in abundance.
By all intents and purposes, it is a larger and more ambitious project. With the backing of the EU Commission, who have provided 5 million Euro through the EU 5th Frame program, it has the potential to move thermal solar power into the competitive energy markets.
After the relative success of the original US Power Tower Plants, the improvements to Solar Tres mean a bold step towards sustainable energy in the world at large. With a project of this scale, it signals a move from personal sustainability initiatives - the efforts made, from individuals to family units - to a potentially full-fledged commercial representation of universal solar power in the community.
It now means that two of the world's major political powers - The US, and the EU - are committing themselves to the importance of sustainable energy. Whilst Solar One and Two are now closed, they represent important first examples of what Solar Tres can now make possible.
And that is not to say that the US have abandoned the pursuit; upon the closure of the original Solar One and Two site in 2001, they commenced production of Nevada Solar One, which became operational in 2007, and boasts a maximum production capacity of 75MW. With three major Solar Power Tower Plants built since 1995, moves to a genuine production of solar power are being implemented on both sides of the Atlantic. Sustainable energy is a real possibility. Let's hope other nations follow suit.
By: Chris Woolfrey
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Understanding Solar Energy
Light (particularly sunlight) can be used to create heat or generate electrical power. This is referred to as solar energy.
It is a clean form of energy production, which doesn't pollute the environment as some other forms of energy production do.
There are two forms of solar energy. The first is solar thermal conversion, which uses sunlight to create heat and then electrical power. The second is photovoltaic conversion, which uses sheets of special materials to create electricity from the sun. "Photo-" means "light," and "voltaic" means "producing electricity."
Solar Thermal Conversion
Solar thermal conversion systems use reflectors or mirrors to concentrate sunlight to extremely intense levels of heat. (Solar means "of the sun," thermal means "of heat" and conversion means "changing something from one form to another.")
You can understand this better if you consider the example of using a magnifying glass to start a fire. You may have heard of this or even tried it before. You can hold a magnifying glass under the sun, and concentrate the light on a small pile of flammable materials. The magnifying glass will make the sun's heat much stronger, and will light the materials on fire. It has been said that a magnifying glass one meter in diameter, held under the sun, will create a ray hot enough to melt stone.
If you want to experiment, hold a magnifying glass flat under the sun and put your hand under it. Very soon you will need to move your hand away - don't burn yourself.
Solar thermal conversion systems use mirrors or reflectors to concentrate sunlight onto containers full of liquid. Sometimes water is used. Sometimes other liquids are used, which retain heat better than water.
The liquids are heated up to high temperatures, and this produces steam. The steam is used to turn a turbine. The turning motion of the turbine is used to create electricity.
How does a rotating motion create electricity? When you set up a coiled wire or similar device to rotate between two magnets, it generates an electric current. This is how electric generators work, as well as windmills, nuclear power plants, and other energy plants which use such things as coal, gas, or petroleum.
Windmills use the wind to create the turning motion. Nuclear power or fossil fuels are used to heat water up, thus creating steam to turn the turbines.
Solar heating is another form of solar thermal conversion. In solar heating, an absorber is used to take in sunlight and convert it to heat. The absorber could be something simple, like black paint, or it could be a special ceramic material. A heat absorber is considered to a be good one when it collects at least 95 percent of the sun's radiation.
The absorbers are then used to heat a fluid, which is then circulated to warm up buildings or to create hot-water supplies.
Photovoltaic Conversion
As covered above, photo means "light." It comes from the Greek word “phos,” which means "light."
“Voltaic” means, "producing electric current." The word comes from the name of Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist who was a pioneer in the field of electricity during the 1700's. (His name is also where the word "volt" comes from.)
Photovoltaic means, "creating electrical energy when exposed to light."
A “cell” is a device that produces electricity. An example of an electrical cell is a flashlight battery.
Photovoltaic cells produce electricity when they are exposed to light. They usually consist of panels. The panels contain two layers of different materials.
When light hits these two layers, one of the layers becomes positively charged, and the other becomes negatively charged.
This works similarly to a regular flashlight battery, which has a positive end and a negative end. When a wire connects the two ends, they produce an electric current.
When the two layers of material in a solar cell are exposed to light, they create an electric current.
The AMOUNT of electricity generated by a solar power cell depends on several factors. Mainly:
-How big is the solar power device, and how much surface is exposed to the sun?
-How strong is the sun? (This depends on time of day, weather, latitude, etc.)
-How long is the solar power device exposed?
-How much impediment is there to the light? (Clouds, mist, dust, dirt, etc.)
In other words, a solar power cell generates electricity faster when the sun (or light) is brighter. A device with larger solar panels will produce more electricity than one with smaller panels. Exposing the cell for a longer period of time will create more electricity than exposing it for a shorter period of time. A panel near the equator will be more effective than one in an arctic region. A solar panel in misty or dusty conditions does not create as much electricity as it would in full, unobstructed sun.
Some solar cells produce only enough current to power small electronic devices, but can be "daisy-chained" (connected together) in order to create more electricity for other items.
Solar cells which produce enough electricity to run larger equipment (such as laptops) may be larger, more expensive, or heavier than the others.
But there are many varieties available. Individuals and companies are consistently striving to create lighter and more efficient portable solar cells.
