Solar Energy Leader

Spain is a European and World leader in solar energy. Spain is the second country in Europe in total photovoltaic energy generating power. It has 4 of the 10 the biggest photovoltaic power plants of the world, included the biggest one in Puertollano Ciudad Real.1 Spain is also the first European country in concentrated solar thermal power. In that field, adding Spain to US, both countries represent 90% of the world market.

Solar Energy Leader

Photovoltaic Solar Electricity Potential in European Countries

Source: PVGIS European Communities, 2001-2008. . Author: PVGIS European Communities, 2001-2008. . Permission: Fair Use.

This leadership has many geographical, historical and political reasons. The first one is that Spain is one of the European countries with the highest level of solar irradiation.3 Also it has been very important that since 1980 the Plataforma Solar de Almera , built by Spanish Government in the desert of Tabernas, has been conducting important Research, technological, development and innovation actions in this specific field. But the most important factor is a strong, almost aggressive, public policy of incentives in renewable energies and especially in photovoltaic and thermal solar energy.

This leadership does not mean that solar energy contributes significantly to generating electricity in Spain yet. In 2008 Photovoltaic energy supplied 0.8% of total electrical energy and solar thermal contributed 0.005%, while wind energy supplied 10% and hydraulic 7.3%. But since plants are being installed at a very fast rate (with annual increases some years of more than 400% in installed power) it is expected that in the long run, solar energy will help Spain fight significantly against climate change and reduce its foreign fossil fuel dependency. List of the main Spanish Photovoltaic Plants

Parque Fotovoltaico Puertollano (Ciudad Real), 70MWp, Open Nov 2009 Parque Fotovoltaico Olmedilla de Alarcn (Cuenca), 60MWp, Open Sep 2008 Planta solar fotovoltaica La Magascona y La Magasquilla (Cceres), 34.5MWp, Open 2008 Planta Solar Arnedo (La Rioja), 34MWp, Open 2008 Planta Solar Osa de la Vega (Cuenca), 30MWp, Open 2008 Parque Solar "SPEX" Mrida/Don lvaro (Badajoz), 30MWp, Open Sep 2008 Parque Fotovoltaico Casas de Los Pinos (Cuenca), 28MWp, Open 2008 Planta solar Fuente lamo (Murcia), 26MWp, Open Aug 2008 Planta fotovoltaica de Lucainena de las Torres (Almeria), 23.2MWp, Open Aug 2008 Parque Fotovoltaico Abertura Solar (Cceres), 23.1MWp, Open 2008 Parque Solar Hoya de Los Vincentes, Jumilla (Murcia), 23MWp, Open Jan 2008 Huerta Solar Almaraz (Cceres), 22.1MWp, Open Sep 2008 Parque solar El Coronil (Sevilla), 21.4MWp, Open 2008 Parque solar Calavern (Albacete), 21.2MWp, Open 2008 Planta solar fotovoltaico Calasparra (Murcia), 20MWp, Open 2008 Parque fotovoltaico Beneixama (Alicante), 20MWp, Open Sep 2007 Parque Solar El Bonillo (Albacete), 20MWp, Open Oct 2008 Parque Solar Olivenza (Badajoz), 18MWp, Open Nov 2008 Huerta Solar Las Gabias (Granada), 18MWp, Open 2008 Planta Solar Calzada de Oropesa (Toledo), 15MWp, Open 2009 Planta de energa solar Mahora (Albacete), 15MWp, Open Sep 2008 Planta Solar Lorca (Murcia), 14MWp, Open 2008 Planta Solar de Salamanca (Salamanca), 13.8MWp, Open 2008 Parque Solar Guadarranque (Cdiz), 13.6MWp, Open Sep 2007 Huerta Solar El Realengo (Alicante), 13.2MWp, Open 2008 Parque Fotovoltaico SOLTEN I (Islas Canarias), 13MWp, Open 2008

Thermal Solar Power Plants in Spain

Solucar PS10 is the first solar thermal power plant based on tower in the world that generate electricity in a commercial way
Source: SOLUCAR PS10 Author: Afloresm. Permission: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic.

