Dishing out power with a solar engine

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I don't agree

From Sterling Energy Systems' website:

"How much power does solar Dish Stirling system produce?
One dish on an annual basis can produce 55,000-60,000 kWh of electricity. This is equivalent to the total energy required for 8-10 homes in the U.S."

http://www.stirlingenergy.com/faq.asp?Type=all

That is one dish powering 8-10 homes. And also note that there are huge amounts of open, unused areas of desert in the USA. You can put millions upon millions of these units there. And also note that, unlike fossil fuel power plants, the cost of fuel is zero. The only cost would be up-front construction and maintenance. No need to pay for expensive fuel. Ever.

My very rough estimate says it is about 60MW per 10 x 10 mile square area.

Oh, I just saw this part lower down in their FAQ:

"What geographical areas are best suited for a solar dish farm?
The southwest region of the United States is ideally suited for this. In fact, a solar farm 100 miles by 100 miles could satisfy 100% of the America?s annual electrical needs. Solar technology primarily addresses the peak power demands facing utility companies in the Southwest U.S. and other solar-rich areas."

I think we can give up 100 x 100 mile area of the USA for 100% of all power needs.

Posted by: Qbt   Posted on: 10/25/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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