Posted on 03/10/2008 7:02:36 PM PDT by Flavius
Ausra Inc., the developer of utility-scale solar thermal power technology, has published a peer-reviewed study showing that over 90 percent of the U.S. electric grid and auto fleet´s energy needs could be met by solar thermal power.
Solar power is the nation´s largest primary renewable energy resource, offering many times total U.S. energy needs. Solar thermal power stations use fields of mirrors to capture the sun´s energy as heat to boil water and drive steam turbines. Solar thermal´s low-cost, efficient heat storage makes solar thermal power uniquely able to provide a reliable energy supply from ever-varying sunshine.
The Department of Energy´s Energy Information Administration projects over 70 percent total growth in the nation´s electricity demands by 2025, and analysts predict a further increase in electricity needs as plug-in electric hybrid vehicles come to the market.
(Excerpt) Read more at wallstreet-online.de ...
e diesel-electric hybrid hype has met its match: the U.S. Army. After focusing on hydrogen fuel cells in its original version of “The Aggressor,” a high-performance, off-road Alternative Mobility Vehicle (AMV) for military ground exploration and scouting missions, the Pentagon is now going the way of Detroit—with batteries.
I want one.
a bit nicer then a prius right
The car is cool, but the article is BS. Want to get rich? Come up with a good energy scam. This is one.
That “article” is bs because it’s not really an article, it’s a press release for a tech company.
But solar thermal is based on rock solid technology, it’s been used in Israel for many years. It hasn’t been very cost effective here in the states because coal is still so cheap, but that’ll eventually change sooner or later.
Total unadulterated Irish BS...
Uhm, like, when we capture all the solar power and convert to electricity, won’t we freeze when there is no heat left to heat the mother earth and us poor suckers???
Paging Algore with all his carbony crockedits.
Solar Collector vs Rent Collector?
Hot air rises, baking pie in the sly?
If a green-scheme is an expensive, unworkable panacea, the Greenies support it; if it starts looking like it may really work, they turn on it.
When they start screaming about this, instead of yapping it up, I'll start to pay attention.
Whooos gona renew the sun Eh?
[Ausra Inc., the developer of utility-scale solar thermal power technology, has published a peer-reviewed study showing that over 90 percent of the U.S. electric grid and auto fleet´s energy needs could be met by solar thermal power. ]
Wow, these guys are brilliant. Who would have thought of solar power?? I guess they will become billionaires bringing their COST EFFECTIVE solutions to market.
What, they need a subsidy? Oh never mind.
hehe i work for electrical utility
enough said
Their claims are impossible.
Imagine Hitlary as POTUS....she could declare the areas which are defined as “coal seams” as national parks.....just like her husband did in Utah. That would make solar cheap.
Wouldn’t be surprized at all, if a full-scale competition for money, customers and power doesn’t erupt during the next decade, between solar power entepreneurs in the sunny southwestern states, farmers in the plains, and wind turbines just about everywhere.
With oil at 100+, things are going to start happening.
Fast.
Saw a pretty interesting prototype on Discovery Channel this week, about a solar company startup called “Stirling Energy” (no I’m not spamming for them, but it was interesting)
Rather than using photovoltaic cells, their prototype was a gigantic dish of computer controlled mirrors (each about the size you would hang behind your bar in some cute pattern, at home) I think there are 85 mirrors on the dish. Somewhere around that number.
The mirrors form a parabolic focal point in front of the dish, like a radio telescope. That’s where it gets pretty interesting.
At the focal point, is a motor. It’s a design called a “Stirling” motor. It’s got 2 pistons, oil lubricated, air cooled, and generates 25KW if I got the stats right. It runs on heat.
The entire mirror setup tracks the sun using self-generating power during the day.
Takes up about the footprint, a large tree would. Like one of those old-school home sat dishes, but about triple that size.
Hook one up in your backyard. Run it to some storage batteries. Charge your car overnight - and off you go the next morning, free power.
(except the dish is darn expensive since it’s new technology - but so used to be PC’s.
I think the beginning of the end, of our national addiction to supporting terrorists and communists in order to move around, is about to end.
When it happens, it could happen fast. And some people are going to get *very* rich during that time.
That’s funny.
I get one first
anything but oil for me
I’m not sure about the contraption you are talking about, but oil at a $110 barrel will fire up the competition and innovation. The demand is there. But maybe we could start drilling our own oil and build refineries first so we can put some Americans to work and not dish our money out overseas. At this price, it is well worth doing.
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