solar updates reflective and PV for the world

First topic message reminder :

the baja is a perfect place for reflective/thermal solar systems. It is considered one of the top places in the world for making use of the suns energy. PV (photovoltaic) is just too expensive and will degrade in a expected 30 year life. whereas the reflective/thermal plants are good for 50-100 years. Baja could begin solar farming of electricity and ship it to the mainland and or the USA. properly set up I bet these could provide shopping center shade. LaPaz could be the first city to mandate electric vehicles because the power is so cost effective. LaPaz could become the Solar Energy University and offer degrees on all aspects of this technology. In general LaPaz loses its best engineers because there are no real engineering jobs in the non-manufacturing area of the baja. This would create long term clean good paying jobs in the baja, thousands of them...

Our electric costs in the baja for second the main tier rates are about 27 pesos with tax per KiloWattHour. or about USD$0.25. In the USA the average for home use is about USD$0.10 San Diego for the high rate is USD$0.14. And in the USA commercial rates are even lower. The USA gives a substantial discount to businesses. In Canada the delivered cost of electricity is about 7 cents per KWh.

The cost to make electricity is as low as 2 cents a KWh made by nuclear power plants. And diesel plants being the highest. after that there are transmision and distribution fees. these fees are the equipment which is a standard around the world for wire transformers, no one has discounts here. As we know in the USA the power company linemen/installers employees make top level union wages. In the baja I have no idea what the costs are of the employees.

The new installations of solar thermal with US labor costs for set up in the USA are delivering power to consumers at USD$0.14. this is in a return of 20 years and these plants will last for 50-100 years so the price will be substantially less. Isn't it time baja begins setting up these farms and selling the power to the USA and mainland Mexico?

Baja sells renewable fruits and vegetables so why not farm electricity and bring in quality jobs that last for a hundred years that do less damage than agricultural farming does and help the US and mainland have clean energy and become energy independent.

the details are posted below in the next posts.

this one would be perfect for our area. it is shown operating at 11 mph wind.

http://www.gizmag.com/darwind5-vertical-axis-wind-turbine/24696/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=059618f507-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

Ontario, Canada has carved out a niche for itself as a hub of green technology. One of the latest clean tech innovations to come out of that province is DARWIND5, a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). Designed by Harvistor, it comes with a promise of more oomph than existing models for small-scale wind power generation. According to the company, recent tests showed that its technology can achieve 35 percent more kilowatt hours per year than current VAWTs for the same sweep area, besides operating at 25 percent lower heights than similarly priced market leaders.

Individually, each rotor has a longer power stroke than previously thought possible because the new airfoil shape flies upside down and right side up during key parts of rotation, like a stunt airplane doing a full loop. During rotation, the lift forces change twice from moving away from the shaft to moving toward the shaft, making for the longer stroke. All of these forces occur on the windward side of the turbine – any turbulence exits on the leeward side, where it doesn't affect the turbine. This avoids individual torque peaks, which are a major cause of wind turbine breakdowns

With nameplate power (capacity under ideal conditions) ranging between 500 watts and 1.5 kilowatts in a 1.2-meter (3.9-ft) working diameter, DARWIND5 operates at a speed that ranges between 4 m (13.2 ft) and 24 m (78.7 ft) per second. It doesn’t need a brake because it self-regulates the top RPM – until now, unregulated top speeds have been a problem with VAWT design. A cantilevered tilt mount design reportedly makes cleaning and repairing an easy task, allowing it to be done anytime without power production loss or delays.

http://www.gizmag.com/composite-desalination-pipes/24470/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=0c768aec5c-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

Heat-conducting composite pipes could make desalination less costly

In a typical desalination plant, pipes made from titanium or other expensive types of metal are an integral part of the process. Now, however, scientists have created a new type of piping material that is much cheaper to produce – potentially making desalination possible in countries that previously couldn’t afford it.

