Re: Jackson Browne & Solar?

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 4/25/02 8:06:25 PM Mountain Daylight Time, AndrewsJP 

writes:



<< None of this discussion is about focused solar systems designed to boil 

water and used ordinary steam turbine processes.  I have seen some 

information on these (Popular Science...) that touts it as a good way to go.  

Mirrors are focused on a boiler, etc...  It doesn't have to be direct solar 

cells. >>



The parabolic mirror design is inherently less efficient because there is 

heat loss in the heat exchange system.  Also, the parabolic mirror system 

takes up almost as much space as direct conversion solar cells.  Essentially, 

sunlight is a diffuse source.



If you want to capture the maximum amount of sunlight in the cells or 

parabolic mirrors, little to none is going to get through.  Some sunlight is 

needed for photosynthesis.  Plants can grow in shade, but not if essentailly 

all sunlight is cut off.  



The 160 acres near Yucca Mountain (that's what the design is potentially for) 

wouldn't be used for food production anyway, and there are similar desert 

sites in the western U. S., so this form of electric generation is certainly 

possible and feasible in some places.  But 50 acres per installed MW is a lot 

of land.  By the way, solar cells have a 20-year life, though that can 

probably be extended some.

************************************************************************

You are currently subscribed to the Radsafe mailing list. To unsubscribe,

send an e-mail to Majordomo@list.vanderbilt.edu  Put the text "unsubscribe

radsafe" (no quote marks) in the body of the e-mail, with no subject line.

You can view the Radsafe archives at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/radsafe/