MORE NEWS (CATCH THE SUN; NO RECESSION FOR WESTERN WIND; ZAP LIKES STIM)

CATCH THE SUN
How to Use Solar Energy at Night; Molten salts can store the sun's heat during the day and provide power at night
David Biello, February 18, 2009 (Scientific American)

“…[M]ore than 28,000 metric tons of salt is now coursing through pipes at the Andasol 1 power plant. That salt will be used to solve a pressing if obvious problem for solar power: What do you do when the sun is not shining and at night?

”The answer: store sunlight as heat energy for such a rainy day…Part of a so-called parabolic trough solar-thermal power plant…Because most salts only melt at high temperatures…and do not turn to vapor until they get considerably hotter—they can be used to store a lot of the sun's energy as heat…use the sunlight to heat up the salts and put those molten salts in proximity to water via a heat exchanger. Hot steam can then be made to turn turbines without losing too much of the original absorbed solar energy."

storage schematic (click to enlarge)

”The salts—a mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate, otherwise used as fertilizers—allow enough of the sun's heat to be stored that the power plant can pump out electricity for nearly eight hours after the sun starts to set…Using mirrors to concentrate the sun's energy is an old trick—the ancient Chinese and Greeks both used it to start fires—and modern power plants employing it might provide a significant source of renewable energy without any greenhouse gas emissions…engineers have tried a number of different technologies to store the sun's energy…

“The Andasol 1 power plant, which cost around $380 million (300 million euros) to build, is the first to actually use the technology, so it remains to be seen how it will work in commercial practice. But U.S. government laboratories—NREL as well as Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, N.M.—have already proved the technology can work in demonstration projects that employed it, like the Solar Two power tower outside Barstow, Calif…

“Solar Millennium is so confident the technology will work that a twin solar-thermal power plant (Andasol 2) is already near completion…And Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) has contracted with Abengoa Solar to build a 280-megawatt solar thermal power plant—dubbed Solana or "sunny place"—70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Phoenix…thermal energy storage at Andasol 1 or power plants like it costs roughly $50 per kilowatt-hour to install..Electricity from a solar-thermal power plant costs roughly 13 cents a kilowatt-hour…"

solar power tower (click to enlarge)

“As efficient as solar-thermal power plants using parabolic troughs with molten salt storage systems like Andasol 1 or Solana are, they don’t capture as much of the sun's heat as is possible…To allow the salts to get hotter, some companies, such as SolarReserve in Santa Monica, Calif., are developing so-called power towers—vast fields of mirrors that concentrate sunlight onto a central tower. Because of the centralized design such a structure can operate at much higher temperatures—up to 1,000 degrees F (535 degrees C)—and use molten salts directly as the fluid transferring heat in the power plant…But such a power plant…would cost as much as $800 million for a 200-megawatt power tower.

“…researchers are also looking into salts that could be used instead of the oil in parabolic trough power plants…long-term research projects are looking at other thermal storage technologies, such as storing heat in sand or creating single-tank molten salt storage…Ultimately, it will come down to how much value policymakers and consumers put on electricity that is renewable and emissions-free.


NO RECESSION FOR WESTERN WIND
Wyo., Mont. wind projects undeterred by recession
Bob Moen, February 17, 2009 (AP via Forbes)

"The recession may have taken the wind out of the sails of some wind energy projects around the nation, but that's not the case in Wyoming and Montana.

"Officials in both states say they have not heard of any wind projects being delayed. If there are projects being delayed, they say there are plenty of others still going forward…"

click to enlarge

"Chantel McCormick of the Montana Department of Commerce's Energy Promotion and Development Division, said her office is tracking more than 50 wind projects in various stages of development…

"The recession has slowed demand around the country for wind turbines, siphoned off available financing and put many projects on hold, forcing turbine manufacturers to lay off workers recently. The $787 billion stimulus package passed by Congress contains money to help revive the industry…"


ZAP LIKES STIM
ZAP Cheers Electric Car Tax Credits in Stimulus Act
February 18, 2009 (CNN Money)

"Officials from ZAP say the Stimulus Act signed into law by President Barack Obama yesterday carries a provision in which buyers of its electric cars and trucks can receive a 10 percent tax credit up to $2,500.

The plug-in tax credit in the Stimulus Act can be applied for on vehicles purchased starting today. The tax credit applies towards ZAP's Xebra sedan (MSRP $11,700) and truck (MSRP $12,500) as well as its new low-speed vehicles, the ZAP Shuttle (MSRP $14,700) and ZAP XL Truck (MSRP $14,500)."

From freestylewalka via YouTube

"The tax credits were initially slated to have an effective date starting January 1, 2010, but ZAP argued that the tax credits would meet the spirit of the Stimulus Act if started immediately. CEO Steve Schneider expressed appreciation to Congressman Mike Thompson (California 1st District) who successfully argued for immediate implementation…

"ZAP has been a leader in electric transportation since 1994, delivering over 100,000 vehicles to consumers in more than 75 countries. ZAP manufactures a line of electric vehicles, including electric city-cars and trucks, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, and ATVs… and is developing a freeway capable electric vehicle called the ZAP Alias…"