Ivanpah solar plant losing its targeted production

The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in California which was claimed to be the largest solar power plant isn’t producing as much energy as planned.

Opened in February, it was expected to produce enough electricity to power a city of 140,000 homes.

One of the reasons for the ailment of the plant is said to be not receiving enough sunshine.

ALSO READ : Google pursuing grant for ailing Ivanpah solar plant

So far, the plant is producing about half of its expected annual output for 2014, according to California Energy Commission. It had been projected to produce its full capacity for 8 hours a day.

It could take until 2018 for the plant backed by $1.6 billion in federal loan guarantees to hit its annual peak target, said NRG Energy, which operates the plant.

During startup the plant has experienced equipment challenges, typical with any new technology, combined with irregular weather patterns. Ivanpah’s long-term generation projections will meet expectations, Jeff Holland, spokesman.

url

The technology used at Ivanpah is different one and the plant’s solar-thermal system relies on nearly 350,000 computer-controlled mirrors at the site, each the size of a garage door.

The mirrors reflect sunlight to boilers atop 459-foot towers each taller than the Statue of Liberty and the resulting steam drives turbines to create electricity.

The agency still says the project remains in good standing and according to experts its early production figures do not paint a strong picture for solar-thermal technology development.

The operation of such plants depends highly on weather conditions.

The inefficiency with mirrors can be considered as a small loss of power output, said, Neil Fromer, executive director, Resnick Sustainability Institute, California Institute of Technology.

It may be difficult to point thousands of mirrors precisely in the right direction on winter mornings and the mirrors need to be kept clean in the desert location.

The boilers need to be kept running more than four times longer, an average of 4 1/2 hours a day. The plant requested to increase the natural gas allowed to burn by 60 percent two months ago.

Additional natural gas could also be needed to operate boilers when clouds thicken or to maintain output.

The company always expected a ramp-up period of four years to reach maximum output and that extended period is outlined in agreements with, Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric, buying the power.

Sabeena Wahid
[email protected]