Eco Factor: Solar power plant to provide electricity and hot water to better solar efficiency.
The output of a solar cell is diminished if the temperature of the cell rises above a critical point. This might not be a problem if a company plans a solar power plant for Alaska, but it has a considerable impact on the efficiency of a power plant in other much warmer parts of the world. ZenithSolar thinks that they have just nailed the issue with a hybrid plant that provides electricity till the time solar panels are cool and once the temperature rises they provide hot water. According to the company, this intelligent combination enables the plant to convert 75% of the sunlight it absorbs into useful electricity and hot water, with a cost of 8.6 cents per kilowatt hour.
The company is now planning a solar filed that takes up a half-acre lot at the edge of Kibbutz in central Israel. The plant will have 16 units, each with two 11-square meter dishes and will be unveiled on April 26. These dishes are a combination of 1200 small mirrors that concentrate sunlight on a four-inch panel of PV cells made from a special material. These mirrors are able to enhance the intensity of sunlight 1000 fold. About a third of the output of this plant, accounting to 70KW, will be electricity. The rest heat is transferred into water which doubles as a coolant.
The company plans to launch small units in two years, which can be used to power and heat a normal home. These units would be able to generate 15KW of combined electric and thermal output and would cost about $29,500 and would be able to work for 15 years.
Via: Reuters