Ordinarily, hot water or gas is pumped through pipes composed of titanium or a high-alloy steel. That piping conducts heat from the water or gas, which is transferred to its outer surface, causing it to become hot. When seawater is then sprayed onto the outside of that hot pipe, its pure water content evaporates and is collected, while its salt content forms into a sludge on the pipe.

In an effort to come up with a less costly heat-conductive piping material, researchers from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials combined a polymer with copper microfibers – the mix is as much as 50 percent copper, by volume. The resulting composite can reportedly still be processed like regular plastic, yet it conducts heat like metal.

Pipes made from the material are now being tested in a desalination plant, where gas heated to 70ºC (158ºF) is continuously being pumped through them. The scientists plan on assessing the material’s thermal conductivity along with its corrosion resistance, then tweaking the mixture as needed.

Mobile machine can make biofuel for military and humanitarian operations

http://www.gizmag.com/ebr-argonne-biofuel-military/23729/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c13d67b3e8-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

good information about baja...
http://www.desline.com/articoli/8924.pdf
Renewable energy powered desalination in
Baja California Sur, Mexico



http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2012/03/solfocus-builds-first-50-mw-solar-power-plant-in-baja-california/

SolFocus joined with Mexican land and real estate developer Grupo Musa and U.S.-based energy developer Synergy Technologies LLC to announce the launch of a landmark solar power plant in Baja California near Tecate, Mexico.

The project, planned as a 450 MW total capacity, will be built in 50 MW tranches, with construction on the first tranche starting in late 2012 and being operational before the end of 2013. The power plant, which will use SolFocus Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) equipment, will be owned and operated by SolMex Energy S.A. de C.V., the new company formed by Grupo Musa and Synergy Technologies for the production of clean solar energy in Mexico.

consumes no water to generate electricity...

http://www.gizmag.com/aora-tulip-solar-power-plant/22067/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=c4adb52b11-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

The scalable, modular system incorporates 52 mirrors – or heliostats – which are arranged on the ground around the base of the Tulip. They turn to track with the sun, reflecting and concentrating its rays onto the plant’s top-mounted “bulb” at all times of the day. This causes the air inside the bulb to heat to temperatures as high as 1,000ºC (1,832ºF). That ultra-hot air is then used to run a turbine generator.

The plant has an output capacity of 100 kilowatts-equivalent – reportedly enough to power 60 to 80 homes.

this one is so ideal for baja.... just the first one so of course the cost is high...

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57373508-76/solar-tower-will-power-las-vegas-at-night/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&tag=nl.e703

The cost for energy from this plant is projected to be 13.5 cents per kilowatt-hour and will go up 1 percent a year during its 25-year power purchase agreement. That's cheaper than a new nuclear power plant or a coal plant with carbon capture and storage, but more expensive than a new natural gas plant, Smith said



"This technology has been well proven. (But) this is project No. 1, so it's like a hand-crafted large-scale project," he said. "The key for future projects is to make improvements on the pricing."

this is also ideal for baja
http://www.gizmag.com/umla-solar-greenhouse/21090/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=7fe5ae2a6e-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email
Solar panels keep greenhouses cooler in summer, let the sun through in winter

Spain's ULMA Agrícola consortium and Tecnalia research center have developed a new type of photovoltaic solar panel for greenhouses that can generate electricity without an adverse effect on the crops grown within, while additionally providing cooling in summer. The system is designed to exploit the annual oscillation - the variation in the height of the sun's path across the sky over the course of the year. In theory, no solar radiation is compromised over winter, but surplus radiation can be diverted to electricity-generation during summer.

also where I have stuff posted

http://la-ventana.forumotion.com/t230-solar-photovoltaic-and-others

http://www.gizmag.com/kitegen-high-altitude-wind-turbine/20335/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=bf11794e6c-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

