Antinuclear

How Australia could be powered by solar technology

Australia’s confused solar policy June 1, 2011 PHYSORG.com By Mark Diesendorf “…….Scaling up to industrial-size solar The residential and commercial sectors are together responsible for about half of Australia’s electricity consumption. Almost the entire other half is industrial.If this demand were supplied by solar, it would need large solar power stations.There are two types that could fit the bill:• Concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) power stations. These are fully commercial technologies, in the sense that they are in mass production overseas. Although expensive, they are rapidly declining in price.• Concentrated solar thermal (CST) power stations.

Of these, the first generation technologies (parabolic trough) are classified as “pre-commercial”: they are in limited mass production. Second generation technologies (power tower, linear Fresnel and dish) are still at the demonstration stage.At present, CPV power stations are less expensive than CST, but the latter has a great advantage that could allow it to become the dominant renewable electricity technology in Australia and several other sunny countries before 2030.

The solar collectors of CST power stations concentrate sunlight to produce heat. Part of that heat generates electricity during the daytime and the rest can be stored overnight at low-cost.

So CST can generate 24 hours per day…..Australia’s confused solar policy

June 4, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, solar | solar