Solar Power PlantsPhotovoltaic vs Thermal

Thomas R. SmithBSTEC 108Audience

Grant County Public Utility DistrictBoard of Commissioners

Ephrata, WA

Green Energy from Solar PowerReduces carbon footprint Reduces need for

fossil fuels

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Two types of solar power Photovoltaic Solar

PowerThermal Solar Power

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Solar Power Electrical Production

•Most common photovoltaic solar power•Panels mounted ever where now •Residential and commercial power uses• Thermal solar power strictly utilities

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Agua Caliente Yuma County,

AZ

World's Largest Solar Photovoltaic

Plant

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Ivanpah Mojave

Desert, CA

World’s Largest Solar Thermal Power Plant

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Photovoltaic vs ThermalPower Plants Facts

Agua Caliente • Project Size: 290 MW• Carbon offset 220,000 ton per year • Acreage required 2,400 acres• Cost to build $1.8 billion

Ivanpah

• Project Size: 392 MW• Carbon offset 400,000 ton per year • Acreage required 3,500 acres• Cost to build $2.2 billion

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Photovoltaic vs ThermalHomes Served & Power CostAgua Caliente

• Serve around 100,000 average homes• Cost per kilowatt hour 13.9 to 15.5 cents• Power cost federally subsidized

Ivanpah

• Serve around 280,000 average homes• Cost per kilowatt hour 12 to 17 cents • Power cost federally subsidized

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Photovoltaic vs Thermal Power Storage Capacity

Agua Caliente

• Large battery storage system• Require Dc to Ac rectification system

Ivanpah

• Large high pressure steam vessel•Natural gas back-up system• Cogeneration Steam

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Photovoltaic vs ThermalSystems Maintenance

Agua Caliente

• Clean Photovoltaic cell• Replace Batteries 3-5yrs• Battery Disposal

Ivanpah

• Clean Heliostats•Maintain Steam System• Recycle Metals

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Photovoltaic vs ThermalEnvironmental Concerns

Agua Caliente • Require lots of land•Hazardous Materials

Ivanpah• Require lots of land•Waters Usage

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Photovoltaic vs ThermalPlant Lifetime Expectancy

Agua Caliente

• 25 years lifetime• Replace solar panel

Ivanpah

• 30-year lifetime• Replace Turbine System

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Current Utility Power Purchasers

Agua Caliente

• Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Ivanpah

• Pacific Gas & Electric Company• Southern California Edison

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Solar Systems Final Comparison

Photovoltaic• Lots of land used• Toxic materials• Battery Maintenance• Carbon offset• Build and Maintenance Costs

Thermal• Lots of land used•Water usage• Cogeneration capacity• Carbon offset• Build and Maintenance Costs

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Solar System RecommendedThermal Solar System

• Build and Maintenance Costs• 30-year lifetime• Back-up power system• Cogeneration capacity

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Works Cited   • Augustine, Michael. "Ivanpah Solar Plant the World’s Largest." 

Http://guardianlv.com. Guardian Liberty Voice, n.d. Web. • Borry, Rick, Ph.D., and Gage, Brett. "Concentrated Solar Thermal vs. Photovoltaic Solar." TECHNOLOGICAL NICHES: (n.d.): n. pag. Http://www.principalsolarinstitute.org/uploads/custom/3/_documents/CSvsPV_WhitePaper.pdf. Principal Solar, Inc. Web. • "Busting 4 Myths About Solar PV vs. Concentrating Solar Power." 

Renewable Energy World. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. • "CSP - CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER Solar Thermal Power." CSP -

CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER Solar Thermal Power. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. 

Works Cited

• "Energy Department Announces Projects to Advance Cost-Effective Concentrating Solar Power Systems." Energy.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. • "Federal Solar Energy Projects | PV Systems for Government Agencies | SunPower." Federal Solar Energy Projects | PV Systems for Government Agencies | SunPower. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. • "Ivanpah." Http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/ivanpah-solar-

project. BrightSource Energy, Inc., n.d. Web. • "Ivanpah Project." NRG Solar. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. 

• Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System:. Sacramento, CA: CH2M Hill, 2007. Web. • Neuman, Scott. "Shiny And New: World's Largest Solar Plant Opens In California." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. • "SEIA." Major Solar Projects List. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014. • "Solar Thermal vs. Photovoltaic." Solar Thermal vs. Photovoltaic. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 June 2014.