KiteGen looks to get wind-power off the ground

Wind-power has rapidly evolved over the last decade to become a key part of the alternative energy mix with towering rows of turbines now dotting horizons all over the globe. One of the drawbacks to the conventional windmill approach is that they are still low to the ground, so why not go to where the winds are stronger and more consistent - up. Like the Magenn Air Rotor System, KiteGen technology is aiming to do just that. The system generates energy by guiding tethered kites over a predefined flight path in order to rotate a ground based turbine and, while only in the testing and planning phases, it looks to be a promising solution. The large wings (or kites) in the KiteGen system are driven by avionic sensors located in a dome base that also houses an electric generator. The control system is designed to automatically guide the kites in order to rotate the turbine and maximize torque. As altitude increases, average wind speeds increase as well. This is a factor that traditional wind turbines cannot compete against, since they are stationary and are generally only able to reach heights of 100m.

most of our cooling need is removal of moisture. if this ever gets to production would be great.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-57319061-54/salt-driven-air-conditioner-looks-to-slash-energy/?tag=rtcol

BOSTON--Startup 7AC Technologies hopes saltwater and high-tech plastic will lead to a more efficient air conditioner.

The Woburn, Mass.-based company is in the process of raising a $1.3 million round, expected to close in two months, to build a commercial prototype of its air conditioner design, said CEO Peter Vandermeulen earlier this week at the Conference on Clean Energy here.

By using a liquid dessicant to remove humidity from air, 7AC Technologies claims it can cut cooling costs by 50 percent to 75 percent and heating costs by about 50 percent. The company has a prototype in its lab and plans to beta test its efficient air conditioner with customers next spring, he said. Eventually, it intends to make a residential system, too, Vandermeulen said.

Traditional air conditioners run using a condenser, much like a refrigerator or heat pump, to remove moisture from the air to cool it. But there are a handful of companies, including Advantix Systems and ClimateWell, building air conditioners using dessicant materials in an effort to lower energy use.

to go on sale in a year.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9220547/3M_film_turns_windows_into_transparent_solar_panels

3M film turns windows into transparent solar panels
3M said the thin film can easily be applied to windows, generating power and cutting heat, and will begin sales next year.

IDG News Service - 3M has developed a see-through film that turns ordinary windows into solar panels. It will go on sale next year.

The solar film, on display at the Ceatec electronics conference in Japan, is arrayed in narrow, translucent green strips with clear gaps between and then glued to windows in large patches. A square meter of the film can generate roughly enough electricity to charge an iPhone under peak sunlight, but still allows for high visibility.

The product currently generates only about 20% of the electricity that a traditional silicon solar panel does, and will cost about half as much, though the final price has not been decided.

But it is also far easier to install and takes up no additional space. 3M has strong expertise in adhesives, where its less technical products include Scotch tape and Post-it sticky notes.

"An average person could go to the store, buy some of this, and then bring it home and install it themselves," said Yasuhiro Aoyagi, a senior manager in the company's construction markets division.

He said it is made from an organic photovoltaic material that is printed on in sheets, and will come down in price as production increases. The film blocks or absorbs about 80% of visible light and over 90% of infrared light, so it also acts as a sunshade.

http://www.gizmag.com/solar-thermal-power-study/8965/

March 11, 2008 A new study published by utility-scale solar developer Ausra argues that over 90 percent of the electric grid and car fleet in the US could be powered by solar thermal power, reducing overall US global warming pollution by 40 percent in the process.

the following would be great for our area.
http://www.gizmag.com/solar-collector-runs-air-conditioner/20029/
Solar thermal collection system uses Sun's heat to keeps things cool

Given that it typically gets hottest outside when the sunlight is most direct, it would make sense to have air conditioners that were powered by the thermal energy from solar rays. Unfortunately, collecting enough of that energy in a cost-effective manner can be challenging. Now, however, a team of University of California, Merced students have created a solar thermal collection system that is said to be significantly simpler, cheaper and more efficient than anything that's come before.

Because the system has such a wide field of view of the sky, it is also able to operate even on hazy days, scavenging sufficient heat even from indirect sunlight.