Spain is also a world leader in Thermal Solar Plants. The first commercial plant in Europe was PS10 in Seville. This plant generates 11MWh since 2007 supplying electricity already to 6,000 people. This plants uses 624 rotating mirrors, called heliostats, and a 114 meter tower (40 stories high) that has a solar receiver and a steam turbine. Storage can be done during one hour. A set of other similar plants will be put in place in the area and are expected to generate 300MWh in 2013. These plants are expected to supply electricity to 153,000 people and reduce emissions of CO2 by 185,000 annual tons. Also the first European parabolic trough solar panel thermal plant was Andasol in Spain, producing 50MWh since may 2009 in Granada. This plant will reduce CO2 emissions by 152,000 tons per year. Another technical advance of this plant is that it has high capacity of storage of energy, up to 7.5 hours. The heat is stored in a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate. The plant is formed by 624 parabolic cylindrical units. It is built in a plain that is at an altitude of 1,100 meters having therefore more solar irradiation than other Spanish plants that are in lower altitudes.

There is a project called Solar Tres to create a solar thermal plant with molten salt that will have a 17 hour heat storage capacity that will be able to supply electricity in a 24 hour cycle. These thermal solar plants of the hot south of Spain will be very useful during electric energy peaks during the summer in the south of Spain due to use of air conditioning. These plants produce electricity at a cost 3 times higher than standard generation, but the Spanish government and companies expect electricity costs to rise enough to reach that level.

Source: Author. Author: Laudahlauts. Permission: Atributtion non-commercial 2.0.

Andasol. Parabolic Trough Solar Panel Thermal Plant

List of Spanish Solar Thermal Plants

Andasol, Granada, 50MWp, Open Nov 2008 (Parabolic Trough Solar Panel) Andasol, Granada, 50MWp, Open 2009 (Parabolic Trough Solar Panel) Energia Solar De Puertollano, Puertollano, Ciudad Real, 50MWp, Open May 2009 (Parabolic Trough Solar Panel) Alvarado 1, Badajoz, 50MWp, Open Jul 2009 (Parabolic Trough Solar Panel) PS20, Sanlcar la Mayor, Sevilla, 20MWp, Open Apr 2009 (Concentrated) PS10, Sanlcar la Mayor, Sevilla, 11MWp, Open May 2007 (Concentrated) Puerto Errado 1, Murcia, 1.4MWp, Open Apr 2009 (Fresnel Reflector)

CONCLUSION Power can be generated Where power generation area is large. (Huge) Where power generation area is having flat ground or decent and equal slope in that area Where power required area is also nearer, so that transmission loss can be reduce by reducing the length of transmission lines. Where productive sunshine for power generation is more, it should create at least 750 F of temperature in it. Where at least nearer to 10 to 12 watts of electrical power is generated by solar cell. Where the Sun shines more than 4 months a year and clean sky (without disturbance of cloud) is there. In case of solar thermal power plant, sweat water source (which avoid fast corrosion of collector field, turbine, generator, cooling tower, transformer) should be in nearer place. The collector of solar chimney plant can use all solar radiation both direct and diffused. So, this plant technique is also helping hands to those countries where the sky is frequently overcast. There are many regions in country which are deserts and soil doesnt bear any crop. And thus no contribution to mankind. But installing plant there give excellent results. The technology and the material to build such plants are available in the country. Hence, such power plants are very attractive in India for bulk power generation even in deserts. The capital cost is high, nearly 7 crore/MW, which can be reduced. However, the cost of generation could be as low as Rs.1.62 per KWH in long run. Hence due to various advantages now most of the country are attracting towards the generation of power by using solar chimney power plant techniques.

WHY THIS SUBJECT (NCES AS ELECTIVE) IS CHOSEN? RELATION OF CIVIL ENGINEERING WITH NCES. Every branch is related to each and every branch, none branch is independent. Civil Engineering is a vast branch and is mother of all branches in engineering. Use of natural resources is quite difficult without Civil Engineering. Small to Huge and sturdy structures for supply of raw material, power generation, power production, power transmition and lastly for use of power is made by Civil Engineer. And vice versa all this facility is made for Civil. Civil Engineering (and all others) needs power every time, so use of NCE (Non Conventional Energy) by consideration of Ecological and Geological pollution and global warming is necessary. NCES like, Thermal needs docs and harbor, Tidal needs Dam, wind farm needs foundation and steel structure (some time Truss), Solar needs perfect location according to size and orientation etc. It is the responsibility of Civil Engineer to design for and purchase the instrument also to install it. Civil Engineer has the criteria to focus on cost effectiveness of the plant.

I chose this subject because. I want to enhance my knowledge in this field. Knowledge of this field helps us to design the structures used in NCES and CES. Also, one can have idea of the basic principal, mechanism and working method of the plants. I was highly interested to know about the NCES which gives us energy without pollution also helps to Global warming, Ecology and Geology. Its been my pleasure to have this subject as elective.