Comments on: Desert Solar Power Drawbacks

By: xchngcoef

xchngcoef — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:48:51 +0000

A good point about the operational efficiency degrading as temperature of the cell rises, at least for the present generation of cells. The point about cost is slowly changing, but with peak power producing times of 20% to 25% of the day, even in the deserts, that is going to be a large hurdle. Another point not mentioned concerns the glass used either for protection of the cell or as an integral part of thin film cells. There is not, at this time, sufficient production capacity in the US to make enough glass to satisfy the requirements if a large fraction of the electricity is to come from solar, even if no cars or buildings or houses were supplied with glass.

By: Monica77

Monica77 — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 18:15:04 +0000

Kanaga, I’m not sure I understand you. What do you mean when you say that “coal and oil prices are going up while the cost of wind and solar generation are coming down”?

By: Kanaga

Kanaga — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:45:25 +0000

There now solar cells with lower drop in efficiency with temperature. The concentrated solar thermal is becoming very affordable and will become the best solution for desert conditions with fairly high efficiency.
Instead of keeping all the Power Generation at one place a distributed generation world wide with wind and solar will solve the problem of low plant factor and the solar energy being available only when there is sun. Linking all the countries with transmission links will make the wold grid and will help the intermittent nature of wind power.
Soon these will happen and the Coal and Oil prices are going up while the cost of wind and solar generation are coming down.
There are several unknown subsidy for coal gas and oil and if these are diverted to renewable we will have less pollution from Power generation from renewable.
We will look forward for these less polluting renewable with generation from the deserts in different parts of the world