News Archive Article

WorldÂ’s First Solar Plant To Generate Electricity Even At Night

Seville - - The most obvious criticism of solar energy is that it doesnÂ’t work very well when the sun is down. The new Gemasolar heliostatic plant doesnÂ’t have that problem, on account of a vat of molten salt that keeps it running through 15 hours of dark.

More than 2600 concentrically arranged mirrors at the Gemasolar installation just outside of Seville, Spain concentrate solar energy towards a centrally located molten nitrate salt tank. As the rays converge, they super-heat the salt to over 900C, causing water around the tank to boil and drive steam turbines. In addition, any superfluous heat generated during the day is stored within the liquefied salt. It acts like a giant thermal battery for driving the turbines at night and during overcast days — up to 15 hours at a time with no sunlight. Seville, Spain, however, is one of the sunniest areas in Europe, so that doesn’t happen very often.

The $US410 million Gemasolar plant just opened and has a potential output of 20 megawatts, though it is currently operating below that capacity officials expect it could reach 70 per cent capacity by 2012. It’s the largest solar power station of its type in Europe, and it has an annual production total or roughly 110 GWh/year — enough to power 25,000 homes and reduce atmospheric CO2 emissions by more than 30,000 tons a year.

The combination of thermal energy storage and sunny weather guarantees that the Gemasolar plant can operate for at least 6500 hours a year, up to three times longer than other renewable sources.

Related News

iraqi electrician

Will Iraq have enough electricity for coming hot summer days?

LONDON - At a demonstration in June 2018, protesters in Basra loaded a black box resembling a coffin with the inscription “Electricity” onto the roof of a car. This was one demonstration of how much of a political issue electricity is in Iraq.

With what is likely to be another hot summer ahead, there is increasing pressure on the Baghdad government to improve access to electricity and water.

Many Iraqis blame the government for not providing adequate services despite the country’s oil wealth. Protests in southern Iraq last year turned violent, with demonstrators attacking governmental and political parties’ buildings.

“It is very hard”…

READ MORE
hydro one building

Hydro One shares jump 5.7 per cent after U.S. regulators reject $6.7B takeover

READ MORE

British solar power worker

New rules give British households right to sell solar power back to energy firms

READ MORE

wind power

UK must start construction of large-scale storage or fail to meet net zero targets.

READ MORE

graph

Florida PSC approves Gulf Power’s purchase of renewable energy produced at municipal solid waste plant

READ MORE