THE MOJAVE SOLAR PARK

November 14, 2008 on 12:07 am | In Global Statistics, Green Building, Green Cities, Solar, Solutions, Trends, Uncategorized |

THE MOJAVE SOLAR PARK

Bravo! In a perfect world, when the Mojave Solar Park is fully operational in 2011, it will deliver 553 MW of solar thermal power. In the middle of a sunny day will generate about 800 megawatts of power, roughly equal to the size of a large coal-burning power plant or a small nuclear plant.

The power will be sold to Pacific Gas & Electric, which is under a state mandate to get 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2010. (As opposed to Arizona, which is expected to do 15% by 2025.????) The utility which will use photovoltaic technology to turn sunlight directly into electricity, to be competitive with other renewable energy sources, including wind turbines and solar thermal plants (which use the sun’s heat to boil water).

The New York Times notes that California’s 20 percent renewable standard is one of the toughest, and companies there are afraid they will miss a deadline in 2010. Pacific Gas & Electric expects that when the new plants are completed, its total will rise to 24 percent, but not until 2013.

Solar power remains expensive compared with generating electricity from the more traditional methods of coal and natural gas, but quotas being set by the states are driving down the cost.

The Mojave Desert has been a solar center for several decades. Wikipedia notes that Insolation (solar radiation) in the Mojave Desert is among the best available in the United States, making the Mojave Desert particularly suitable for solar power plants. These plants can generally be built in a few years because solar plants are built almost entirely with modular, readily available materials.

Already, there are several solar power plants in the Mojave Desert which supply power to the electricity grid. Solar Energy Generating Systems (SEGS) is the name given to nine solar power plants in the Mojave Desert which were built in the 1980s. These plants have a combined capacity of 354 megawatts (MW) making them the largest solar power installation in the world.

Nevada Solar One is a new solar thermal plant with a 64-MW generating capacity, located near Boulder City, NV. That plant that uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight.

At 800 megawatts total, the new Mojave Solar Park will greatly exceed the scale of previous solar installations. The largest photovoltaic installation in the United States, 14 megawatts, is at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, using SunPower panels.

Spain has a 23-megawatt plant, and Germany is building one of 40 megawatts.

Sources:

http://www.car.org/newsstand/crem/current-issue/october2008/235686/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_plants_in_the_Mojave_Desert

http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2006/3007/

http://www.environment.co.za/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2117

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/15/business/15solar.html

19 Comments

TrackBack URI

  1. I found your site cruizen’ google… Yes I am a real person. You can learn how to make solar panels to go green too! I use my home made solar panel to heat my swimming pool - http://www.Keep-Green.com

    Comment by Keep Green — November 14, 2008 #

  2. The Chevy Volt is a plug-in electric vehicle that will drive up to 40 miles without ever using a drop of gasoline — which, according to government data, would be enough to handle approximately two-thirds of American commuters’ daily drives. The first vehicle in GM’s “E-Flex” family, the Volt will be powered by an electric motor, which draws its energy from on-board batteries. The batteries, in turn, will be re-charged by a small internal combustion engine that will run on gas, diesel or ethanol. When not in use, the batteries will be re-charged by simply plugging the Volt into a standard electrical outlet.

    Comment by Gloria Huang — November 15, 2008 #

  3. Introduced earlier this year as a concept, LEED 2009 will be a significant evolution of the existing rating systems for commercial buildings. It will incorporate a series of technical advancements in improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and other environmental and human health benefits. It will also incorporate regional credits–extra points that have been identified as priorities within a project’s given environmental zone–as well as a re-weighting of credits to reflect climate change and energy efficiency as priorities. The current qualification system ranges from a minimum of 26 points for certification to 69 points for Platinum status; LEED 2009, by contrast, will be a 100-point system that integrates life-cycle assessments and various sector-oriented credits into one overall system.

    Comment by GlobeSt.com — November 15, 2008 #

  4. Would it surprise you to know that solar thermal (hot water generation) has a much faster financial breakeven and payback? Did you know it can be effectively used across the continental U.S.? Would it be of interest to you if the time needed for solar collection each day only required approximately four hours and had little-to-no issues due to shading, shadowing or low-light conditions?

    If so, how about the idea that your cost for a solar thermal system can be as low as one third that of a photovoltaic system and very, very possibly last twice as long?

    Comment by Richard Carter, Green Energy Cafe — December 2, 2008 #

  5. California on Thursday adopted the nation’s most sweeping plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, issuing rules that could transform everything from the way factories operate to the appliances people buy and the fuel they put in their cars.

