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Solar plant to store energy in molten salt

CNET News -- ...While the sun is shining, giant heliostats reflect sunlight into a center pool of hot, liquefied salt that absorbs the heat. The molten salt, which can be kept hot even at night or on cloudy days for up to 24 sunless hours, is used to feed a steam-generated turbine to make electricity. The salt is then redirected out of the generator to be reheated and used again.

...The Alcazar solar-thermal power project is set to break ground in 2010. It is expected to generate 750 construction jobs and 75 facility operation jobs, according to the companies.

...Once fully operational, the plant is expected to generate over 300,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, roughly enough to power 70,000 Spanish homes.


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Submitted Nov 18, 2009 By: DellDude2
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REPLIES (newest first)
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davidel57 Car icon
Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Nov 19, 2009 7:14:52 AM

I like it.
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Champion Author Providence

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Message Posted: Nov 19, 2009 4:48:45 AM

nice
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Champion Author Massachusetts

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Message Posted: Nov 19, 2009 3:08:09 AM

good idea. cost?
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Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 9:00:50 PM

come on little burdies; don't land over the molten salt lagoon. your eggs will be brittle, and the EPA will get involved; along with the DOE and all those letters that slow any worthwhile happening in a quagmire
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Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 8:01:37 PM

need to get things like running here in america. too bad an american company has to take it's ideas elsewhere.
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Champion Author Mississippi

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 6:56:07 PM

Brilliant! Big oil will have their political puppets do all they can to stop this!
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Champion Author Salt Lake City

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 5:35:32 PM

At what cost are these great miracles? How much will it drive up our power bills?
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Champion Author California

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 5:32:13 PM

Sounds very promising. Now if only we could do this on a bigger scale...
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All-Star Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 5:21:54 PM

Sounds good. How do Spanish homes compare to a standard American home?
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Veteran Author South Carolina

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 5:10:45 PM

Great idea.
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Champion Author California

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 5:08:15 PM

According to the article, "The Santa Monica, Calif.-based start-up, SolarReserve uses a fairly unique method to offer power from a solar plant even after the sun sets."

Yes! An American company doing something good!
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Champion Author Macon

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 5:05:41 PM

need to build all over the usa to save save !!!!
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Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 5:03:19 PM

The USA should be coming up with these ideas. Oil is only King because we permit it to be. Those that permit it to reign are the one's addicted to the money it brings in.
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Veteran Author Texas

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 5:00:36 PM

Great, now to make this available to the public
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Champion Author Halifax

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:57:13 PM

Now that souhds like a good alternative. I am sure we could also be using a Solar panel on the roofs of cars.
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Champion Author New York

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:54:10 PM

all these ideas but oil is still king.
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All-Star Author Indiana

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:53:48 PM

Sounds like a win-win.
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Champion Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:51:37 PM


It seems that people in some countries aren't reluctant to embrace progress and getting free power from the sun.

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Champion Author Birmingham

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:49:46 PM

Wow, great idea! Let's see how it works!
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Champion Author Pennsylvania

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:49:32 PM

Very interesting.
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Champion Author Ontario

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:43:00 PM

I think that I've heard everything NOW????
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Champion Author Minnesota

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:42:02 PM

Strange process. Is it actually a financially beneficial process.
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Champion Author Orange County

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:41:48 PM

A pillar of salt.
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All-Star Author Milwaukee

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:40:02 PM

lets see if it works
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Rookie Author Tampa

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:38:50 PM

what an amazing breakthrough of technology going to be awesome when it kicks off
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Champion Author California

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:38:07 PM

Ideas have to be tried before progress can be made. This sounds good.
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Champion Author Detroit

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:37:49 PM

keep working on alternatives
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Champion Author Albany

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:35:32 PM

Sounds great lets keep moving forward.
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Champion Author Detroit

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:35:06 PM

best way that we know to overcome shortcoming of Solar.
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Champion Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:32:10 PM

this is amazing!! Please keep us updated with any other developements...
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Champion Author Florida

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:29:45 PM

cool!
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Champion Author Mississippi

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:25:52 PM

Try it here.
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Champion Author San Antonio

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:24:28 PM

The Spanish are really looking for and using solar energy. Now they have found a way to create jobs as well as provide energy on cloudy days for up to 24 su8nless hours. Good for them. Maybe the USA can use this out in the West where there is sand and desert.
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Champion Author Tucson

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:16:54 PM

Great for Spain. We need solar projects here in the US.
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Champion Author Kentucky

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:12:35 PM

Everyone is getting on the Green bandwagon but what long term changes will hold up will be seen down the road.
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Champion Author Seattle

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:09:55 PM

Ho hum...
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Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:07:51 PM

shot in the arm for solar plants
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Champion Author Louisiana

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:05:23 PM

Great idea but what about the corrosion aspect.
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Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:03:45 PM

Wow don't fall into that!
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Rookie Author Quebec

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:01:08 PM

Good to hear this news.. Keep it up .. hopefully all the other countries consider too..
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All-Star Author Miami

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:00:37 PM

Do you have to replace the salt? Or is this renewable?
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Veteran Author Pennsylvania

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 4:00:33 PM

I musthave missed something, why molten salt???

Won't the salt corrode away the turbines like it does my car & truck???

wont work in the northeast anyway, no sun in winter to speak of!!!!
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Champion Author Amarillo

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 3:59:41 PM

Oh boy, hot salt!
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All-Star Author Milwaukee

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 3:58:38 PM

Alright, I have been to Spain. It is pretty much a dump. If they can figure this out, why hasn't it been brought to fruition here?
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All-Star Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 3:49:59 PM

Green energy is our only hope to stave off global warming.
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Champion Author Buffalo

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 3:45:33 PM

Sounds great for Spain. It could work here in the right area. Not to good for WNY.
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Champion Author Washington

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 3:43:32 PM


Another step in the right direction ....

FROM THE ARTICLE:

SolarReserve and Preneal have garnered the necessary permit to build a 50-megawatt thermal-solar plant in Spain that will use molten salt to store and release solar energy, the companies said Wednesday.

The project will be built in Alcazar de San Juan, a town about 110 miles south of Madrid. The environmental permit that will allow the construction of a project using molten salt was issued by the local Castilla-La Mancha government.

The Santa Monica, Calif.-based start-up, SolarReserve uses a fairly unique method to offer power from a solar plant even after the sun sets.

SolarReserve's partner on the Spain project, Madrid-based Preneal, is a development and construction company that specializes in wind and solar energy plants.
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All-Star Author Richmond

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 3:43:18 PM

Sounds promising.Too bad the current administration can't/won't support this type of energy independence here.
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Champion Author North Carolina

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 3:41:27 PM

Sounds good if all of your days are sunny, but that only happens in some areas
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Champion Author Houston

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Message Posted: Nov 18, 2009 3:38:27 PM

TBRR wrote:

>i think the plant is being built in spain. there we go
>again with europe leading the way. too much government
>interference in this country to build something like that.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is building a molten salt energy plant near Las Vegas.

So take your "too much Government interference" drivel over to US Politics where it belongs.

[Edited by: Sneakers55 at 11/18/2009 4:40:28 PM EST]
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