Largest US Power Storing Solar Array Goes Live

Lucas123 writes "A solar power array that covers three square miles with 3,200 mirrored parabolic collectors went live this week, creating enough energy to power 70,000 homes in Arizona. The Solana Solar Power Plant, located 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, was built at a cost of $2 billion, and financed in large part by a U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee. The array is the world's largest parabolic trough plant, meaning it uses parabolic shaped mirrors mounted on moving structures that track the sun and concentrate its heat. A first: a thermal energy storage system at the plant can provide electricity for six hours without the concurrent use of the solar field. Because it can store electricity, the plant can continue to provide power during the night and inclement weather."

Comments

Re:Thats a shitload of money

[Anonymous Coward]

Yea solar plants are soooo ugly. Not like coal power plants which are scenic wonders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_Junction_Trip_92007_098.JPG

Re:WTF

[bob_super]

Shhh... Don't argue. The average slashdotter has a lot better technological insight than what "stupid" people with a paltry $2000000000 credit line could ever access.

Re:WTF

[Anonymous Coward]

Helps to read this in the voice of Sheldon.

Re:WTF

[evilviper]

You never build a Solar plant because you need more electricity. Because if you build one you also have to build a traditional plant in order for cloudy days and night

Except for the fact that, in the southwestern US, peak power demand tracks sunlight pretty well. And that peaking plants (run on coal) are fairly expensive. And that all that solar power can simply displace daytime use of hydro, which can fill-in the shortfall on cloudy days of high demand.

So, you're just *completely* wrong... That's not too bad here on /.

Re:pricing

[evilviper]

Those panels aren't free. They can take 10+ years to pay for themselves.

You're wrong. [...] The break even point is 10 years.

So he's saying it takes a good long 10 years to break even, and you're saying it only takes a nice short 10 years to break even?

I see the difficulty. I say we lock you both in a cage and let you fight to the death...