    The Air Resources Board unanimously approved the plan despite warnings it will put costly new burdens on businesses at a time when the economy is in extreme crisis, with California forecasting a staggering budget gap of $41.8 billion through mid-2010.

    Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he believes the regulations will spur the state’s economy and serve as a model for the rest of the country.

    “When you look at today’s depressed economy, green tech is one of the few bright spots out there, which is yet another reason we should move forward on our environmental goals,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement.

    The strategy relies on 31 new rules affecting all facets of life, including where people may build their homes and what materials they use to do it.

    One central piece is a cap-and-trade program, set to begin in 2012, under which power plants, refineries and big factories will be able to buy and sell the right to emit heat-trapping gases. The program could give plant operators a financial incentive to reduce their carbon emissions.

    Comment by SAMANTHA YOUNG — December 21, 2008 #

  6. Goals
    The New York Times Building at 620 Eighth Avenue was developed and constructed with
    three goals in mind:
    • To enhance the way we work by creating a comfortable and efficient workspace for
    Times Company employees.
    • To serve the Times Company’s long-term operational needs as an owner/user.
    • To reflect the Company’s values and make a meaningful contribution to New York City.
    The building was designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano in association
    with FXFOWLE Architects. The New York Times Company interior office space was
    designed by Gensler.

    Comment by The New York Times Building — January 16, 2009 #

  7. SEPA Releases “Decoupling Utility Profits from Sales”
    New White Paper Outlines Options for
    Addressing Utility-Solar Disincentive

    Washington, D.C–The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) is pleased to announce the release of the white paper, “Decoupling Utility Profits from Sales: Issues for the Photovoltaic Industry,” providing valuable insight into a regulatory policy option that addresses the business disincentive that some investor-owned utilities face when their customers install a solar electric system and, as a result, purchase less electricity from the utility. Decoupling changes the way a utility’s revenues are structured so that profits are no longer explicitly tied to electricity sales. The full report may be downloaded for free at http://www.solarelectricpower.org.

    Comment by Josephine Mooney — February 2, 2009 #

  8. Thin solar films are now covering the windows of office buildings around the country, reducing the temperature inside, cutting back on cooling costs and increasing user comfort.

    The newer, thinner, solar films being placed over the building’s glass that is completely clear, yet cuts ultraviolet and infrared light. “This is a clear film that takes your window and makes it into a smart window,” says Dan Venet, executive vice president of CHB Industries.. “It’s nice to have natural light coming in, and gives you an opportunity to reduce your lighting needs.”

    Comment by Debra Hazel — February 14, 2009 #

  9. With the stroke of a pen President Obama has rewritten the future of solar energy.

    Now signed into law, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides billions in investments to increase the use of solar energy, promote energy efficiency, improve financing options and remove market barriers.

    This legislation provides powerful investments to accelerate the U.S. towards a sustainable energy economy.

    Key provisions of this legislation include:
    • Solar and energy efficient improvements for federal buildings
    • Solar water heating incentives, removing the $2000 cap on the 30% personal tax credit (excludes pools and hot tubs)
    • Green-collar job training programs
    • Ending the state and municipal ’subsidized financing penalty’
    • Smart grid investments
    • Expanding research and development programs for renewable energy and energy efficiency

    This legislation also funds solar and energy efficient upgrades for schools, solar grant alternatives to the investment tax credit, solar manufacturer incentives, and other historic investments.

    Comment by Brad Collins, ASES — February 21, 2009 #

  10. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has presided over a widely ridiculed scheme to hand over the solar business in Los Angeles to a city agency, the Department of Water and Power (DWP), whose workers are among the best paid and most coddled of any municipal agency anywhere. Most solar plans by utilities focus more on competitive bidding by outside contractors. Villaraigosa’s plan, which recent estimates suggests will cost L.A. ratepayers upward of $3.6 billion, would grant a powerful, well-heeled union control of the city’s solar program.

