Storm destroys massive solar plant in Upington

R13... said:
He doesn't say it's a PV plant. You didn't read his post.
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Yes, I was confused because they immediately went into a story about PV.

Its an interesting thought though but I think its probably still better to fix the mirrors than replace them with PV.

Hopefully there are some lessons from this storm.
 
Moosedrool said:
I get it now.

But this must be rare and not often as you say cause the shadow of such a cloud should literally have a visible caustic around it due to the concentrated light. Can see it happening, haven't seen it happening.
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I think its specific cloud cover.

Its that overcast cover where there is still a glare, not the cover where you get shade.

I often get sunburn in overcast weather, its because the UV rays can easily pass through clouds.
Also, the panel stays cooler compared to when its full light and that also affects performance.
 
Nerfherder said:
Yes, I was confused because they immediately went into a story about PV.

Its an interesting thought though but I think its probably still better to fix the mirrors than replace them with PV.

Hopefully there are some lessons from this storm.
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As stated the storm is probably something of a black swann event. Their insurance will pay and they'll restore and carry on.
 
No, I did know about molten salt, but my argument is around the fall of CSP and the move to PV.
My Point boils down to the plant getting destroyed might have a big silver lining as the payout can be used to replace it with new tech.

"In some parts of the world “you can basically buy a solar module for the price of a fence panel,” Chase said. At the time Ivanpah was built, “nobody really would have dreamed that photovoltaics would be this cheap, and batteries are doing a similar thing,” she added."
"A spokesperson for NRG said prices were competitive when the power agreements were signed in 2009. But over time, advancements in other types of solar technology “led to more efficient, cost effective and flexible options for producing reliable clean energy.”"


Lupus said:
Yes I know :) but the person I was replying to didn't
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Such a pity, it really is/was a wonderous thing to see in person. This was a couple of days ago. Glad I got to see it!
 

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SauRoNZA said:
Cloud edge is a thing that will push your solar array well beyond its rated capacity because as I understood it actually increases radiation.

I’m no scientist by any means but I have literally seen it do this with my array outputting over 7kW on a 6.3kW array.

But it’s extremely circumstantial and as @Lupus says probably doesn’t amount to higher outputs overall.

Cloud-Edge Effects on Solar Arrays – SKY LIGHTS

sky-lights.org sky-lights.org

www.blueelectrics.co.uk

Maximising Solar PV Efficiency: Understanding the Cloud Edge Effect - Blue Electrics

As homeowners increasingly turn to solar power to reduce their energy bills and carbon footprint, understanding the factors that can […]
www.blueelectrics.co.uk www.blueelectrics.co.uk

Basically very few clouds will result in higher outputs than completely clear skies.
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I've seen this happen many times on my small system.
The craziest was last year when there was a bit of cloud cover and snow falling in JHB.
My panel output went berserk.
 
RaptorSA said:
I've seen this happen many times on my small system.
The craziest was last year when there was a bit of cloud cover and snow falling in JHB.
My panel output went berserk.
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Year before :p last year was 2024, the snowfall was 2023
 
Lupus said:
Year before :p last year was 2024, the snowfall was 2023
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No man
I think it was during this time
F*k I don't know anymore. I'm getting old

1741863992078.png

EDIT: Agge nee.
Not this is stuck in my head.

1741864117514.png
 
Chingha said:
Such a pity, it really is/was a wonderous thing to see in person. This was a couple of days ago. Glad I got to see it!
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that's a different plant Khi Solar one CSP Tower- mirrors can go flat, so should be no/less damaged. Also about 40km away
The one that was destroyed was Ilanga CSP Trough with parabolic mirrors that can't go flat/ upside down.
 
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DStvNothingOn said:
No, I did know about molten salt, but my argument is around the fall of CSP and the move to PV.
My Point boils down to the plant getting destroyed might have a big silver lining as the payout can be used to replace it with new tech.

"In some parts of the world “you can basically buy a solar module for the price of a fence panel,” Chase said. At the time Ivanpah was built, “nobody really would have dreamed that photovoltaics would be this cheap, and batteries are doing a similar thing,” she added."
"A spokesperson for NRG said prices were competitive when the power agreements were signed in 2009. But over time, advancements in other types of solar technology “led to more efficient, cost effective and flexible options for producing reliable clean energy.”"

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I wouldn't even waste money on building a PV plant. Instead, I would use it to install panels on rooftops. This way, there's no need to upgrade transmission lines, and each house can have its own battery.
 
There is this place in South Africa that is known for its storms but the name escapes my mind right now. :unsure:
 
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