Solar updraft tower
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The solar updraft tower is a renewable-energy power plant for generating electricity from solar power. Sunshine falling on a greenhouse-like collector structure around the base of a tall chimney heats the air within it. The resulting convection causes air to rise up the tower by the chimney effect. This airflow drives wind turbines to produce electricity.
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Advantages
- Life span = 80 years. [1]
- Low maintenance costs.
- Cost for 40 years around 1 million USD [2]
- Produces greenhouse areas that can be used for agriculture.
- Produces energy at night (at a reduced rate) [3]
- Produces energy when overcast [4]
- May be able to desalinate water via condensation [5]
Disadvantages
- Takes up a relatively large amount of space.[6]
Economic analysis
- Cost per Watt of capacity = 4 EUR [7]
- Cost per watt of capacity (200 MW): 4 EUR, (50 MW): 6,04 [8]
- 50 MW (Spain, 1800) cost per Watt: 20 EUR[9]
- 200 MW (Spain, 1800) cost per Watt: 12 EUR[10]
Land use
The collector diameter is around 750 m = 400,000 m^2 = 100 acre (60 soccer pitches)[11]
Considering land prices as follows, the solar updraft tower will cost 100,000 - 1,000,000 USD for land only.
- US = 1,000 - 10,000 USD per acre
- Argentina < 8,000 USD per acre [12]
References
- ↑ http://social.csptoday.com/technology/solar-updraft-tower-technology-not-all-hot-air
- ↑ http://www.architecture.mit.edu/sites/all/files/attachments/lecture/SolarUpdraftTower_Project.pdf
- ↑ http://www.architecture.mit.edu/sites/all/files/attachments/lecture/SolarUpdraftTower_Project.pdf
- ↑ http://www.architecture.mit.edu/sites/all/files/attachments/lecture/SolarUpdraftTower_Project.pdf
- ↑ http://inhabitat.com/solar-updraft-towers-in-namibia/attachment/14194/
- ↑ http://educypedia.karadimov.info/library/Solar%20Updraft%20Towers.pdf
- ↑ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_updraft_tower
- ↑ http://www.architecture.mit.edu/sites/all/files/attachments/lecture/SolarUpdraftTower_Project.pdf
- ↑ http://www.architecture.mit.edu/sites/all/files/attachments/lecture/SolarUpdraftTower_Project.pdf
- ↑ http://www.architecture.mit.edu/sites/all/files/attachments/lecture/SolarUpdraftTower_Project.pdf
- ↑ http://educypedia.karadimov.info/library/Solar%20Updraft%20Towers.pdf
- ↑ http://www.laht.com/article.asp?CategoryId=14093&ArticleId=363225