Solar Energy and the Future
An advantage to solar power is that it can reduce expenses. It can also be portable. When one is backpacking in the wilderness or traveling far from power grids, solar power can provide a means of powering electronic equipment.
Another advantage is, of course, the lack of pollution created by solar energy production. In fact, if all of our electrical energy were produced by such means, we might not be worrying about global warming and the other destructive effects of pollution on our environment.
These threats to our environment also pose a threat to mankind. Solar power could be developed to a point where it, along with other forms of renewable energy, would replace harmful means of electricity production.
It isn't necessarily impossible to have a clean and safe Earth. We just have to work on it.
By: Anna Stone
It is a clean form of energy production, which doesn't pollute the environment as some other forms of energy production do.
There are two forms of solar energy. The first is solar thermal conversion, which uses sunlight to create heat and then electrical power. The second is photovoltaic conversion, which uses sheets of special materials to create electricity from the sun. "Photo-" means "light," and "voltaic" means "producing electricity."
Solar Thermal Conversion
Solar thermal conversion systems use reflectors or mirrors to concentrate sunlight to extremely intense levels of heat. (Solar means "of the sun," thermal means "of heat" and conversion means "changing something from one form to another.")
You can understand this better if you consider the example of using a magnifying glass to start a fire. You may have heard of this or even tried it before. You can hold a magnifying glass under the sun, and concentrate the light on a small pile of flammable materials. The magnifying glass will make the sun's heat much stronger, and will light the materials on fire. It has been said that a magnifying glass one meter in diameter, held under the sun, will create a ray hot enough to melt stone.
If you want to experiment, hold a magnifying glass flat under the sun and put your hand under it. Very soon you will need to move your hand away - don't burn yourself.
Solar thermal conversion systems use mirrors or reflectors to concentrate sunlight onto containers full of liquid. Sometimes water is used. Sometimes other liquids are used, which retain heat better than water.
The liquids are heated up to high temperatures, and this produces steam. The steam is used to turn a turbine. The turning motion of the turbine is used to create electricity.
How does a rotating motion create electricity? When you set up a coiled wire or similar device to rotate between two magnets, it generates an electric current. This is how electric generators work, as well as windmills, nuclear power plants, and other energy plants which use such things as coal, gas, or petroleum.
Windmills use the wind to create the turning motion. Nuclear power or fossil fuels are used to heat water up, thus creating steam to turn the turbines.
Solar heating is another form of solar thermal conversion. In solar heating, an absorber is used to take in sunlight and convert it to heat. The absorber could be something simple, like black paint, or it could be a special ceramic material. A heat absorber is considered to a be good one when it collects at least 95 percent of the sun's radiation.
The absorbers are then used to heat a fluid, which is then circulated to warm up buildings or to create hot-water supplies.
Photovoltaic Conversion
As covered above, photo means "light." It comes from the Greek word “phos,” which means "light."
“Voltaic” means, "producing electric current." The word comes from the name of Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist who was a pioneer in the field of electricity during the 1700's. (His name is also where the word "volt" comes from.)
Photovoltaic means, "creating electrical energy when exposed to light."
A “cell” is a device that produces electricity. An example of an electrical cell is a flashlight battery.
Photovoltaic cells produce electricity when they are exposed to light. They usually consist of panels. The panels contain two layers of different materials.
When light hits these two layers, one of the layers becomes positively charged, and the other becomes negatively charged.
This works similarly to a regular flashlight battery, which has a positive end and a negative end. When a wire connects the two ends, they produce an electric current.
When the two layers of material in a solar cell are exposed to light, they create an electric current.
The AMOUNT of electricity generated by a solar power cell depends on several factors. Mainly:
-How big is the solar power device, and how much surface is exposed to the sun?
-How strong is the sun? (This depends on time of day, weather, latitude, etc.)
-How long is the solar power device exposed?
-How much impediment is there to the light? (Clouds, mist, dust, dirt, etc.)
In other words, a solar power cell generates electricity faster when the sun (or light) is brighter. A device with larger solar panels will produce more electricity than one with smaller panels. Exposing the cell for a longer period of time will create more electricity than exposing it for a shorter period of time. A panel near the equator will be more effective than one in an arctic region. A solar panel in misty or dusty conditions does not create as much electricity as it would in full, unobstructed sun.
Some solar cells produce only enough current to power small electronic devices, but can be "daisy-chained" (connected together) in order to create more electricity for other items.
Solar cells which produce enough electricity to run larger equipment (such as laptops) may be larger, more expensive, or heavier than the others.
But there are many varieties available. Individuals and companies are consistently striving to create lighter and more efficient portable solar cells.
Solar Energy and the Future
An advantage to solar power is that it can reduce expenses. It can also be portable. When one is backpacking in the wilderness or traveling far from power grids, solar power can provide a means of powering electronic equipment.
Another advantage is, of course, the lack of pollution created by solar energy production. In fact, if all of our electrical energy were produced by such means, we might not be worrying about global warming and the other destructive effects of pollution on our environment.
These threats to our environment also pose a threat to mankind. Solar power could be developed to a point where it, along with other forms of renewable energy, would replace harmful means of electricity production.
It isn't necessarily impossible to have a clean and safe Earth. We just have to work on it.
By: Anna Stone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
