Thomas the Tank Engine Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 A test of a solar power tower project in Nevada resulted in injuries to over one hundred birds, the federal government is reporting, though the project's owners say they've fixed the problem. On January 14, during tests of the 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project near Tonopah, Nevada, biologists observed 130 birds entering an area of concentrated solar energy and catching fire. That's according to Rudy Evenson, Deputy Chief of Communications for Nevada Bureau of Land Management in Reno. Evenson suggested that the birds may have been attracted by a glow the concentrated solar energy created above the project's sole tower. The Crescent Dunes solar project, now in its final stages of construction and testing by owner SolarReserve, is set to go online in March. Its projected 110 megawatts of peak output will be sold to the utility NV Energy, which serves most of Nevada. According to Evenson, workers testing the plant moved approximately a third of the project's ten thousand mirrors to focus sunlight on a point 1,200 feet above the ground, approximately twice the height of the power tower at Crescent Dunes. The test started at 9:00 a.m. on January 14, Evenson told Rewire. By 10:30, biologists working on the site began noticing what have become known as "streamers," trails of smoke and water vapor caused by birds entering the field of concentrated solar energy (a.k.a. "solar flux") and igniting. By the time the test ended for the day at 3:00 p.m., biologists had counted 130 such "streamers." A subsequent test on January 15 reduced the number of mirrors aimed at the focal point above the tower, said Evenson, and that apparently ended the injuries to birds. SolarReserve has confirmed to Rewire that birds were injured at the plant in January, but says that the mitigation measures Evenson described have allowed subsequent testing of the plant with less risk to wildlife -- which the company is touting as good news for management of power tower wildlife issues. "We had some avian incidents during the week of January 11, in which there were a number of incidents, estimated at under 150 avian safety issues," SolarReserve CEO Kevin Smith told Rewire. "As a result, we stopped testing until we successfully developed mitigation procedures to address the identified avian safety issues." Those mitigation procedures, developed by SolarReserve's engineers, include repositioning the plant's mirrors to reduce the intensity of the solar flux field. "Over the last 30 days of commissioning activities, which includes extended periods of flux (sunlight) on the tower, the Crescent Dunes project has only experienced a single (one) avian fatality attributed to the solar facility," Smith said. Though SolarReserve may well have found a way to test and operate the Crescent Dunes plant with lower risk to wildlife, another lesson from Tonopah in January may suggest that changes at other solar power tower plants are necessary as well. Rewire has learned via anecdotal accounts from another source that at least one of the birds injured January 14 was a common raven, which -- in the words of our source -- "turned white hot and vaporized completely." Asked to confirm that report, the BLM's Evenson said that his office didn't have a list of the species affected, but added that "that's what streamers are." The U.S.'s one other solar power plant in operation, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, has been assessing that plant's risk to birds by monitoring the number of bird carcasses found on the power plant's grounds during routine operations and periodic surveys. If solar flux from the 110-megawatt Crescent Dunes plant is indeed capable of completely incinerating a large birds such as raven, which average more than two and a half pounds, then flux at the Ivanpah plant, whose three units are each slightly greater in output than Crescent Dunes, could arguably do the same. And that means that looking for carcasses on the ground might not tell the whole story. http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewire/solar/concentrating-solar/scores-of-birds-killed-during-test-of-solar-project-in-nevada.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
123456789A Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 All that space and it only does 110 megawatts? Doesn't look very efficient. remixedcat and T3X4S 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Red King Subscriber² Posted February 21, 2015 Subscriber² Share Posted February 21, 2015 (edited) All that space and it only does 110 megawatts? Doesn't look very efficient.I prefer Nuclear. Birds will only get vaporized by water vapor. Aergan, T3X4S and dvb2000 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pam14160 Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Hmmmm!. . .no matter what type of engery system we come up with something is sure to go wrong. . .case in point. T3X4S 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkMan Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Are they rehashing this crap again... it was thoroughly debunked when they did this article like a year ago. remixedcat and Mugwump00 2 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T3X4S Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Are they rehashing this crap again... it was thoroughly debunked when they did this article like a year ago. What was debunked ? no birds ? I want to know why they kept referring to the birds as avian - by calling them something besides the common name does that infer some sort of deflection in the public's eye ? So people wont get as upset about animals getting killed ? Or is this Kevin Smith guy one of those douches who always wants to sound smarter than everyone ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryster Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 What was debunked ? no birds ? I want to know why they kept referring to the birds as avian - by calling them something besides the common name does that infer some sort of deflection in the public's eye ? So people wont get as upset about animals getting killed ? Or is this Kevin Smith guy one of those douches who always wants to sound smarter than everyone ? Referring to birds as avian, or cats as feline, or dogs as canine isn't anything to sneer at. It's just another term for the same thing, though those terms are usually used by those with science backgrounds. So are you advocating that scientists or engineers are 'douches', just because they ARE likely smarter than you and most 'everyone' else? BajiRav 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctebah Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Here birds die from landing in tailing ponds. If they're going to die, I'd rather they die from a much cleaner energy source The Evil Overlord 