Largest Focused Solar Project Response Challenge

The world's largest focused solar power plant is located deep in California's Mohave Desert, near Interstate 15. Since its opening in February 2014, it has been nearly 2 years. Since then, the Ivanpah solar power system with an installed capacity of 377 megawatts has been known worldwide. For example, the system was named "Power Plant of the Year" by Power Magazine, which is the first time that a renewable energy project has won this honor. The power plant uses thousands of mirrors to reflect sunlight to the top of the tower, where it generates water vapor and pushes the turbine. This new model has opened the eyes of the world.

Ivanpah was developed by Bright Source Energy and also obtained investments from companies such as NRG and Google. It provided enough power to Pacific Gas and Power Company and Southern California Edison Power Company to use more than 140,000 California households at peak power. powered by. According to the design plan, this power plant can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 400,000 tons per year.

Who is dissatisfied with such a project? In fact, there are not a few people who are dissatisfied with this. As a participant in the $1.6 billion U.S. Department of Energy's **guarantee program, Ivanpa has raised the concerns of climate change deniers and small government supporters who think this is a meaningless project that not only wastes taxpayer money, And it will constitute a ** for the survival of birds. In response to the indiscriminate bombing of the media, Bright Source Energy was forced to issue a series of statements clarifying the company’s technical and financial information.

Complaints: Ivanpa wasted government funds and demanded government funds to repay the government.

Response: This is not the case. The so-called appropriation is actually a 30% reduction in investment tax authorized by the Congress. This is a treatment that the company should enjoy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s guarantee policy, Ivanpa needs to use these tax deductions to pay for outstanding loans immediately.

Complaint: The power generation life of this power plant is not up to the promise.

Response: Bright Source stated that the company “still believes that Ivanpah will successfully operate within 30 years of life expectancy.” However, the company did admit that the sunshine in 2014 was 9% lower than expected, affecting the overall performance.

Complaints: Power Plant ** Bird Survival

Response: There are indeed some birds that will be killed but not much. Birds may mistake Ivanpah's mirrors for water and burn them as they approach. However, BrightSource stated that after the first full annual monitoring, they considered the mortality of migratory birds to be “very low”. The company also pointed out that as many as billions of birds are killed each year by cats and wires.

Complaint: The power plant needs to use natural gas, but it turns out that this cannot be used.

Response: "Using natural gas is to comply with California law and maximize the production of renewable energy," BrightSource said. "In the founding and implementation process, plant operators have deepened their understanding of the operating process, including careful use for safety reasons." Natural gas, and strengthen the reliable operation of solar receivers and steam turbines.” In daily practice, the power plant uses some natural gas to supply electricity, and begins to collect sunlight as much as possible without damaging the equipment.

Conclusion: Let Ivanpa operate for a few years, pay close attention to its various financial and scientific indicators, and finally make a judgment, perhaps the best solution. The reason is that if it can achieve its intended purpose, it can serve as an example to follow in other sunny regions.