[ExI] solar is looking better all the time: was RE: Efficiency of wind power

[BillK]

On Wed, Apr 13, 2011 at 3:31 PM, Eugen Leitl  wrote:
<snip>
> Germany doubled PV from 1% to 2% total within about a year. Doubling
> very little should be easy, but it was very expensive even for a
> renewable world leader -- now think about the world. If anything,
> the doubling times will increase as the converted volume has to
> increase. We have done it before when we converted to fossil, but
> it took a long time, and it resulted in innovation we haven't been
> able to improve upon yet. Carnot-driven turbines are firmly with us.
>
> And of course now the volume is one order of magnitude larger,
> while we have much less time. At which point extremely popular
> words like demand destruction, frugality and austerity come in.
>


<http://www.gizmag.com/google-invests-168-million-in-solar-power-tower/18383/>

Google invests US$168 million in world’s largest solar power tower plant
By Darren Quick    April 13, 2011

Overshadowing the 20 MW PS20 solar power tower plant in Spain, the
scale of ISEGS can't be overstated. It will be the first large-scale
solar power tower plant built in the U.S. in nearly two decades and
will single-handedly almost double the amount of commercial solar
thermal electricity produced in the U.S. today and nearly equal the
amount of total solar installed in the U.S. in 2009 alone.

The entire complex will consist of three separate plants developed by
BrightSource Energy that will be built in phases between 2010 and
2013. The energy generated from all three plants will be enough to
supply more than 140,000 homes in California during peak usage hours,
with the project contracted to provide 1,300 MW to Southern California
Edison and 1,310 MW to Pacific Gas and Electric Company.
-----------------


So large solar power stations will be developed as well as individual
solar self-sufficient houses and offices.

BillK