Gallery, Projects and General > Neat Stuff
Solar power
AdeV:
--- Quote from: Lew_Merrick_PE on December 21, 2012, 11:09:01 PM ---
--- Quote from: Noitoen on December 21, 2012, 03:46:15 PM ---The big problem is keeping the mirrors clean and efficient
--- End quote ---
Also the usually overlooked issue with PV units.
--- End quote ---
Assuming by PV you mean photovoltaics; the Spanish power tower doesn't use them; it uses concentrated solar energy to heat molten salt, which in turn is used to create steam, and the usual power station fits on the back.
AdeV:
--- Quote from: Fergus OMore on December 22, 2012, 05:06:41 AM ---However this Spanish thing. Very pretty and great for the bankrupt Spanish economy that wants a bail out from- well, me. OK, I've got a shower in my Spanish garden beside my pool. Out of sheer laziness or simply hard rock but the water heats up- with the sun simply being there.
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In fairness, the power tower was built before the economic crisis hit; and given that Spain has to import 100% of its fuel, for them a solar power plant makes excellent economic sense. By avoiding the PV route, they've also avoided the major problem of having to replace them - at great cost - every 20 years.
PekkaNF:
--- Quote from: AdeV on December 22, 2012, 07:30:18 AM ---
--- Quote from: Lew_Merrick_PE on December 21, 2012, 11:09:01 PM ---
--- Quote from: Noitoen on December 21, 2012, 03:46:15 PM ---The big problem is keeping the mirrors clean and efficient
--- End quote ---
Also the usually overlooked issue with PV units.
--- End quote ---
Assuming by PV you mean photovoltaics; the Spanish power tower doesn't use them; it uses concentrated solar energy to heat molten salt, which in turn is used to create steam, and the usual power station fits on the back.
--- End quote ---
All true, but I think Lew was saying that dirt is a problem on thermal panels and also PV panels.
Solar energy facinates me, but at my point of view everything works at Spain/middle europe and pretty much nothing works in north, like most of Finland. I mean as anual level. We get enough solar power in summer, when very little surplus energy is needed and very little on long, cold and dark winter. If the energy just could be stored more efficiently long time......
Pekka
Fergus OMore:
to clear up a few points, the German units were photo-voltaic but for interest, we crossed the Rhine in mid August from Alsace in what was a National warning of 40degrees C. Less than a fortnight later, there was snow coming in in Austria. It wasn't a random event. Snow seems to have arrived mid-August for the last 16 years.
As far as Spain is concerned, I suspect that they have been in cloud cuckoo land and living from European Common Market grants for a very long time. Basicly, Spain is not a highly industrialised country. When Minis were costing under £500 new, you could get a small villa for £450.
I'm a cold blooded creature that recalls the donkey cart- rather than fancy solar monstrosities.
Britain got its grants towards solar panels in the home- and all was bright and gay. The goal posts are now changed.
philf:
It would be nice to see some sun at the moment!
What there isn't any shortage of is water.
I'm involved with a small scale Hydro-electric scheme on the River Goyt about a mile from my home. It's currently churning out about 48KW for 24 hours a day. It's a twin Archimedes screw driving permanent magnet three phase generators through 30:1 gearboxes.
The variable frequency, variable voltage output from the generators is fed into an inverter which outputs three phase in sync with the mains. It feeds into the grid via a pole mounted transformer. In turn we get paid a feed in tarrif.
The river is running very high a the moment but, unfortunately, that doesn't mean a proportionate increase in power output. The power available is dependant on the drop available over the weir where the scheme is sited. When the river is high above the weir it's also high below it.
We have a rota of volunteers to go down every day to clean the input screen of debris. At the moment it's twigs and branches and the occasional tree trunk. A month ago we were having to clear huge mats of leaves which were causing up to an 18" drop of head across the screen. Next Autumn we're going to do some experiments with the screen to try to stop the leaf problem. The Environment Agency specified the maximum size of the gaps in the screen at 100mm. Sycamore leaves have huge stalks which easily bridge the gaps and once one sticks there's a chain reaction.
A number of the volunteers have solar panels at home - some claiming that it pays their entire gas & electric bills for the year.
Phil.
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