World's largest solar installation to use Stirling engine technology

Free Energy News ^ | Aug 05 | Sterling D. Allan

[John Jamieson]

Did I miss it or did the author fail to waste any verbiage on the real work economics of this travesty?

[anymouse]

Solar Power Satellite Forum

[Iris7]

It was in a news item I saw about a month ago. Can't find it now. I am tremendously skeptical about their claims for 80% efficiency. Probably a hobbyist trying to raise big bucks from investors so he can build bigger toys, I'm afraid.

Current small Stirlings I can find run about 20% and are sold as "low polution" stationary power sources in California. This one is fairly compact. Notice that what you can see looks like an aero engine, and is sure to be very expensive. Pretty, though. Maybe 30 kw, about 45 - 50 horse power. Obviously hand made.

These machines are obviously not ready for prime time.

[Iris7]

Approaches certainty as a limit that this project is a net resource loss. Tremendously so on the human labor, that is for sure. Placates the Greens.

Trivial calculation shows the approach is hopeless. "Renewable energy" cannot be done with agriculturally produced fuels or any other solar.

Possible that satellite solar power is the exception. Possible, only.