In tests of the technology, the system was reportedly able to reach a solar thermal efficiency of 60 percent at temperatures up to 400F (204C). "The efficiency of 60 percent refers to 60 percent of the sun's irradiance being converted into 'thermal' energy" UC Merced's Ron Durbin explained to us. "This is quite different than a photovoltaic system that converts 15-20 percent of the sun's irradiance into electricity."

http://www.aguacalientesolarproject.com/

AguaCalienteSolarProject
Located on 2,400 acres of farmland in Yuma County, Arizona near the communities of Dateland and Hyder, the Agua Caliente Solar Project is a 290 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) generating facility developed by NextLight Renewable Power, LLC.

On April 28, 2010, NextLight and First Solar announced a definitive agreement for First Solar to acquire NextLight. The acquisition was completed on July 12, 2010. First Solar is a leading manufacturer of PV solar panels and provider of solar solutions. The acquisition brings a number of benefits to the project, including First Solar’s advanced thin film technology and its engineering, procurement, and construction expertise.

When fully operational, the 290MW Agua Caliente Solar Project will generate enough clean solar energy to serve the needs of about 100,000 average homes per year, displacing approximately *220,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year—the equivalent of taking about 40,000 cars off the road. Construction on the Agua Caliente Solar Project is planned to begin in late 2010. Pacific Gas & Electric Company has contracted to purchase the project's output for 25 years

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/doe_finalizes_loan_guarantee_for_aqua_caliente_pv_project_first_solar_close?utm_source=PV-Tech&utm_campaign=21b78f72f0-Monday_August_8_newsletter8_8_2011&utm_medium=email

The continued construction and eventual interconnection of what will be the world’s largest solar PV power plant now seems assured. The US Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office has finalized a $967 million loan guarantee for the 290MW (AC) Agua Caliente solar project in Arizona, thus triggering the purchase close of the project by NRG Energy from First Solar, which was contingent on the closing of the guarantee.

Electricity from Agua Caliente will be sold under a 25-year power purchase agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric. At full capacity, the electricity generated by the PV project will be enough to serve more than 225,000 homes and will offset approximately 5.5 million metric tons of CO2 over 25 years.

Google invests US$168 million in world’s largest solar power tower plant
http://www.gizmag.com/google-invests-168-million-in-solar-power-tower/18383/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=f0adb533b3-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

Google has chipped in a US$168 million investment in what will be the world's largest solar power tower plant. To be located on 3,600 acres of land in the Mojave Desert in southeastern California, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) will boast 173,000 heliostats that will concentrate the sun's rays onto a solar tower standing approximately 450 feet (137 m) tall. The plant commenced construction in October 2010 and is expected to generate 392 MW of solar energy following its projected completion in 2013.

Although solar power tower development is currently less advanced than the more common trough systems, they offer higher efficiency and better energy storage capabilities. Parabolic trough systems consist of parabolic mirrors that concentrate sunlight onto a Dewar tube running the length of the mirror through which a heat transfer fluid runs that is then used to heat steam in a standard turbine.

Solar power tower systems such as the ISEGS on the other hand focus a large area of sunlight into a single solar receiver on top of a tower to produce steam at high pressure and temperatures of up to 550 ° C (over 1,000° F) to drive a standard turbine and generator. The ISEGS also uses a dry-cooling technology that reduces water consumption by 90 percent and uses 95 percent less water than competing solar thermal technologies. Water is also recirculated during energy before being reused to clean the plant's mirrors.

The entire complex will consist of three separate plants developed by BrightSource Energy that will be built in phases between 2010 and 2013. The energy generated from all three plants will be enough to supply more than 140,000 homes in California during peak usage hours, with the project contracted to provide 1,300 MW to Southern California Edison and 1,310 MW to Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

underneath is as stated a natual greenhouse and could be used for farming.

with these below numbers $750 million dollars for 150 thousand homes. Well would you pay roughly $5,000.00 to have almost free eletricity for the next 80 years.... that comes out to not taking into consideration interest about $63 dollars a year for your electric cost.

http://www.gizmag.com/enviromission-solar-tower-arizona-clean-energy-renewable/19287/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=5d7262b2a2-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

