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Mojave Desert: the risks of one of the bigger PV plants in the world
The Mojave Desert has one of the bigger PV plants in the world with many risks for birds, planes and drivers. When completed, a massive plant now under construction near the California-Nevada border will be the largest of its kind in the world. It will have more than 170.000 mirrors and every mirror will be connected to a GPS device that will assure the transportation of energy to the top of the story towers. In these towers, the water stored, will be heated to 1.000 degrees, creating steam power.
Some people says that concerns about this plant is overblown and that the project won’t cause problems to public. Others said that it will be dangerous.
The plant will cause the dead of many birds. About 30 years ago, ornithologist Robert McKernan and a colleague conducted studies at the Solar One plant near Barstow and by collecting and analysing bird carcasses they found that some birds flying through the solar field were incinerated outright. As the Mojave plant will have 100 times that number and occupies a larger area, the danger will be bigger.
The pilots said that the most common problem are a result of electromagnetic intrusion/reflection, vertical obstruction, frequency spectrum overlap, infrared footprint and glint/glare. The solution can be a buffer zone between artillery ranges and solar installations but no one knows how much space would be required for this area.
Finally, the bigger PV plant has to do some changes in order to guarantee birds, pilots and drivers security.
Some people says that concerns about this plant is overblown and that the project won’t cause problems to public. Others said that it will be dangerous.
The plant will cause the dead of many birds. About 30 years ago, ornithologist Robert McKernan and a colleague conducted studies at the Solar One plant near Barstow and by collecting and analysing bird carcasses they found that some birds flying through the solar field were incinerated outright. As the Mojave plant will have 100 times that number and occupies a larger area, the danger will be bigger.
The pilots said that the most common problem are a result of electromagnetic intrusion/reflection, vertical obstruction, frequency spectrum overlap, infrared footprint and glint/glare. The solution can be a buffer zone between artillery ranges and solar installations but no one knows how much space would be required for this area.
Finally, the bigger PV plant has to do some changes in order to guarantee birds, pilots and drivers security.
