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Thermoelectric Solar Energy: a viable technological and
business opportunity
The use
of solar radiation, a clean and natural energy source, to satisfy the
energy needs of human beings is beginning to take on the magnitude required
to replace the major energy sources in the present energy system.
Such energy systems include the Spanish Thermoelectric Solar Power Plant of
11 MW.
The Yom
Kippur War in 1973 raised people's consciousness about the risks of an
energy system being highly dependent on fossil fuels. It also generated an
interest for "alternative sources" with Solar Energy spearheading
the movement.
Different
initiatives to explore the potentials of solar energy as an alternative to
the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation were
then launched by many technologically advanced countries.
Experimental plants were built with the help of the European Commission in
Themis, France and Eurelios in Sicily, with the Spanish and international
projects including Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA) in Spain; Solar One
and the National Solar Test Facility in the United States; Nio in Japan;
Krimea in the former USSR, etc.
Despite
the fact the results fulfilled the expectations,
the enthusiasm ceased when the oil prices came back to levels acceptable
for the economics of the leading countries. Regrettably, many of
those solar electric projects were abandoned. However, PSA in Europe, has become the world reference in the
thermoelectric solar technologies and the National Solar Test Facility in
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. remains operational.
A
downturn occurred in the 1990's wherein thermoelectric solar technologies were faced with a "desert passage". Based on
new facts and prospects and fine tuned favorable circumstances since 1990,
thermoelectric Solar technologies, supported by several favorable
circumstances, allowed the Spanish industry to develop many electricity
generation projects with solar radiation as the primary source. One of
those projects (PS10, 11 MW) is in the final stages of construction and
should be ready to provide electricity to the grid; the remaining two
plants (ANDASOL I, 50 MW and PS20, 20 MW) have begun the construction
whereas other plants are in different financial, technical or
administrative phases. Unquestionably, these facilities provide a dynamic,
positive growth mode. However, the barriers to future growth and
development need to be analyzed.
First of all, regulation guarantees and administrative facilities
must be provided to transmit positive signs to the market place and to
financial entities. From the points of view of technology and energy
policy, it is advisable that clarification of the technical framework, and
especially a satisfactory regulation of the hybridization of solar energy with
other renewable forms of energy (e.g., biomass in its different forms) or
conventional fuel systems (e.g., natural gas), be incorporated in the
systems analysis. The unstoppable transformation of the energy system has
commenced with the growing deployment of wind and photovoltaic
installations and the emergence of Solar Thermal Power technologies as a
reality in Spain, USA and other countries.
(Source: Valeriano Ruiz, Professor, Energetic
Engineering Dept, University of Seville School of Engineering, President
CENTER (Center for New Energy Technology), President, PROTERMOSOLAR
(Companies of Thermosolar Electric in height and medium temperature) and
Director, Andalusian Institute of Renewable Energy. Dr. Ruiz has led the
Thermodynamics and Renewables Energies Group at the Univ. of Seville School
of Engineering since its’ founding in 1979. His professional
experience is mainly in the fields of Research and Education. Most of
his research has been in solar radiation and high temperature thermal
conversion of solar radiation. Dr. Ruiz holds a Doctorate in Science
by the University of Seville and is a Full Professor of Thermodynamics and
Physical Chemistry of this University since 1980. He is also a Fellow
of the International Energy Foundation. )
Contact:
Valeriano Ruiz, telephone: (34) 954 186 200, email:
rgonzalez@censolar.org, www.censolar.org
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