Typical solar characteristics of up-to-date equipment are[ 11]: Peak power = 80 MW Land occupation = 1.6 km2 Reflective area = 0.5 km2 Solar annual production = 180 GWh Annual equivalent operating time at nominal solar output = 2000 to 2500 hours Net peak efficiency = 23% Annual global solar net efficiency = 14% (for Californian insolation characteristics, with 2700 kWh/m2/year of direct irradiation). Alternative thermodynamic technologies, namely parabolic dishes and central receivers, have been successfully used but have not yet given rise to commercial developments. Another way is to produce photovoltaic electricity on the grid. Photovoltaic power plants of 1 to 5 MW have been successfully demonstrated in California and smaller ones ( a few hundred kW) in Japan, Europe and Middle East. Very simple to operate, these entirely automatic plants will certainly be used more in next century: no pollution, no noise, and minimum maintenance. Also, they do not need
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTU5NjU0Mg==