Colorado Considers Large-Scale Solar

Electricity produced from Colorado's bright, hot sun could supply half the state's peak demand during summer, helping 1.7 million homes crank up their air conditioners and coolers.

By the numbers

270 gigawatts: Colorado's total potential for solar power generation.

11 gigawatts: Colorado's peak power demand in summer.

1.7 million: Number of homes in Colorado that could be served if even half the state's peak demand, or 5.5 gigawatts, is met with solar power.

1.9 million: Number of cars and their emissions equivalent that could be reduced with the generation of 5.5 gigawatts of solar power.

Read the full story here

-OR-

Read more at the Huffington Post green energy big news page

Comments

[Pleidian]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3906150623208373919&hl=en

[Mildmannered]

PASADENA, Calif.--In the dreams of Harry Gray, Beckman Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology, the future energy needs of the world are met with solar-fuel power plants. Now, a $20 million award from the Chemical Bonding Center (CBC), a National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry program, will fund the development of a nanoscale water-splitting device that will bring this dream one step closer to reality.

http://mr.caltech.edu/media/Press_Releases/PR13172.html

[mergina]

yippeeee! YAY COLORADO.

[loki]

Not for much longer if T BOONE gets his legislation pushed the way he wants it.

[sheila]

BOO! Totally the wrong direction. DECENTRALIZING, not recentralizing, is the only solution for a sustainable energy policy that does not hold all ratepayers hostage, as Big Energy are currently doing.

Local, point of use solutions are available IN EVERY STATE OF THE USA, don't believe the baloney propaganda that only certain regions are good for solar or wind - that is all just to trick us into paying for monopolistic infrastructure!! sure, the mojave has a 10% better "solar resource" than LA proper, but once you account for massive wilderness death, transmission losses (roughly 10%), increased, rather than decreased grid congestion - so new powerlines are required, and the huge water waste of CSP, all of a sudden PV on LA's endless sunny rooftops is not only "do-able," it is 20 times better!

We can't let Big Energy frame this as "Big Fossils or Big Renewables!!" The real choice in a renewable energy era is Big Energy vs. Ratepayers and the Planet. Which side are you on? If you are on the side of the angels, you will DEMAND a level playing field for individuals in the form of a generous Feed In Tariff (see Germany, Spain, Japan and 35 other nations for existing, wildly successful model), and let us get into the game...

[joebaggadonuts]

You are of course right, sheila. Nevertheless, Kudos to Colorado for making the Texas oil crews blink.

[Mildmannered]

Sheila:

Please post links to articles which discuss decentralizing. I am interested.

[sheila]

Here is a simple one from Renewable Energy World - ALL of America is a good solar resource, not just the Southwest:

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/ate/story?id=53203

Here is one from a pro-utility journal, showing the incredible waste of money, land, and natural resources CSP creates, compared to smaller localized PV - it is a link within the blog:

http://www.dpcinc.org/blog/2008/07/30/think-globally-generate-locally/

Here's one showing the crucial impact of fair "Feed In Tariffs" to property owners who want to install PV and participate in the Renewable Revolution as more than dim-witted consumers:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/16/renewableenergy.energy

The Big Energy wind and CSP solar plants destroy an average of 10,000 acres apiece for several hundred feet above the ground for small (50 - 400 mW output), plus roads and massive powerlines (which are then run through our homes!). 1.25 million + acres is under the gun so far in the SW desert area, with more projects coming online every day and several thousand miles of new transmission is being sited right now within CA - ALL WASTED FINANCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES!

If it was the ONLY solution, we might have to hold our noses and agree, but since there is a clean, harmless option that also BENEFITS RATEPAYERS AND TAXPAYERS, there is no way we should kill off wilderness for these Big Energy Goldmines...

[research]

You got it! decentralized power actually reduces grid load, specially solar rooftops.

[OldKnute]

Sheila,, You are right on track. Darn GOOD research too.

I am a huge supporter of Local,,,, Point of Use,, Distributed Grid system. Centralized Systems, Big Power,, simply insure dependencies. Vertical Axial Wind Turbines, are omni directional and are not any more obtrusive than those spinning attic ventilators we commonly see on roofs. Costs now lowering to $1.50 to $2.00 per watt, 20 year life. Full Home systems ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 complete.

Solar is coming down too. $4.00 to $6,00 per watt, packages from many American suppliers include Smart Metering (Back-Feed calculating), Inverters (Transforms DC power to Grid Compatible AC) and mountings. More or less, a Plug and Play,,, like,, DIY modular systems. Solar PV Packages from $5,000 to large demand systems at $12,000 with a 25-year life.

And it is not all about just saving on utility bills. Many homes are vacant during the day, the Home Based, decentralized model means, power back into the Grid,, ALL DAY LONG. Nighttime, with Wind Systems. Power where it is needed, in the suburbs and cities.

Further cost savings? Add the Electric Plug-In hybrid or full electric car and stop paying out $150 to $250 a weak in fuel bills for moderate distance commuters. Logical, even if it is just the second car that is to be the Hybrid or Electric Model.

Thank you for the LINKS, Sheila.

All the best

Knute Neo-Hilton < ------- Pant Suits not included.

[KillTheMessenger]

What is wrong with the picture?

The "help to crank up" part. The point of solar is NOT to cool somebody's poorly insulated McMansion but to replace dirty coal. Which means we need to aim at that 270GW total potential, not just at 11GW peak demand.

[BearsLeft]

Agreed. They don't build small houses anymore, even in the Colorado Rockies where we have roughly 5-6 months of winter. 3000 square feet is tiny these days.

[joebaggadonuts]

Those McMansions will be rezoned condo soon enuf, eh?

[Mildmannered]

No matter how well we insulate we are not going to be able to get rid of all of our AC needs. And the sun is shining for solar plants conveniently at the same time as our peak electrical requirements.

Improved insulation is important too (as is properly inflating your tires). If you are aware of any good articles discussing how to improve insulation to reduce AC needs, please post the links. Thanks

[OldKnute]

Well,, Mildmannered,

Insulation is not really difficult with a vast improvement over standard attic and wall installed Rock Wools.

In many countries, roof shades, patio covers of canvas and awnings. In America, planting deciduas trees to shade the roof from the South. Exposures open to sunlight and warming during winter,, cooling shade for summer.

Further,, next re-roof you do, consider adding a stand-off second roof with ventilating eve inlets. Closed in winter open in summer to let breeze flow through the spacing between the old roof and new roof and cool.

Air-conditioning costs are simple to reduce. Use an Earth-Gain system. Ummm? You know that big compressor fan and evaporator section, found at the side of homes? Well, disconnect that and throw it away. Instead, burry the evaporator line-sets, just slightly below soils. Driveways and patios are even better, because concretes attract moisture.

Now install a smaller compressor run on Solar DC power, and a reversing valve common to Heat-Pump,, Hot and Cold,, production refrigerant systems.

That old compressor and evaporator is inversely proportional efficiencies. The hotter it gets, the harder the compressor works. Earth-Gain systems, evaporator lines are temperature middle-zone, both cooling needs and warming demands in winter. Constant 56` to 58` F year round.

Oh,, go in and rip out the burner of that poisonous Natural Gas heater, Only keep the fan to move the air.

All the best

Knute Neo-Hilton.