Huge Solar Plants Bloom in Desert - Giant, power-generating farms will soon sprout in California, using large solar dishes and a 200-year-old engine design. They may finally make solar a viable alternative to coal and gas plants. By Will Wade.Plus: Truckers Choose Hydrogen Power [Planet Earth]
Huge solar-powered power plants seem like a fantastic solution to the shortage in fossil fuels. Two California companies plan to build two sun-powered power plants in the middle of California’s desert. These plants will be able to compete with traditional coal or gas powered plants. The larger of the two is estimated to produce 500 megawatts and the smaller will have the capacity to produce 300 megawatts. It amazes me that we have known for such a long time that we are slowly running out of fossil fuels, and it has taken this long for someone to think of and actually use an alternate source of energy. Of course many tests have to be run before the actual building of the plants begins, but if all goes well construction of both plants will begin in 2008.
I am simply amazed that it has taken so long for someone to think to find a way to innovate solar power. Photovoltaic cells are how solar panels work but these new plants will be powered differently. The sun’s light will be reflected off a dish and focused into a Stirling engine, which is a closed system with hydrogen that expands from the heat of the sun light, which in turn powers the engine. This is a much more efficient way of using solar power. These engines can convert 30% of the sun’s energy into electricity which is two or three times more efficient than conventional photovoltaic cells. The strange thing is the Stirling engine is not a new invention, as a matter of fact the design for this engine dates back to 1816. Now I ask myself, why did it take so long to finally decide to use the Stirling engine? If this engine truly is two or three times more efficient than other solar powered panels, why did we not think to use them sooner?
People do not understand that we are funning out of oil and other fossil fuels at a very fast pace, and soon there will not be any left. I believe it is great that these two California companies are finally planning to do something about it but look how long it has taken, and how much longer it will actually take. The plans for construction do not begin until 2008 and are estimated to take up to four years to complete. These plants should have been built years ago, but companies did not care to look into other sources of energy at the time because of loss of profit. Now that fossil fuels are becoming more and more expensive companies are looking for a way to produce energy cheaply. People do not care about the Earth; they care about making a profit and coming out on top. This planet is slowly dying and we are not doing enough to help save what is left. There are solutions staring us in the face but we look away for the sake of making a dollar. People need to open their eyes and see the big picture and see what is really important in this world, our future.