An ambitious solar energy project on a massive scale is about to get underway in the Arizona desert. EnviroMission is undergoing land acquisition and site-specific engineering to build its first full-scale solar tower - and when we say full-scale, we mean it! The mammoth 800-plus meter (2625 ft) tall tower will instantly become one of the world's tallest buildings. Its 200-megawatt power generation capacity will reliably feed the grid with enough power for 150,000 US homes, and once it's built, it can be expected to more or less sit there producing clean, renewable power with virtually no maintenance until it's more than 80 years old. In the video after the jump, EnviroMission CEO Roger Davey explains the solar tower technology, the Arizona project and why he couldn't get it built at home in Australia.

http://www.scppa.org/pages/projects/lapaz_solartower.html

a decent resource
http://jrse.aip.org/

here is another type of solar reflective/concentrating technology this one allows farming underneath also. but would be a great mall parking lot for shade.
http://www.gizmag.com/gemasolar-csp-solar-plant/19098/

Gemasolar Concentrated Solar Power achieves key milestone - 24 hours of uninterrupted supply

here is the 2007 costs of power in graphical representation.
note the solar that are talking about is photo voltaic which is very expensive as shown. solar reflective is not shown.

http://greenecon.net/understanding-the-cost-of-solar-energy/energy_economics.html

current USA electrical energy costs by state
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/products/appliances/refrig/calculator/pay.htm

refridgerator cost savings calculator if you buy a new one, enter infor on your present one.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=refrig.calculator

timely... but we need these baja Sur, the government of Baja Sur needs to meet with these companies to get them down here.

http://www.bajanews.org/index.html?entry=mexico-s-8-billion-power


Mexico's $8 Billion Power Projects may cut California Emissions
by Baja Daily News (BDN) on 06/24/11

Mexico expects foreign investment in renewable energy to almost triple this year to $8 billion, helping U.S. states such as California to slash carbon emissions, said the head of the Latin American nation’s investment promotions agency.

ProMexico, as the agency is known, is in talks with European and U.S. wind and solar-power companies for four to five projects this year, compared with four projects totaling $3 billion in 2010, agency chief Carlos Guzman said in an interview in London today. Companies with operations in Mexico, such as Italy’s Enel SpA, Spain’s Iberdrola SA (IBE), Acciona SA (ANA) or Abengoa SA could make additional investments, he said.

why not pump cold water for use in AC to cut electrical demand. this has beeen done by many places. Basically pumping the cold deep water to the city and use simple direct energy heat exchanges to cool the buildings. It cuts the electrical demand and is a green solution to it.

LaPaz is a bit of a challenge, but have seem amazing things in construction happen here. Cabo looks like a great candidate and Los Barriles does too. Here a re a few that have been done.

http://www.makai.com/renewable_energy/swac.htm
http://www.gogeothermal.ca/article_ISIS_blue_revolution.php
http://www.toronto.ca/environment/initiatives/cooling.htm
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CH0QFjAH&url=ftp%3A%2F%2Fwww.energy.wsu.edu%2FSCL%2FDeliverables%2FSpurr%2520Deep%2520Water%2520IDEA%2520June%252023%252003.ppt&rct=j&q=cooling%20deep%20water%20%20pump&ei=ndvqTdzbKpL6sAPM6OHjDQ&usg=AFQjCNExq-BX213a3pbkmYd1CceIvXVwvg&cad=rja

If LaPaz could do it they could use the outflow to make a arifical swimming pool along the malicon. They would put in a levey 100 or so yards out that would be wide enough to drive one way and park to help the parking problem and traffic problem. this would be in stages but ideally several miles long. this artifical pool would have clean water so people could swim in downtown LaPaz. this could be the worlds longest swimming pool. Ideal for people who do not want stings by jellyfish, auga Marlas, sting rays, sharks and so on. no fish. would have little fun islands. and people could get ingreat shape swimming miles. this would fill the hotels in the entire town.

a similar one was done in south america. their water was swimmable but the safety this gives made the resort world class. here is a picture of it




http://www.snopes.com/photos/architecture/largestpool.asp
this one is 1000 yards long... so the LaPaz one would be at 1 mile to have a better record. this would bring tourists from the mainland to LaPaz for the summer, so LaPaz would have business year round.

