Sandia, Stirling Energy Systems set new world record for solar-to-grid conversion efficiency at 31+

[NMDemDist2]

ALBUQUERQUE —On a perfect New Mexico winter day — with the sky almost 10 percent brighter than usual — Sandia National Laboratories and Stirling Energy Systems (SES) set a new solar-to-grid system conversion efficiency record by achieving a 31.25 percent net efficiency rate. The old 1984 record of 29.4 percent was toppled Jan. 31 on SES's "Serial #3" solar dish Stirling system at Sandia's National Solar Thermal Test Facility.

The conversion efficiency is calculated by measuring the net energy delivered to the grid and dividing it by the solar energy hitting the dish mirrors. Auxiliary loads, such as water pumps, computers and tracking motors, are accounted for in the net power measurement.

"Gaining two whole points of conversion efficiency in this type of system is phenomenal," says Bruce Osborn, SES president and CEO. "This is a significant advancement that takes our dish engine systems well beyond the capacities of any other solar dish collectors and one step closer to commercializing an affordable system."

Serial #3 was erected in May 2005 as part of a prototype six-dish model power plant at the Solar Thermal Test Facility that produces up to 150 kilowatts (kW) of grid-ready electrical power during the day. Each dish unit consists of 82 mirrors formed in a dish shape to focus the light to an intense beam.

http://www.currentargus.com/ci_8507276

[Dudley_DUright]

1. Thanks AZDD

One of my students is doing a senior research project on Stirling engines and will be very interested in this article.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Direct your student here

http://www.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2008/solargrid.html
http://www.sandia.gov/Renewable_Energy/solarthermal/NSTTF/index2.htm

Oh... and here...
http://www.infiniacorp.com/applications/clean_energy.php