Solar Power Advancements in the Great Basin - Society - EzineMark

The Great Basin is an extremely arid region in the western United States. Areas of the desert floor have recently reached temperatures in excess of 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in the Great Basin see such extremes because the atmosphere contains very little humidity to block the Sun's rays. Desert surfaces receive a little more than twice the solar radiation received by humid regions, making Great Basin solar power a terrific resource.

IAUS (International Automated Systems Inc.), a company based in Utah, has created a solar lens technology that transmits solar energy with an efficiency of 92 percent. The company chose to operate in the Great Basin region for its ideal solar conditions. The IAUS plant near the Great Basin in Delta, Utah takes advantage of the area?s high altitude and thin air.

These conditions allow for more solar energy to be harnessed, because solar energy is absorbed as it travels through our atmosphere.

The Great Basin solar power?s first stage consists of 20 solar towers. Each tower is made up of four solar lenses that track the sun?s movement throughout the day. While traditional solar panels use PV cells wired together under a plate of glass, these solar towers and lenses will direct the sun?s energy into heat exchangers that convert the solar energy into super-heated steam. The heat exchangers also act as high-efficiency turbines that drive electrical generators to create the alternating current output.

Much of the success of Great Basin solar power stems from the unique design of the lenses used there.

Prior to this design, solar lenses were heavy and costly to make, but IAUS has been able to produce extremely thin lenses by placing magnifying material into inexpensive and light plastic. The land in the Great Basin also adds to the cost savings. Inexpensive land combined with the new low cost lenses will create a facility that is about half the price of a traditional coal fired power plant.

While IAUS?s Great Basin solar power currently consists of just 20 towers, future phases of the project will bring the total number of towers to 1,000 across an area of 700 acres in the desert. The generated power will then be integrated into the U.S. national power grid. With each tower producing a capacity of 100 kW of power, the whole solar array, when complete, will have the capacity to power approximately 50,000 homes!

Source: http://society.ezinemark.com/solar-power-advancements-in-the-great-basin-7d340841f49e.html

shaun white taxes game of thrones season 2 trailer sag award winners girl scout cookies screen actors guild royal rumble results