more from the companies website for the
http://www.aps.com/main/green/Solana/Technology.html



here is solar energy footprint in usa, baja is as good as best place in the USA if not better.
http://www.nrel.gov/gis/solar.html
http://rredc.nrel.gov/solar/old_data/nsrdb/redbook/atlas/
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ariel-schwartz/sustainability/where-are-best-spots-future-solar-energy-projects

here is one that went online in 2007 in Boulder City Nevada, USA

64MW Solar Installation About To Be Switched On!
by Justin Thomas, Virginia on 03.16.07
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/03/nevada_solar_on.php

One of the world's largest solar installation is about to be switched on. The project is called Nevada Solar One, and it is projected to generate 64 megawatts, when it is operational. It covers 300 acres and contain 760 mirror arrays, each measuring about 100 meters. The total number of mirrors is approximately 184,000. The solar power plant will go live next month in Boulder City, Nevada. The mirrors direct sunlight on an oil-filled tube. The oil is then used to create steam, which turns a turbine.

this is another plant going up in the USA, it estimates that it will be delivering electricity at 12-14 cents per KWh. at a 30 year contract.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007...a_solar_on.php

Arizona's largest utility, Arizona Public Service, is announcing plans to build the world's largest "concentrating solar power" plant, a $1 billion project to spread parabolic mirrors over a 3-mile-square stretch of desert 70 miles southwest of Phoenix. To be designed and built by the Spanish firm Abengoa, it would generate 280 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power 70,000 homes.

The big issue with solar energy has been the cost. Brandt says the Solana plant is expected to generate electricity at 12 cents to 14 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is about 20 percent more than the cost of the other electricity that APS generates with its mix of nuclear, natural gas, and coal. But Brandt notes that since the price of the fuel is free, it's a 30-year contract with one big source of risk eliminated.

APS will purchase 100 percent of the plant’s energy output, pending approval from the Arizona Corporation Commission. The value of the produced energy will be about $4 billion over 30 years. According to APS President Don Brandt, the Phoenix location was chosen as “APS is committed to making Arizona the solar capital of the world and bringing affordable renewable energy to all our customers.” APS already provides its customers with 131.5 MW of renewable energy, enough to power more than 37,000 homes and within the last 90 days has announced two new major solar projects. The Solana plant will create about 1,500 construction jobs and, when completed, will employ about 85 highly-skilled technicians. APS and Abengoa Solar estimate the project will bring more than $1 billion in economic benefits to the state of Arizona.

Groundbreaking ceremony takes place at Solar Millennium’s Blythe plant

this is with USA labor costs to make it, and note it will be up and running in just 2.5 years. As we know in Mexico some things can happen really fast when they decide to do it vs the USA. the permitting process and such are so slow in the USA.

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/groundbreaking_ceremony_takes_place_at_solar_millenniums_blythe_plant

Construction on the world’s largest solar thermal power plant was officially begun at a groundbreaking ceremony held on Friday June 17th. Attending the ceremony for the Blythe solar power plant facility was US Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, California’s Governor Jerry Brown and Joseph DeConinck, Blythe’s mayor, as well as representatives of Solar Millennium and the Solar Trust of America.

The Blythe project, which consists of two power plants each with a net capacity of 242MW, received a loan guarantee to the tune of US$2.1 billion from the US Federal Financing Bank in April. The overall cost of the two plants is currently projected to reach US$2.8 billion, and both are expected to be connected to the grid by 2014.

http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=solar_thermal_power_plants

Types of Solar Thermal Power Plants
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/csp_program.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concentrated_solar_power
Parabolic Troughs
Solar Dish

Solar Dish

A solar dish/engine system uses concentrating solar collectors that track the sun, so they always point straight at the sun and concentrate the solar energy at the focal point of the dish. A solar dish's concentration ratio is much higher than a solar trough's, typically over 2,000, with a working fluid temperature over 1380°F. The power-generating equipment used with a solar dish can be mounted at the focal point of the dish, making it well suited for remote operations or, as with the solar trough, the energy may be collected from a number of installations and converted to electricity at a central point.

