Solana, the U.S.’s first large-scale solar plant that can store the energy it generates on Tuesday was given a $1.45 billion loan guarantee by Secretary Chu.
The advantage of storage capacity is that Solana will be able to keep energy that would not be used during peak demand, thus increasing solar power’s dependability.
Solana will be built near Gila Bend in Arizona, a 250MW project deemed the world’s largest parabolic trough concentrating plant. It will produce enough energy for 70,000 households and will help to prevent the emission of 475,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year compared to a natural gas burning power plant.
Besides the environmental benefits, the plant will generate between 1,600 and 1,700 new construction jobs and then 60 permanent jobs in Arizona and neighboring states. A mirror manufacturing facility will be built outside Phoenix in order to provide the 900,000 mirrors needed for the project, further boosting the local job market.
Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.
2 comments
I computed Solana’s levelized cost of the solar electricity (LCOE) to be US$ 192.18/MWh (US¢19.22/kWh) [143.62 €/MWh]. I assumed 6 solar hours a day at Gila Bend, AZ. If I assume 8 solar hours a day, the LCOE drops to US$ 164.18/MWh (US¢16.42/kWh). (14.21% decrease).
To learn how I computed these values, visit my website and go to my webpage “American Economics Association Meetings 7-9 January 2011-Denver, CO”. There you can download my analysis titled, “The Cost of Solar Electricity from Abengoa’s Arizona CSP Plant with Storage”.
Mr. Pasolini correctly states that Solana is a solar parabolic trough concentrating plant. The photo with the article shows a solar tower.
Total project cost is $2 Billion USD / 70,000 homes = $28,571 per household and the bulk of the jobs are temporary. If this project made economic sense, private money would have funded it. Recent history dictates that the project will likely be purchased by either China or Spain. We can also forget about looking for a return on investment.
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