Solar Power

SandRider · Post by **SandRider** » 24 Mar 2009 09:10

just got out a semi-secret meeting with the "Division Co-ordinator",
basically the big boss - the division of the company I "work" for has
just be called "Wind Energy" - apparently that's going to be changed -
"Renewable Production" or somesuch.

Anyway, it looks like a huge solar collector-tube project is going to
get the go ahead out around Midland sometime this year. Each "collector"
is about twice the size of a football field - the collector material is a
half-pipe shape, 150 yards long by 50 yards across. There are mirrors
along the sides, to focus sunlight in the "trench" - and here's the kicker
for us - each collector will have 1,400 electric motors to turn the mirrors.

So we'll be installing all these motors and controllers, and I'll guarantee
there will be a huge maintenance crew needed - I don't think the German
engineers took West Texas dust into account - their cabinets suck.

Anyway, as soon as I can get some photos of these things, I'll post them.
The company man had some slides he acted like were State Secrets.
I'd seen this tube-collector idea before, but nothing this big - and they're
talking about several hundred of these per "farm". So big land areas will
be needed, like for the windfarms, but it's going to have to be flat - lucky
we got some of that there out in West Texas.

We also got the go-ahead for three other (wind) projects, all along the
I-20 corridor, west of Abilene - (there are three projects under construction
right now that we're on) - and atleast eight more coming down the pipe
this year. (And this is just my company - other projects are cropping up
all over the damn place.)

So, as the kids say : It's On ....

SandChigger · Post by **SandChigger** » 24 Mar 2009 10:56

Kewl.

(Colleague of mine's parents live in Abilene now. After 50 plus years over here.

)

Eyes High · Post by **Eyes High** » 24 Mar 2009 11:10

That does sounds cool SandRider, thanks for the info.

Seraphan · Post by **Seraphan** » 24 Mar 2009 11:16

It was about time

,thanks for the info SR. Dont forget the pictures.

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 24 Mar 2009 13:01

Wow. It's a bit eye opening for me that this is happening in Texas of all places!

Canada's got some major catching up to do if we don't want to hand over our super-sized horses.

GamePlayer · Post by **GamePlayer** » 24 Mar 2009 13:22

Canada almost always has plenty of catching up to do. We are not an innovator, at least not on the global stage. Canada does not spend the money necessary for risky research and development. We instead prefer to buy new technology because it's cheaper, despite the fact that we're never first at it. As a result, we lose all our brightest and best innovators to other countries where they are given the opportunities to excel in properly funded industries, whether that's Gerald Bull or James Cameron

Spicelon · Post by **Spicelon** » 24 Mar 2009 15:04

That is awesome news. The only negative I can come up with is that these
structures have a pretty big footprint, unlike wind farms. But other than
that, sounds awesome. I am all about renewable energy that doesn't
involve corn.

A Thing of Eternity · Post by **A Thing of Eternity** » 24 Mar 2009 15:26

GamePlayer wrote:Canada almost always has plenty of catching up to do. We are not an innovator, at least not on the global stage. Canada does not spend the money necessary for risky research and development. We instead prefer to buy new technology because it's cheaper, despite the fact that we're never first at it. As a result, we lose all our brightest and best innovators to other countries where they are given the opportunities to excel in properly funded industries, whether that's Gerald Bull or James Cameron

That's not totally true, we are (or Alberta is anyways) a world leader in medical advances. I hear what you're saying though, this kind of tech certainly isn't the kind of thing we come up with.

However, I meant "keeping up" in regards to cutting back polution as opposed to being innovative. We have a long way to go though, when I was in highschool they told me that Canada is the world's number 1 garbage producer per capita. That's disgraceful.

EDIT: Shit - should probably ignore this post, sorry SandRider, we just keep derailing things...

Drunken Idaho · Post by **Drunken Idaho** » 24 Mar 2009 15:44

This sounds exciting, SR... Thanks for tipping us off!

So I guess these half-pipes run east-to-west so that the curves catch more of the son's rays as it's setting? Or do I have it all wrong?

SandRider · Post by **SandRider** » 24 Mar 2009 17:48

hadn't thought about that yet - I'll find out -
all I know now is that there are huge adjustable mirrors.

and Spicelon has a good point about the footprint of solar vs. wind.

the windfarms are built in and around big cattle ranches with very
little impact on the natural surroundings - these solar farms are
going to take a big piece of flat land - like down south of Midland,
which is mostly scrub desert and oil fields ....

and I've heard talk about Alberta being the next hot spot for wind farms
for about two years now - right now, Texas has got the jump, but then
again, relatively speaking, all this is in the toddler stage ....

Drunken Idaho · Post by **Drunken Idaho** » 25 Mar 2009 09:30

Baraka Bryan wrote:we're also the world leader in space robotics

CANADARM!!!!

And what happened to that giant humanoid space robot? Did they ever send that thing up, or is it still sitting on the ground looking like Boba Fett?

Robspierre · Post by **Robspierre** » 25 Mar 2009 19:01

New Mexico would be a great place for this but too much of our land is set aside for the military to use. Though the east side may have some large swath's but there are numerous ranches on that side.

Rob