Anyone who knows anything about CSP?

I know a lot of the people involved with the CSP...

There are a lot of projects going on at the moment.

These projects include the production of electricity through:

- steam turbines

- air turbines

- closed helium turbines

- kalina processes

- organic rankin cycles

Anoter idea are the solar concentrating dished which power a sterling engine.

Finally, the dlr(dlr.de) leads the project hydrosol through which they hope to directly split water into 2H2 and O2

Regarding the power generation, they think that after the 20th large plant they could be competitive with coal power !!!

Much more exotic uses are even planned.

The technology has been around for a long time. It is not feasible at all on a small scale and marginal on a large scale. I think the figures for the power output are about right. PV cells generally get about 100 watts per square metres under ideal conditions. If the average is more like 20 watts, A 92 mile x 92 mile plot sounds about right to power the US.

I think the Greenpeace person has their cost estimates way off. for these to cost $1M per MW (or $1 per Watt which is what the article says), they would have to cost about $20 per square meter of solar collector. As these things are a complicated system which tracks the sun, the cost would be much higher. I would guess (ball part figures here) the real cost of frames, mirrors, motors, plumbing and storage devices and generators and contol equipment would be more like $2000 per square metre of solar collector.

(edit) Bob and I agree on something - how very odd.

I've read a bit about it. Basically what makes it feasible is the long-distance direct current power lines (mentioned in the article). DC lines lose very little power over distance (as opposed to alternating current lines), so they make long distance transmission of power (such as from a desert to a more habitable area, or from offshore windfarms to inland areas) feasible.

It's a very promising technology. Hopefully there will be funds made available for the construction of CSP plants.

There've been a few CSPs built, using various "engines" to make use of the concentrated heat.

It works, but it has no great advantage over other forms of solar. Worthy of development, not a game changing advance.

Ben O and I agree. Where did I go wrong? <grin>

looks pretty good. don't forget that it requires water to operate, and getting large volumes of water into the areas that will have enough direct sunlight won't be cheap, but that is probably why it is "only" very competative with coal vs cheaper. But of course its better than coal in terms of pollution, so it what this article says is true, it seems to be a promising technology.

Yes, it works. It's probably not as cheap as that article claims.

probably works, however the big oil companys and other corporate giants won't allow anything that makes sense and cost less because they don't want anyone messing with their profits.