Renewable Energy Resources for Irrigation - Practices of Irrigation and On-farm Water Management - page 490

• generate electricity in geosynchronous orbit using solar power satellites.

• dry various food stuffs.

• solar air conditioning.

13.4.6 Solar Photovoltaic Systems to Generate Electricity
Around the Globe

Since 2004 there has been renewed interest in solar thermal power stations, and two
plants were completed during 2006/2007: the 64 MW Nevada Solar One and the
11 MW PS10 solar power tower in Spain. Three 50 MW trough plants were under
construction in Spain at the end of 2007, with 10 additional 50 MW plants planned.
In the United States, utilities in California and Florida have announced plans (or
contracted for) of at least eight new projects totaling more than 2,000 MW.
In developing countries, three World Bank projects for integrated
CSP/combined-cycle gas-turbine power plants in Egypt, Mexico, and Morocco
were approved during 2006/2007. There are several solar thermal power plants
in the Mojave Desert which supply power to the electricity grid. Solar Energy
Generating Systems (SEGS) is the name given to nine solar power plants in the
Mojave Desert which were built in the 1980s. These plants have a combined
capacity of 354 megawatts (MW) making them the largest solar power installation
in the world.
The Moura photovoltaic power station, located in the municipality of Moura,
Portugal, is presently under construction and will have an installed capacity of
62 MW. The first stage of construction has finished in 2008, and the second and
final stage is scheduled for 2010, making it one of the largest photovoltaic projects
ever constructed. Construction of a 40 MW solar generation power plant is under-
way in the Saxon region of Germany. The Waldpolenz Solar Park will consist of
some 550,000 thin-film solar modules. The direct current produced in the modules
will be converted into alternating current and fed completely into the power grid.
Completion of the project is expected in 2009. Three large photovoltaic power plants
have recently been completed in Spain: the Parque Solar Hoya de Los Vincentes
(23 MW), the Solarpark Calveron (21 MW), and the Planta Solar La Magascona
(20 MW).
Another photovoltaic power project has been completed in Portugal. The Serpa
solar power plant is located at one of Europe's sunniest areas (Fig. 13.2 ) . The
11 MW plant covers 150 acres and comprises 52,000 PV panels. The panels are
raised 2 m off the ground and the area will remain productive grazing land. The
project will provide enough energy for 8,000 homes and will save an estimated
30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
A $420 million large-scale solar power station in Victoria is to be the biggest and
most efficient solar photovoltaic power station in the world. Australian company
Solar Systems will demonstrate its unique design incorporating space technology
in a 154 MW solar power station connected to the national grid. The power station