Tag Archives: thermal
NREL: CSP+Thermal Storage Adds Value for Utilities
A concentrating solar power installation with a six-hour storage capacity can add $35.80 per megawatt hour to the capacity and operational value of a utility, finds the United States Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “We’ve known for a long time that CSP with storage adds significant value, however, we are now able to [...]
BrightSource, Alstom Win Israei Solar Thermal Plant Project
Megalim Solar Power Ltd. (“Megalim”) – a special purpose company formed by BrightSource Energy and Alstom – was informed today by Israel’s inter-ministerial Tender Committee that it won the bid for the construction of a 121 megawatt solar thermal power plant. The 121 megawatt BrightSource-Alstom Megalim plant, one of three projects selected under Israel’s Ashalim [...]
Why Some Republicans Support Clean Energy
As an organization concerned deeply about climate change, we often heavily criticize the “all of the above” approach to energy development. If we’re truly going to address the problem and lower greenhouse gas emissions, a primary focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, and conservation need to be our number one priority. Digging a deeper carbon [...]
Envision Solar Sees Middle East Potential
Envision Solar, which builds high-quality and architecturally stunning solar canopies, is expanding into the Middle East. The California company is partnering with Aconfort, a member of Al Habtoor Enterprises, to market its solar canopies in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Spain. “I have lived and worked in the Middle East,” said Desmond [...]
Solar Thermal: No Respect
In most countries solar power is often perceived as synonymous with solar photovoltaic (PV), the classic rooftop panels that convert sunlight to electricity through solar cells. But that could be a misconception, says Environmental Protection, since solar thermal, which gets less attention than PV, actually is more efficient. Solar thermal is cheaper and more efficient, [...]
A Look at Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP)
Thermal processes are vital to the making of an integrated circuit. By heating the silicon wafer chipmaker can drive chemical reactions tomodify crystal structures, diffuse trace elements and grow toughinsulating films – making devices faster, tougher and more reliable. Up until the late nineties, these processes were usually performed on many wafers at a time [...]
Solar Thermal Alliance of Colorado holds stakeholder’s meeting
Allie Gardner Tuesday afternoon in Denver was a fitting day for the firststakeholder’s meeting of the Solar Thermal Alliance of Colorado, aperfect example of the many reasons Colorado is a prime state for solarthermal technology. Plenty of abundant sunshine and warm days, not tomention cool nights and cold groundwater temperatures, make Colorado the American epicenter [...]
Are Solar Thermal Power Plants Doomed?
Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is one of our favorite renewable energy technologies, but it might be in serious trouble. And this time the culprit is not cheap natural gas, the Koch Brothers, nor the desert tortoise advocates. This time, the adversary is the other half of the solar family. Just to clarify, CSP includes all [...]
Connecticut Increases Solar Thermal Incentives by 60%
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) revealed a 60% increase in incentives for solar thermal this week, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act(ARRA). This is very good news for homeowners, businesses, andnon-profits in Connecticut because it cuts the payback of a solar thermal installation to 6 to 10 years. A solar thermal system [...]
CCEF Increases Rebates For Solar Thermal Incentive Program
The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) says that, effectiveimmediately, the rebate rates under its Solar Thermal Incentive Programhave been increased by over 60% on average. The following are the revised rebate rates, which are calculated using the total annualthermal output in MMBtus of an applicant’s proposed solar thermalsystem: Residential projects: $275/MMBtu; Commercial (for-profit) projects: $450/MMBtu; [...]
Sopogy awarded funding for innovative solar thermal air conditioning project
Sopogy, Inc. (Honolulu, Hawaii), a leading micro concentrated solar power ("MicroCSP") technology developer, on Septmeber 30th, 2010 announced that it has been awarded funding from the HawaiiRenewable Energy Development Venture (HREDV) to integrate an innovativedouble-effect solar thermal air conditioning system at the Maui OceanCenter. According to HREDV, the award was following a competitiveselection process in [...]