Solar Power. I've been interested in solar for a while now. The image above comes from the Mojave Desert in California. The plant pictured above is part of a nine plant system that makes up the largest solar facility in the world, with a maximum generating capacity of just over 350MW (using an area of 1,000 acres). An average coal plant can generate between 1,000MW and around 1,500MW. This might make some question the plausibility of solar power.
I had the opportunity to attend a lecture given by a physics professor from UW-Madison who's area of expertice is solar power. He commented that if there was a solar plant with an area of 100x100 miles in Nevada's deserts then we could have enough power for the entire U.S. (He then noted that we wouldn't be able to transport the power or store it efficiently). Not to mention the cost of a project that size.
So it looks like we won't be depending on solar alone for a long time.
But the good news is that we don't have to depend on just one renewable source. With the right combination of wind power, hydro power, geothermal power, and yes even nuclear power we could easily meet all our energy needs. The main obstacle is the initial investment in these new energy infrastructures as well as changing people's attitudes on these energy sources.
Stay tuned for artices on those other sources of energy!
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