NM utility unveils first large-scale solar plant

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

April 21, 2011, 10:37AM ET
NM utility unveils first large-scale solar plant
By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN

Without a cloud in the sky, New Mexico's largest electric utility could not have picked a better day to unveil the first of five solar power generating stations it will build this year to meet state renewable energy requirements.

Officials with Public Service Company of New Mexico and Arizona-based manufacturer First Solar joined city leaders Wednesday to dedicate the 2-megawatt photovoltaic plant.

The massive collection of solar panels represents the utility's first venture into large-scale solar development in a state that has been recognized in numerous studies over the years as one of the nation's best spots for tapping the sun's energy.

It has taken years to set the regulatory stage for renewable energy development in New Mexico, but PNM bringing its solar arrays online this year couldn't come at a better time since pressure from environmentalists to curb emissions is growing and state renewable energy standards will only become more stringent over the next decade.





Read more: http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9MO42EO1.htm

[femrap]

1. Wouldn't it be better to do what

Germany is doing....putting solar panels on individual homes?

These big plants take up land. They need a massive transmission system. They could be easily destroyed if some a-hole wants to do so.

I'm so sick of greedy corporations.

[Yo_Mama]

2. Germany isn't getting much electricty out of it

Of course they aren't prime territory for solar, so that has something to do with it. Maybe the plant infrastructure wouldn't pay them.

But when I was trying to find out what electricity Germany was getting out of all those panels, the numbers were shockingly low. Theoretically the solar plants are designed for optimum siting, which makes a difference.

2MW is pretty small - no huge transmission structure needed for that! Also it is sited adjacent to a natural gas plant, so all the infrastructure is already there.

[Yo_Mama]

3. I thought this was pretty cool though

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-News/2010/1013/Solar-power-wall-in-Germany-generates-electricity-and-keeps-the-peace

[Zorra]

8. About 2% of the total energy. Germany continues breaking clean energy records

Nearly 700 MW from some 100,000 systems were installed in a size range typical of that installed by German homeowners.

An astounding 3,700 MW from more than 135,000 systems were installed in a size range representative of that installed by farmers and other small businesses.
snip---
There is 16,500 MW of solar PV capacity now online in Germany. Solar insolation is weakest in mid-winter, and highest in mid-summer. The solar industry's Feb. 7 performance bodes well for this coming summer, when solar PV can be expected to break new records.

In other Feb. 7, 2011 observations:

PV produced 13 percent of supply at noon.
Wind reached nearly 1/3 of generation at midnight.
Wind and solar's combined 18,500 MW at noon met 29 percent of demand.
PV was producing 1/2 of its nameplate in mid-winter.
Wind was producing near its total installed capacity.


http://www.grist.org/renewable-energy/2011-03-24-germany-continues-breaking-clean-energy-records

[Kolesar]

11. thanks

[Yo_Mama]

14. Their net was 2% in 2010

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_Germany

They ended 2010 with almost 17,000 MW installed. Assume 13,000 MW average. 5 * 365 = 1,825 hours per year (if producing for 5 hours average a day). 13,000 * 1,825 = 23,725,000.

They produced 12,000 gigawatts. A gigawatt is a billion watts; a megawatt is a million watts or 1,000 MW. Their net output was about 2.5 hours worth a day, which isn't very good. NM should be able to do much, much better!! But even with great insolation, siting is the most important thing, and my guess is that solar plants are more efficient not just because of the lower cost of the infrastructure, but because of better siting.

[harmonicon]

6. Germany and New Mexico are very different places.

For one, NM is in a better location to exploit solar technology, and more importantly, it's pretty fucking empty. With solar plants, more energy could be generated and sent to other states than would be made by having panels on every individual house in the state.

[Gregorian]

7. Then you are either running dc all over the place to a central inverter,

Or lots of little inverters for each house. It could be that individual houses ends up needing a massive change in transmission infrastructure. I'm just blabbing off the top of my head. I don't really know. Chances are though that a central location is the best for the minor infrastructure of getting dc inverted, and then using the grid that exists to transmit power.

All I know is we're years too late. And it finally feels like the pressure cooker is cooling down a bit. Phew.

[Warpy]

9. Do you have any idea what kind of land it's taking up?

Plus, believe me, it's not taking up that much. Land out here is measured in square miles and 20 acres is nothing.

Sunshine is something we have in overabundance out here. These plants are a good thing.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. "... 2-megawatt photovoltaic plant...."

That can't be right. A typical big railroad diesel locomotive is rated at 4,400 horsepower, which is about 3 megawatts. Installed individual wind turbines are now in the 3 megawatt range. Yes, there are bigger ones, but I think 3 megawatts is typical of what you're going to find installed. The coal-fired Potomac River Generating Station in Alexandria, Virginia, is rated at 482 megawatts. I had thought it was 540 megawatts, but the city says it's not.

2 megawatts isn't going to run too many Mr. Coffees.

[caraher]

12. But it *is* right

Solar isn't very energy-dense. You've got roughly 1 kW/square meter in sunlight, and maybe 20% conversion efficiency for photovoltaics (higher for the fancier varieties and solar thermal).

[FBaggins]

5. Good news... and a pretty ideal spot for it.

Solar makes lots of sense in sunny places where demand picks up for air conditioning just as the sun is at it's brightest.

The more of these we build, the cheaper they should get.

It is, however, humerous to refer to it as a "large-scale" or "massive" when we're talking about two megawatts (and even that only on a sunny afternoon).

[BlackHoleSon]

15. It's ALWAYS

a sunny afternoon in New Mexico. I would prefer better subsidizing of rooftop solar panels feeding back into the grid. I don't understand why there aren't solar panels on every friggin' roof in this state. Really a no brainer.

[FBaggins]

16. Because individuals own homes. Power companies own land.

You have to convince someone that the panels make economic sense for their budget and that they aren't too "ugly" on the roof.

In a place like NM (and with appropriate incentives), I would think that the first standard is close to being met. I don't think that we're too far from the second becomming irrelevant as the designs become less and less conspiculous.

Get to the point where PV looks and performs like roofing tiles at prices that people can afford and you'll see an explosion of such installations (particulaly in AZ/NM/etc)... but we aren't there quite yet. So until then we get this.

The key here is that THIS plant doesn't make any sense on it's own. But it helps get us closer to that day.

My roof should last at least another decade or so. I've got my fingers crossed that I'll have the option by then. :)

[Uncle Joe]

10. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Judi Lynn.

[freshwest]

13. K & R and thanks! My brother's family were w/o power earlier this year in N.M. Anything helps.

[NickB79]

17. Unfortunately it's not really 2 megawatts

It will only produce 2 MW of electricity for a few hours a day, when sunshine is at it's most direct. With a 20% capacity factor (which is considered pretty good for a PV solar array), this plant will have an AVERAGE production of 0.4 MW of electricity.

To put that in perspective, the average coal-fired plant is over 600 MW and usually has a capacity factor of 75%.

We only need to build 1124 more of these to get enough electricity to shut down ONE of the hundreds of coal-fired plants here in the US.

Plus, these panels required 20 acres of land. A GE 2.5 MW wind turbine http://www.gepower.com/prod_serv/products/wind_turbines/en/2xmw/index.htm would produce the same amount of electricity on less than an acre of land.