Comments on: First Solar is the First Solar Inaugurated on Public Lands

By: National Clean Energy Summit 5.0 - CleanTechnica

National Clean Energy Summit 5.0 - CleanTechnica — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 11:06:00 +0000

[…] crystal clear when you look at the numbers. Since 2010, these clean energy projects, projects like Silver State North and Enel Green Power’s Stillwater plant, have generated more than $248 million in tax revenue. […]

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:35:00 +0000

Well, yes, it has become more than just desert solar.

But the impetus came from the calculation about how large a region of the planet it would take to supply all the solar from deserts – so rather than google it up, I steered Oilmath to that as it would answer his/her question.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Thu, 10 May 2012 03:33:50 +0000

Well, yes, it has become more than just desert solar. But the impetus came from the calculation about how large a region of the planet it would take to supply all the solar from deserts – so rather than google it up, I steered Oilmath to that as it would answer his/her question.

By: Bob_Wallace

Bob_Wallace — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:50:00 +0000

I don’t think you’re correctly representing the Desertec plan. While a big input is solar from North Africa, many other sources tie into the system.

Iceland is expected to furnish hydro and geothermal, the British Isles and Ireland wind, tidal and perhaps wave. Norway has lots of good hydro which can be used as dispatchable input. Denmark and other northern areas have good wind. Further south solar should be a larger part of the mix. Geothermal and existing nuclear will contribute what they have to offer.

The idea makes enormous sense to me. Asia needs its own “Desertec” as does North America. We think nothing of shipping coal and oil vast distances. Why should we balk at shipping electricity? By tying multiple areas together we lower variability and we will be able to share storage and backup generation.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:49:00 +0000

You are becoming my best editor ever, Bill! Yeah, I mean than traditional solar PV: the crystalline hard panels.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:47:00 +0000

Oilmath, the engineers at Desertec have done that sort of research. Google it for size of solar to power world, it is pretty tiny. Their idea is to supply all the world’s power form solar in deserts which are close enough to all population centers (Sahara, Australia, Southwest, China, Andes) to supply it all. But there is no need to supply all power from solar alone. Wind is better for some regions, hydro, geo, ocean all help.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:46:43 +0000

By: Oilmath

Oilmath — Wed, 09 May 2012 05:24:00 +0000

50MW (peak daytime output?) per square mile (640acres). multiply by 1000 (sq. mi) and that is 50GW peak? That would cover California daytime usage for 300 clear days/year maybe? How much more is needed with energy storage to dump CO2 energy sources? What is the useable roof top area available in Los Angeles and other cities to avoid covering valued wilderness? Need a regularly updated page on solar (and other clean energy) statistics vs. energy needs…maybe already one?

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:53:27 +0000

Will fix, though.

By: Susan Kraemer

Susan Kraemer — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:52:33 +0000

Than traditional crystalline PV. You know what I mean, Bill!

By: Bill_Woods

Bill_Woods — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:48:00 +0000

“Thin film is less efficient than PV; …”

Thin film is PV.

By: Ross

Ross — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:10:00 +0000

It passed the environmental review so I guess not.

By: bwark

bwark — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:09:00 +0000

Would you say that if they were building golf courses, or starting a horse ranch. nah. no havoc. the land is desert. just green and clean. provide some shade during the day for many small animal.

By: » Solar project opens on federal property – Washington Times » Energized Energized

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:53:22 +0000

[…] and First Solar announce completion of 50-MW Silver State North …MarketWatch (press release)CleanTechnica -Las Vegas Sunall 74 news […]

By: MV

MV — Tue, 08 May 2012 07:34:00 +0000

@ew – did you read the bit that said the “region currently abused by Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) users”.

By: ew

ew — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:51:00 +0000

618 acres? That will certainly wreak havoc on the ecology.