    Comment by Joel Kotkin — February 27, 2009 #

  11. 360jmg Launches Its Blog!
    We here at 360jmg have been busy over the past few weeks preparing for something very exciting. Today, we are proud to announce the official launch of the 360jmg Blog, available at http://www.360jmg.com/blog.
    Our talented staff of public relations professionals, copywriters, designers and renewable energy experts will be blogging about exciting news, events and client projects.
    Ever wonder what a paper water bottle looked like? Or are you looking for information on the latest renewable energy incentives? You can find this and more on the 360jmg Blog.
    The blog will cover everything from the latest in social advocacy campaigns, the latest breakthroughs and incentives for renewable energy, and new innovations in the design world.
    Please visit the 360jmg Blog and leave your comments and thoughts, and be sure to check back for the latest musings and insights form the staff of 360jmg!
    Happy Blogging,
    The Staff of 360jmg

    Comment by 360jmg — March 7, 2009 #

  12. We would like to offer you a complimentary subscription to Semiconductor International’s
    Photovoltaics Report. This weekly eNewsletter will provide you with the latest updates and in-depth features on solar cell and PV manufacturing
    advances, changing global markets and industry news. If you do not wish to receive future eNewsletter offers from Semiconductor International, please scroll to the bottom for instructions.

    Sign up today to make sure you keep receiving the Photovoltaics Report -
    http://reg.semiconductor.net/newsletter/subscribe?nid=4752

    Comment by Photovoltaics Report from SI — May 6, 2009 #

  13. As the Center for Urban Future pointed out on Wednesday, a survey of the total number of LEED-certified buildings in cities around the country reveals that New York ranks sixth, with 41 LEED projects, behind Chicago (70), Portland (63), Seattle (55), Washington (47) and San Francisco (44). LEED, standing for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a designation conferred by the U.S. Green Building Council that assigns points for various sustainability measures included in buildings, and while it is not the be-all, end-all arbiter of whether a building is “green” or not, it is fairly well regarded in the design and construction industries.

    The simple tally of LEED projects, of course, does not say all that much on its own. And indeed it is likely that New York would be far higher if ranked on LEED projects by square footage, as multiple major office buildings and residential towers have received the designation.

    Comment by NEW YORK OBSERVER — May 8, 2009 #

  14. Commercial Building Initiative’s Goal

    CBI’s goal, as set by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Building Technologies Program, is to achieve marketable, net-zero energy commercial buildings in all U.S. climate zones by 2025. Net-zero energy buildings (NZEBs) generate as much energy as they consume through cutting-edge efficiency technologies and on-site systems such as solar power and geothermal energy. This target meets the charge of Section 422 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007

    Comment by US Department of Energy — May 25, 2009 #

  15. Which city is the greenest?

    With one of the nation’s most aggressive initiatives, San Jose argues that it is one of the greenest cities in the U.S. However, Palo Alto, Calif. asserts it is the greenest city which includes Stanford University, Packard’s garage, Facebook, etc. Other cities claiming to be the greenest include Berkeley, Calif.; Austin, Texas; Boulder, Colo.; Burlington, Vt.; Madison, Wis.; New York City; Portland, Ore.; and San Francisco, Calif.

    Comment by Green Building Update — June 3, 2009 #

  16. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will award a contract to a partnership of commercial building professionals and industry stakeholders to serve as the High-Performance Green Building Supporting Consortium in support of DOE’s commercialization of high-performance building technologies. DOE released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) May 29 and will select the consortium later this year.

    The consortium is an aspect of DOE’s Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative (CBI), which aims to produce market-ready, net-zero energy commercial buildings by 2025. The consortium will help DOE achieve the goals of the initiative by collecting information on current and next generation technologies for building components and systems. It will also give DOE access to its members’ technical expertise, will communicate the emergence of new technologies to the commercial building community, and will promote the demonstration of high-performance building technologies. Selection of the consortium was one of the requirements of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

    Comment by U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy — June 18, 2009 #

  17. If we’re going to be able to add carbon capture and storage to our toolbox of ways to address climate change, the time to demonstrate it is right now — or yesterday, maybe…CO2 emissions are continuing to rise, and we’re seeing
    impacts of climate change.

    A climate bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and up for debate
    in the Senate would provide research money and incentive for companies to
    work on the technology.

    Comment by John D. Sutter — July 15, 2009 #

  18. Thanks for this useful post…

    Comment by Solar Products — July 24, 2009 #

  19. http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/4807270/tax-main_Full.jpg

    News flash for all you who are accustomed to late tax returns… It’s tax time is upon us, boo…L

    A word to the wise, start dealing with your taxes now or pay the consequences. Several years ago), I filed my taxes late and got into some serious debt. Unfortunately, I’m still trying to eliminate the tax debt

    Comment by creertcrome — January 25, 2010 #

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Powered by Ground Zero with WordPress