300-MW Array and More Planned for Florida, California

300-MW Array and More Planned for Florida, California

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10/03/2007

By Debra Wood

One of Florida's largest electric utilities plans to produce power using the Sunshine State's namesake beams at a new 300-MW solar thermal plant, larger than any single thermal solar array now operating in the country. FPL Group Inc., Juno Beach, and subsidiaries Florida Power & Light and FPL Energy anticipate investing $1.5 billion at solar facilities in Florida and California during the next seven years. About $900 million will be committed to Florida, says Mayco Villafana, FPL spokesman. Ausra Inc Ausra solar thermal plant in Australia is built next to a coal-fired powerplant to lower unit cost of generation. "It's a wonderful step forward and we're very excited about it," says Tom Mancini, concentrating solar power manager for Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N.M. FPL Energy already operates two solar facilities totaling 310 MW in the Mohave Desert, using parabolic trough technology, which re­quires on-site installation of high support trusses, custom-curved mirrors and troughs containing solar heated oil. The newly announced FPL plants will employ Palo Alto, Calif.-based Ausra Inc.'s compact linear fresnel reflector solar collector and steam generation system. Ar­chi­tectural mirror glass attaches to panels that rotate on hoops installed close to the ground and shine sunlight on the ab­sorb­er, a pipe running above. "We focused on making the reflector area cheaper," says John O'Donnell, Ausra executive vice president. "The slightly curved steel decking and truss is manufactured on a production line and the re­flectors are bonded to it." Heat storage will allow the plants to run at night or in cloudy weather. A steam accumulator stores energy as pressurized hot water, driving a turbine when the valve is open. "All costs associated with the turbine and cooling systems will be amortized over more hours of generation," O'Donnell says. "As you add energy storage, the cost per kilowatt-hour drops." Mancini says solar power generation in the Southwest costs 12¢ to 15¢ per kWh. The average retail cost of electricity in Florida in 2005 was 8.76¢ per kWh, re­ports the Energy Information Administration. Combining large concentrating solar plants with conventional natural-gas com­bined-cycle or coal-fired plants could lower the cost of solar to 8¢ per kWh, the Dept. of Energy estimates. That is Ausra's plan for FPL's initial 10-MW pilot project. It will feed the solar plant's steam into an existing gas-fired power station, O'Donnell says. Warm Welcome Acceptance by consumer and environmental activists could smooth permitting and siting. Bill Newton, executive director of the Florida Consumer Action Network, praised the plant. Audubon of Florida also is pleased with FPL's solar plans. "This is a fantastic idea, and we're happy to see FPL take the lead in renewable energy," says Traci Romine, a policy ad­vocate working on climate change for Audubon of Florida. FPL will assess whether the pilot proj­ect meets cost and technical specifications for three years before proceeding with the 300-MW facility. Gov. Charlie Crist (R) has called for reducing utility greenhouse gas emissions, and the Public Service Commission is studying the plan. Ausra estimates, depending on financing costs, it can generate power for 4.8¢ to 6.7¢ per kWh. "We are on the threshold of solar power more or less being a direct competitor with gas-fired generation, and over the next few years with coal-fired generation," O'Donnell says. He estimates the installed cost of the 300-MW plant will be about $3 million per MW. Florida's humid climate re­duces direct solar radiation and in­creases solar's costs, says Man­cini. But land cost is the main issue holding back Florida's solar development, says Jim Fenton, ex­ecutive director of the Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa. He speculates FPL will locate solar arrays around a nuc­lear plant, where they must maintain a large land buffer. FPL owns and operates nuclear plants near Fort Pierce and Florida City.