First Hybrid Natural Gas Solar Power Plant Debuts
Straightforward solar power is very important. However, we also have to look at options for combining this with additional energy sources to maximize its use throughout the nation. We've come one step further in this area since the first hybrid natural gas solar power plant just opened in Florida. It's officially called the Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center and it's a project of the Florida Power & Light Company.
The natural gas plant portion of the building was already standing in Western Martin County, Florida. In order to add in solar power, it was necessary to add nearly 200,000 solar thermal mirrors to this existing plant. These mirrors track the sun throughout the day, capturing as much solar energy as possible, and then converting that energy into electrical energy. This is the first natural gas building to be retrofitted with solar thermal capabilities.
This can mean a lot of reduced energy waste in the state of Florida. The facility is a 75 MW building. It has the capacity to provide power for approximately 11,000 homes in the area. Over the next thirty years it may reduce fossil fuel consumption by 600,000 barrels of oil AND 41 billion cubic feet. The result will be an estimated 2.75 million ton reduction in greenhouse gas emissions thanks to this incredible building alone. And of course, money always matters with projects like this, so it's important to note that this building has the potential to reduce fuel costs by over 1.75 million dollars over the next three decades.
What makes this project important is really not the specifics of how it was accomplished but rather the innovative approach to combining different types of energy in one building. As we move towards increased use of renewable resource energy of all kinds, it will be very important to look at ideas like this to allow for sustainable development of these technologies. The idea of enhancing an existing natural gas structure with solar power is a great example of using our current resources but making them better, something we definitely want to be doing more of in the future!
Publish Date: 2011-03-18 08:55:59
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