https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/business/heliogen-solar-energy-bill-gates/index.html New York (CNN Business)A secretive startup backed by Bill Gates has achieved a solar breakthrough aimed at saving the planet. Heliogen, a clean energy company that emerged from stealth mode on Tuesday, said it has discovered a way to use artificial intelligence and a field of mirrors to reflect so much sunlight that it generates extreme heat above 1,000 degrees Celsius. The breakthrough means that, for the first time, concentrated solar energy can be used to create the extreme heat required to make cement, steel, glass and other industrial processes. In other words, carbon-free sunlight can replace fossil fuels in a heavy carbon-emitting corner of the economy that has been untouched by the clean energy revolution.
The planet is not in peril for it will go on with or without humanity. But as long as Sol is shining and no rain this sounds promising for reducing the burning of fossil fuels.
I'm going to have to say I doubt that. I skimmed the article, never once did I see the number of megawatts it is projected to produce. There's a nuclear plant about 80 miles away from me that produces about 4800 megawatts As opposed to that you similar-sized coal burning plant that produces between 1000 and 1200 megawatts The most powerful solar energy plant today is PS 20 and it produces 20 megawatts. The most powerful solar plant on the planet doesn't even make 1% of that.
Solar heat systems have been around for decades but using AI allows higher efficiency and temperatures...
I doubt that is big enough. My city is powered by several power plants. The most effective one produces 4800 mega Watts. Just to replace that one power plant with solar would take 7.5 square miles. Assuming 1 acre of solar farm produces 1 megawatt. You'll have to likely double it or even triple it because you can only collect solar energy when the sun is up. The nuclear plant runs 24/7
There isn't that much Uranium in the world to even think about relying on nuclear power as the sole electricity source. About 15% of the world's electricity comes from nuclear (2011 estimate) and:. "According to the NEA, identified uranium resources total 5.5 million metric tons, and an additional 10.5 million metric tons remain undiscovered—a roughly 230-year supply at today's consumption rate in total. ". So if 100% of the world's electricity was to come from nuclear, there is only 11 years worth of identified uranium resources and 22 years of undiscovered uranium resources
well if we were to repeal Jimmy Carter's executive order regarding nuclear waste we could create a breeder reactor which not only makes the fuel last longer it makes the spent fuel far less dangerous. I wasn't really suggesting that we depend on nuclear power any way. I was coming fuel generation of power to solar. I just mentioned nuclear because I'm familiar with a local plant and their generation.
Carpeting the Earth with mirrors is hardly Eco Friendly! I doubt there was much in the way of an EIR for any of these "birds fry in flight" projects. Moi No
I suppose you can say land is a finite resource in reference to Earth but don't agree when talking about areas suitable for solar energy systems...
Land is not an issue?? IMO the ONLY issues are lack of sun and energy storage but these issues only relate to solar providing 100% of our energy needs. I think it would be great if we had one acre for every 200 homes with one of these solar systems creating 1 megawatt and providing daytime energy to all 200 homes! I have always been a proponent of having the goal to produce power where the power is used...these types of systems come close to achieving this...
Areas suitable for solar energy are sometimes nowhere near cities. And one of the problems you have is delivering that power to a city. You may think you could just wire it across hundreds of miles but you can't. The power plant has to be within a certain distance because of the limits of the conductors. Most of the high tension wires we have are aluminum and they operate between 300 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit the reason why they're not hot is because of the resistance within them. Over distance the resistance increases. So in order to power say an electrical fan that is one mile away from the power plant takes less energy to power an electrical fan that is 50 miles away from the power plant. So there is a lot of waste in traveling it is lost as heat. I think the only hope for solar is gridless.
First, renewable energy production in the US is about 15% of total production. Imagine how significant it would be if this number was 30% or 50% or 75%? There are solar farms in many areas of the US and world and they are distributing their power over many miles. The great thing about solar is it can be generated on site at the consumer. Larger solar or wind farms will distribute their power. There is lots of hope for solar and other alternative energy sources...the only obstacle is the will to do something different...
