March 19, 2014
NREL: Troughs and Towers Deliver Similar Value
A new National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) report finds that parabolic troughs and receiver towers deliver similar value for CSP plants.
The report, “Estimating the Performance and Economic Value of Multiple CSP Technologies in a Production Cost Model,” compares dry-cooled towers with dry-cooled troughs at the same annual capacity (1.2 terawatt-hours), and with comparable levels of thermal storage.
It finds that the two technologies produce different production patterns when measured over daily and seasonal time scales, but both operate at 70 percent capacity factor and the total value to the grid is similar. Annual operational savings, relative to fossil fuel plants, run 3.6 percent for towers and 3.7 percent for troughs, at today’s prices for coal and natural gas.
NEWS BRIEFS
GE Reaffirms Commitment to Large-Scale Solar
In a blog post, General Electric’s chief engineering officer writes: “Solar power generation is a hot commodity in the renewables energy market – last year, it topped the charts for renewable energy production growth, passing the 100 terawatt hour mark with 65% year on year growth in 2013. This is a marked shift from decades of slow growth, and a global challenge to deliver a significant proportion of energy demands from renewable sources.” And so, GE is developing products to support very large solar projects, including a 4MW, 1500-volt inverter. More
Exelon Invests in SolarBridge
SolarBridge has closed a $42 million round of funding led by Constellation Technology Ventures, part of Exelon Corp. The funding will be used to expand sales and marketing and continue the company’s focus on research and development as it scales its customer base across North America and Australia.
Ron Lloyd COO at Quick Mount PV
Quick Mount PV has named Ron Lloyd as Chief Operating Officer. Lloyd has more than 25 years of achievement in executive positions in technology companies including Sun Microsystems, Tesla Motors, and Fat Spaniel Technologies. More
Jim Blair Promoted at Hynes Industries
As D.R. Golding retires at Hynes Industries, Vice President of Finance and Corporate Treasurer Jim Blair will succeed him as President and CEO effective April 1. More