The engine in a solar dish/engine system converts heat to mechanical power by compressing the working fluid when it is cold, heating the compressed working fluid, and then expanding the fluid through a turbine or with a piston to produce work. The engine is coupled to an electric generator to convert the mechanical power to electric power.

Parabolic Troughs

Parabolic troughs are used in the largest solar power facility in the world located in the Mojave Desert at Kramer Junction, California. This facility has operated since the 1980s and accounts for the majority of solar electricity produced by the electric power sector today.
A parabolic trough collector has a long parabolic-shaped reflector that focuses the sun's rays on a receiver pipe located at the focus of the parabola. The collector tilts with the sun as the sun moves from east to west during the day to ensure that the sun is continuously focused on the receiver.

Because of its parabolic shape, a trough can focus the sun at 30 to 100 times its normal intensity (concentration ratio) on the receiver pipe located along the focal line of the trough, achieving operating temperatures over 750°F.

Cost of electric real time. Wholesale $60.00-$36.00 /MHw
http://www.nyiso.com/public/index.jsp
http://www.eia.gov/cneaf/electricity/epm/table5_6_a.html
http://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=electricity_factors_affecting_prices

these are very high photvoltaic (PV)

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/crystalline_silicon_cost_per_watt_to_hit_us1_first_quarter_of_2012_predicts?utm_source=PV-Tech&utm_campaign=5a77bea0fc-Monday_June_20_newsletter6_20_2011&utm_medium=email

An important but unintended consequence of the global PV industry meeting at Intersolar Europe, held last week in Munich, Germany was a general fear that the market could decline this year after poor installation figures in key European markets stalled hope of continued growth. According to IHS iSuppli spot prices from the top Chinese brands had been running at US$1.49 per watt for c-Si modules before Intersolar, yet as the show prices had fallen to US$1.30 per watt. This has prompted the market research firm to guide prices to decline to the US$1 per watt by the first quarter of 2012.

the baja is a perfect place for reflective/thermal solar systems. It is considered one of the top places in the world for making use of the suns energy. PV (photovoltaic) is just too expensive and will degrade in a expected 30 year life. whereas the reflective/thermal plants are good for 50-100 years. Baja could begin solar farming of electricity and ship it to the mainland and or the USA. properly set up I bet these could provide shopping center shade. LaPaz could be the first city to mandate electric vehicles because the power is so cost effective. LaPaz could become the Solar Energy University and offer degrees on all aspects of this technology. In general LaPaz loses its best engineers because there are no real engineering jobs in the non-manufacturing area of the baja. This would create long term clean good paying jobs in the baja, thousands of them...

Our electric costs in the baja for second the main tier rates are about 27 pesos with tax per KiloWattHour. or about USD$0.25. In the USA the average for home use is about USD$0.10 San Diego for the high rate is USD$0.14. And in the USA commercial rates are even lower. The USA gives a substantial discount to businesses. In Canada the delivered cost of electricity is about 7 cents per KWh.

The cost to make electricity is as low as 2 cents a KWh made by nuclear power plants. And diesel plants being the highest. after that there are transmision and distribution fees. these fees are the equipment which is a standard around the world for wire transformers, no one has discounts here. As we know in the USA the power company linemen/installers employees make top level union wages. In the baja I have no idea what the costs are of the employees.

The new installations of solar thermal with US labor costs for set up in the USA are delivering power to consumers at USD$0.14. this is in a return of 20 years and these plants will last for 50-100 years so the price will be substantially less. Isn't it time baja begins setting up these farms and selling the power to the USA and mainland Mexico?

Baja sells renewable fruits and vegetables so why not farm electricity and bring in quality jobs that last for a hundred years that do less damage than agricultural farming does and help the US and mainland have clean energy and become energy independent.

the details are posted below in the next posts.