Solar Towers

Solar Towers

A solar tower is a relatively new technology based on the well-understood principal of physics – that hot air rises. A solar tower power station is designed to generate conditions for hot winds to flow through turbines to produce electricity continuously. The sun’s radiation heats air under a greenhouse-like collector, which then rises as a hot wind through large turbines at the base of a tower to produce electricity.

Solar Tower technology has been tested and proven with a successful small-scale pilot plant constructed in Manzanares, Spain (see Figure 1). The pilot project was the result of collaboration between the Spanish Government and the German designers, Schlaich Bergermann and Partner. The plant operated successfully for seven years between 1982 and 1989, and consistently generated 50k W output of green energy. The pilot plant conclusively proved the concept works and provided data for design modifications to achieve greater commercial and economic benefits associated with an increased scale of economy for continuous base-load generation capacity (Enviromission, 2005).

EnviroMission owns the exclusive licence to German designed solar tower technology in Australia. Their first project will focus on developing this revolutionary technology into the world’s first large-scale solar thermal power station capable of generating enough electricity to supply 200 000 typical Australian homes. The company owns an exclusive licence for innovative Solar Tower technology and aims to establish its first 200 MW solar thermal power station using this technology near Buronga in the Wentworth Shire, far western New South Wales, Australia (see Figure 2). Dubbed the “Solar Mission Project”, the construction of the Solar Tower is a commercial venture offering an alternative source of energy for the Australian market (Enviromission, 2005).

Recently the company announced that a re-engineered 50 MW solar tower option will most likely be built to maintain construction risk within the realm of tested engineering methodologies (Enviromission, 2005). EnviroMission is currently in the final feasibility stage of development of the system.

Low Temperature Solar Thermal Technologies in Australia

For some of the research in solar thermal technologies in Australia click here

Further Information

RISE Resources - Information regarding available renewable energy resources.

RISE Technologies - An extensive collection of information regarding renewable energy technologies.

RISE Applications & System Design - Renewable energy application information and system designs.

RISE System Displays - Case studies and information on installed renewable energy systems & performance data.

The Energy Resources Institute – Solar Thermal

The Solarserver – Solar Thermal Technologies in the United States

Australian National University – Solar Thermal Energy Research

Wikipedia – Solar Energy

Renewable Energy Commercialisation in Australia – Solar Thermal

References

Enviromission Ltd., 2005. “Homepage” http://www.enviromission.com.au/ (Accessed 23 February 2007).