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Which solar technology will survive?

March 12, 2008, 3:20pm PDT | Length: 00:06:58
At the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco, Todd Glass of Heller Ehrman moderates a discussion on the various solar technologies making a difference in the green movement. From thin film PVs to concentrating solar, which technology is best-suited for deployment on a utility scale? Attempting to answer this question are panelists Peter Duprey, CEO at Acciona; Ricardo Angel, senior vice president at GE Energy Financial Services; and Fong Wan, vice president of energy procurement at PG&E.
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Talkback Most Recent of 6 Talkback(s)

  • Practical considerations to start a discussion
    Solar technologies that will make it in the long term will have to be low maintenance. That means strong materials that don't have to be cleaned, few if any moving parts, cheap to make, and will still put out some power even in cloudy weather (yes, it clouds up and rains even in the Southwest. And it has to be 120 VAC if a power utility is going to put the power on the grid (solar cells put out DC).


    Then there's power storage, as people need power even/especially at night or in bad weather.
    Finally, most of the US (other countries too) really isn't suitable for solar, simply because it's so cloudy east of the Great Plains and in mountains.

    On the other hand, wind turbines work in much of the US, though I know little about how they fare in strong winds (thunderstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, microbursts).
    ZDNet Gravatar
    gypkap@...
    22nd May 2008
  • No prob
    It doesn't matter if most of the country doesn't get enough solar rays. 1/10 of Nevada, if covered with the trough/linear-frensel technology they're discussing, could provide all the US with electricity at or below grid rates. It would however require a new backbone of super high voltage transmission lines across the country. Better off supply only 1/3 of the E needed with solar.

    Solar power storage best done with underground caves, where thermal energy is stored as steam, then converted to E as needed. Only adds 20% to the cost, still below grid costs at this scale.

    FYI ... wind turbine blades automatically adjust, so they never fail in strong wind conditions.


    Surprised they poopooed thin films.CIGS and other nano tech looks very impressive. The problem is manufacturing, apparently, and the hurdles are significant.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    daver_z
    5th Jun 2008
  • how about a combination of all of those...
    solar tower with turbines and solar pond technologies
    using heat pipe technology for heat transfer

    24/7 solar chimney

    200MW trial is being constructed north of Mildura,
    Australia by mission energy. 5MW trial was held in SPain
    over ten years ago, without the solar pond..so was subject
    to variable convection due to sun/cloud combinations.

    solar ponds can achieve 60˚C water temperatures in winter
    all sustainable
    all renewable
    nothing new
    nothing exotic

    why is there no rush to implement this technology

    reflectors get dust and are subject to sun/cloud effects
    and condensation

    solar tower...no worries!!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    garybau
    17th Jun 2008
  • RE: Which solar technology will survive?
    Steam storage doesn't seem practical to me. First clue: if it was really practical, power companies would be using the tech today. The steam loses its energy quickly through its storage tank. If someone's actually using this technology, then cite it please, with a Web or document reference, and I'll change my mind.

    What does work for energy storage is water pumped from lower altitude to higher altitude. That's been done for some time at the hydroelectric plants near Niagara Falls, for instance. Water at Lake Ontario level is pumped to higher level reservoirs up on the Niagara Escarpment with excess power from the hydro plants, and that potential energy turned to power to be used during peak loads. The same idea has been proposed for mountainous areas as well (Colorado).
    ZDNet Gravatar
    gypkap@...
    24th Oct 2008
  • RE: Which solar technology will survive?
    Hi,

    Energy produced from solar, wind, geothermal, wave...etc. need about 10-years to be competitive to escaling fuel oil prices.

    However, the short-term priority to generate electricity should be directed to produce bio-gas (Methane) from organic materials, like residues of vegetables, fruits and other crops, and from municipal organic solid waste.

    The second source of bio-gas will be utilizing anaerobic digestion in waste water treatment plants to create bio-gas.

    The resulted benefits of these are two folds, producing fuel gas and reducing environmental nuisance.

    Hayel Msherbash
    Amman - Jordan
    hayel_msherbesh@yahoo.com
    ZDNet Gravatar
    HayelM
    29th Jul 2008
  • Biogas
    Biogas capture has been done in larger wastewater treatment plants in the US. Enough methane is captured from sludge digesters to help power the wastewater plant.

    I think I've heard of gas from landfills and feedlots (chickens, cattle, etc.) being captured and used for power or heat.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    gypkap@...
    24th Oct 2008

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