This is what the world's largest solar plant looks like when it's catching rays

theverge ^ | February 13, 2014 01:44 pm | Jacob Kastrenakes

[2111USMC]

Crispy Condors!

[zerosix]

The birds are probably some of John McCain’s “wacko birds” anyway!

[Steely Tom]

Here is a video by a guy who is flying in a light plane over the region. He describes (in the comments) a light source in the desert that he says is " ... blindingly bright, its center resembling something like when you look at a welder's torch"

The video is only 22 seconds long, but it's pretty clear.

[Texas Eagle]

Libs treat animals like people. Nothing has been more harmful to the poor than Liberalism.

[Dagnabitt]

Experts describe the local bird population as delicious.

[Wingy]

Wait, maybe they are only allowed to fly over it at night...

Speaking of night, what do those 140,000 homes do after dark when their power goes out? Man, we are dumb!

[hinckley buzzard]

Who has the window cleaning concession?

Jobs program for 10,000 unskilled illegals with buckets and wash rags. At $10.10 per hour.

[Army Air Corps]

I see gallons of Windex....

[publius911]

Who has the window cleaning concession?

That is not merely a good question, it is THE crucial question.

How much labor/cost does it take before reduced efficiency outweighs the cost of cleaning?
How often will this cleaning be necessary?
How often will the mirrors need to be replaced?

(Desert.
Wind.
Abrasion.)

[al baby]

I love it drove by a few times just don’t look at the collector it is real bright

[TADSLOS]

ROFL. I was JUST there!

[RetiredTexasVet]

Let’s have a little math fun. One gargantuan solar plant will provide power for 140,000 people houses (not businesses or manufacturers) for 2 thirds of a day (the other third is night) which covers approximately 5 square miles. So for the West Coast’s (just Ca, Or & Wa) approximate population of 56 million it would take 400 of these installations and approximately 2,000 square miles to provide the electric for 2 thirds of a day for the West Coast.

Now, about cost ........

[ltc8k6]

Bright Lights, Dim Idea

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2014/02/bright-lights-dim-idea.php

[depressed in 06]

140,000 households???

What is that in megawatts?

[publius911]

And the reflective radiation is having what effect on the environment??
OH WAIT...
We aren’t allowed to ask common sense question about items in the political correctness portfolio, are we??

Or dumb questions.
Reflecting and concentrating solar energy does not, and cannot "create or destroy" energy or heat. It can only redistribute the normal heating-cooling cycle.
If the mirrors weren't there, the heat exchange would still be there, albeit at a different rate. Net change, zero.

[tcrlaf]

Years back, I read an article by a University of Ottawa prof about the reflective cooling effect of ultra-large solar arrays.

It ran very counter to the political correctness gobblygook about solar energy.

[Dead Corpse]

Nope. It still looks like an inefficient waste of money...

[Organic Panic]

Only a couple billion dollars for a 10% capacity eyesore. Only in government. As long as treehuggers sleep good though. That’s what’s important.

[Delta 21]

I thought plants like this used a sodium compound that liquified at high temp and flowed to heat exchangers to make the steam. The sodium can get so hot, retain its heat and with a large enough volume of sodium, store enough energy to create power thru the night.

[dr_lew]

Of course, that’s the focal spot being lit up by the mirrors. It’s desgined to absorb the light focused on it, but it probably only absorbs about 95% ( my guess. ) Note the mirrors are dark, since none of them reflects light towards the plane.