What could possibly go wrong with this? (Floating solar power )

[n2doc]

Floating Solar Power Plant Pilot Project Given Go Ahead in India
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY on 03.28.11



You've no doubt heard of offshore wind power, how about offshore solar power? Well, Australian solar power company Sunengy would like you to, or at least floating solar power--announcing that it has partnered with India's Tata Power to build a pilot project for a floating solar power plant there.

Via New Kerala.com:
Construction of the pilot plant in India will commence in August this year...Sunergy plans to set up a larger in the NSW Hunter Valley in middle of 2012 before going into full production.

Here's how Sunergy touts the benefits of its liquid solar array technology:
The LSA uses traditional Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) technology - a lens and a small area of solar cells that tracks the sun throughout the day, like a sunflower. Floating the LSA on water reduces the need for expensive supporting structures to protect it from high winds. The lenses submerge in bad weather and the water also cools the cells which increases their efficiency and life-span.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/03/floating-solar-power-plant-pilot-project-india.php

Lets see...electricity+salt water+waves+boats+barnacles, etc....yep, nothing to worry about.....

[FSogol]

1. Cool idea. n/t

[Statistical]

2. Maybe not useful in open seas but inland freshwater lakes it could be useful.

Imagine an open resivour. Hundreds of acres which is used for nothing but storing fresh water. There is no boating, tides, high waves, commercial activities, etc.

Dual use of the same land. Water for drinking and hundreds of floating cells creating electricity also.

[kristopher]

11. Why wouldn't it be useful in open seas? Nuclear supporter are poor critics of renewables

The evidence is in the threads every day - your objections are unfounded horsehockey.

[OKIsItJustMe]

13. It might be useful in the open seas, but that's not what it's intended for

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=115&topic_id=284354&mesg_id=284413

[n2doc]

19. Would a "nuclear supporter" post this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x757354

Anyway, your rhetoric suggests that you just want to stir up crap.

FWIW, I am a strong supporter of Solar and wind energy. My personal feeling is that we need to "sacrifice" a chunk of desert land to build massive solar farms, and put in wind turbines where we can. But this sort of crap solar isn't going to do anything but siphon money away from approaches that will work. We (as in the entire world) are completely screwed if we continue relying on fossil fuels+nukes.

[kristopher]

22. Or it suggests...

that so much crap about renewables is thrown towards *vocal* critics of nuclear that it becomes hard to tell the players.

Mea culpa.

[MineralMan]

3. Sounds interesting. Certainly less a risk to the environment

than current technology. However, we'll have to wait and see how this pans out for a large scale situation.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Lets see...electricity+salt water+waves+boats+barnacles, etc....yep, nothing to worry about.....

I imagine you've hit upon a series of problems the designers never even considered.

Or, maybe, just maybe, they have.

http://sunengy.com/
http://vimeo.com/5485278
http://vimeo.com/3771468

[n2doc]

5. My experience with engineers says otherwise

Most never have dealt with the problems associated with electronics at sea. It is not trivial to power autonomous devices at sea and keep instruments going for long periods of time, let alone have some sort of solar power system at wave level. The first thing that is going to happen is that the lenses of these devices are going to be covered in bird crap and sea salt. This will then promote massive growth of organisms on the structure below (unless they make it a toxic wasteland with antifouling paints). I could go on....

[Wilms]

7. How does tidal power overcome salt?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_power#Current_and_future_tidal_power_schemes

Excellent point about the lenses, however.

[n2doc]

18. Massive design and corrosion resistance

Also the only serious tidal power sites are essentially dams. These are not fiddly, spindly things requiring exact positioning + movement in a moored environment. You might notice that there are lots of tidal power designs that look great on paper, but never seem to go anywhere.

[intaglio]

21. Some designs don't use tide trapping

A proposed plant has just been given planning approval for the Sound between Islay and Jura.

more details at [link:www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/17/10megawatt-tidal-power-station-approved-hebrides|The Guardian}

[Recursion]

8. Fortunately naval architects are smart people

And marine projects generally get them in on the design.

[n2doc]

17. The navy has large numbers of people, "sailors", who can be ordered to clean things

These folks do not. The point is, I don't think that design will last 6 months in the real world. There have been plenty of marine tidal power projects that look great in a computer drawing, but never make it to commercial level production. I see this as yet another example.

[Recursion]

20. Most naval architects do not work for the Navy

In fact the Navy only directly employs a handful of them.

[OKIsItJustMe]

9. As I expected, you’re way ahead of them.

http://sunengy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/LSA-TECHNOLOGY-BRIEF_PM.pdf

…

Core process The solar energy from direct sunlight is focused by a thin acrylic lens down through a glass lid, into a sealed, partially submerged metal well, containing photovoltaic cells. Collectors rotate tracking the movements of the sun by both a light sensor and dead reckoning software. A wind sensor is connected to the sun tracking software to submerge each unit into the water should winds rise above a predetermined force and return the lens to its tracking position once the winds have abated. The lens is water-sealed and is cleaned automatically. An inverter converts LSA power from direct current to alternating current, which is then connected to the power supply system (Grid).

…

Installation locations: LSA units can be commissioned on protected waterways from large-scale hydropower dams or mine pits to small-scale village dams or ponds (as illustrated below). The water can be fresh, salt or slightly caustic; LSA installations reduce evaporation and there is no toxicity in materials used.

[kristopher]

12. You don't have the expertise you imply - it is specious nonsense.

I feel sorry for you, I really do.

It makes me wonder what is the cost to a person who sacrifice their intellectual integrity...

[n2doc]

16. Since you know who I am maybe we should go for a beer and hash it out

Save your pity for someone who cares, bro.

[Skink]

6. Just don't get BP to run it.

[OKIsItJustMe]

10. Why do you assume these will be set up in the open ocean?

http://sunengy.com/

…

The LSA was invented by Phil Connor, Sunengy Executive Director and Chief Technology Officer and a passionate advocate for solar power for 45 years. Mr Connor said that when located on and combined with hydroelectric dams, LSA provides the breakthroughs of reduced cost and ‘on demand’ 24/7 availability that are necessary for solar power to become widely used. … Mr Connor said. “LSA needs no heavy materials or huge land acquisitions and is effectively cyclone proof,” he said. “If India uses just one percent of its 30,000 square kilometers of captured water with our system, we can generate power equivalent to 15 large coal-fired power stations.”

…

Mr Wakeman said that the primary market for LSA is the provision of industrial scale electricity via hydropower facilities. Other markets include mining sites as well as villages and remote communities reliant on diesel power generators.

Construction of the pilot plant in India will commence in August 2011. Sunengy plans to establish a larger LSA system in the NSW Hunter Valley in mid 2012 before going into full production.

[FBaggins]

14. Sounds pretty smart

Assuming it has the potential to be cost-effective.

You don't even really need much grid tie-in equipment since the hydro dam will already have a connection to the grid.

[XemaSab]

15. I don't understand how this works

With most solar plants, the mirrors or panels are tilted so that they turn towards the sun. Wave chop would mean that these would be pointing in a different direction literally every second, so they would never be optimally placed for maximum generation.