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aergan Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 At least they're not flying into glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T3X4S Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Referring to birds as avian, or cats as feline, or dogs as canine isn't anything to sneer at. It's just another term for the same thing, though those terms are usually used by those with science backgrounds. So are you advocating that scientists or engineers are 'douches', just because they ARE likely smarter than you and most 'everyone' else? I thought it was a deliberate attempt @ deflecting any possible backlash from animal rights advocates and/or the public. Calling it something not as common as "birds" might sound less damaging to John Q Public as it softens the blow. As far as people who try to sound smart by using words other than common vernacular - I wasnt referring to scientists, engineers - if it was a quote out of a trade journal - thats one thing - but if its a press release - that is something else. My comment was really based out of I just had a discussion with an employee of mine who loves to sound smarter than everyone else - and loves to try and talk down to others not in our field - I tried explaining to him that a really smart person can adjust his language according to who he is talking to... and I tried telling him things like "Socrates said that the true genius knows how dumb he really is" It has been an ongoing issue with this employee - so when I read that - I picked up on it - thats all. As far as these people being smarter than me - define "smart" Know more about their field ? - heck yes they do. As far as everyone else... scientists/physicists & engineers are generally among the highest IQ when compared to other professions - so I'd agree they are "smarter" than most everyone else... I, myself, am somewhere between pond scum, and a bowl of dog food ... according to my fiance when she is mad at me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remixedcat Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 so they would rather thier power comes from a source that kills more and causes pollution? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T3X4S Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 An estimated 1.4-3.7 billion birds are killed each year by cats; As many as 980 million birds crash into buildings annually; 174 million birds die from power lines every year; Up to 340 million birds perish from vehicles/roads; Approximately 6.8 million birds die flying into communications towers; As many as one million die annually in oil and gas fluid waste pits; and Up to 330,000 die each year from wind turbines remixedcat, NeoTrunks, Draconian Guppy and 1 other 4 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
123456789A Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 so they would rather thier power comes from a source that kills more and causes pollution? Captain Planet: The technology is here. We could build solar panels, hot water heaters, even solar cars. The more we shift to solar power, the healthier our planet will be. The Power is yours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
protocol7 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Hmm... solar power tower.... or... death ray! The Evil Overlord, T3X4S and Psyco359 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryoken Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I think we found a Win Win, power, AND a way to get even faster KFC. T3X4S, The Evil Overlord and remixedcat 3 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Are they rehashing this crap again... it was thoroughly debunked when they did this article like a year ago.Not debunked. Even the feds & greenie sites are concerned. NBC NEWS pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COKid Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm not at all concerned, as birds have been around since the dinosaurs. They'll be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Evil Overlord Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 An estimated 1.4-3.7 billion birds are killed each year by cats; As many as 980 million birds crash into buildings annually; 174 million birds die from power lines every year; Up to 340 million birds perish from vehicles/roads; Approximately 6.8 million birds die flying into communications towers; As many as one million die annually in oil and gas fluid waste pits; and Up to 330,000 die each year from wind turbines Well, it's decided, wind turbines it is Hmm... solar power tower.... or... death ray! OMG ROFL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas the Tank Engine Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 COKid, on 21 Feb 2015 - 20:23, said: I'm not at all concerned, as birds have been around since the dinosaurs. They'll be fine. Birds evolved from dinosaurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remixedcat Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 there's something called "bird dogs" that eats freakin 158984546984654689684654 birds every freakin year did these people ever hear of bird dogs that are bred to catch birds and do nothing else? duh people. T3X4S 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadEndAccount Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I prefer Nuclear. Birds will only get vaporized by water vapor. I'm a big nuclear fan particularly if the public knew how little waste once there is left over once you reprocess spent fuel - unfortunately 30+ years of anti-nuclear hysteria isn't helping the situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomoko Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 By 10:30, biologists working on the site began noticing what have become known as "streamers," trails of smoke and water vapor caused by birds entering the field of concentrated solar energy (a.k.a. "solar flux") and igniting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sszecret Veteran Posted February 22, 2015 Veteran Share Posted February 22, 2015 Hmm... solar power tower.... or... death ray! You reminded me of that Mitchell & Webb skit about the giant death ray. "I created the giant death ray to help mankind, not destroy it'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HawkMan Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 there's something called "bird dogs" that eats freakin 158984546984654689684654 birds every freakin year did these people ever hear of bird dogs that are bred to catch birds and do nothing else? duh people. I don't think you really know what bird dog means. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remixedcat Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 they retrieve them and then eat them. hubby's step dad breeds them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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