An interesting article below, although I believe that the silicon based solar panel yields (Moore's law derivative) will continue to increase at such a rate that may force this "solar-thermal technology" to share the same fate as the steam powered autos from 100 years ago...
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Israeli Solar Startup Shines
Solel is producing electricity at rates that rival gas-powered plants. Pretty soon, if it's technology keeps cooking, that figure could drop 40%...
... Avi Brenmiller could hardly have been more pleased with President George W. Bush's newfound love affair with solar energy...
..."Our technology is already competitive with electricity produced at natural-gas power plants in California," claims the 53-year-old mechanical engineer...
..."They've currently got the only solar-thermal technology that has been demonstrated in power plants and is actually producing electricity on a commercial basis,"...
...The power plants have been in operation for 17 years and provide 350 Mw of electricity...
...Throughout, the Israeli firm kept busy dramatically improving the efficiency of the heart of its technology, its heat-collection element. The investors have ponied up over $30 million over the past decade. The new generation of collectors is 50% more efficient. "Within five years, we'll bring the price of producing electricity down to 6 cents to 7 cents per kilowatt hour," predicts Brenmiller. At that price, he believes solar thermal energy could change the entire energy picture in many regions around the world...
...Solel expects the increased interest in its technology to lead to an eightfold rise in revenues, to $30 million this year, and more than $100 million in 2007. It's already in the process of hiring dozens of new engineers to meet the growing demand. Solel has already set up subsidiaries in the U.S. and Spain but hopes to keep research and development at its Israeli facility.
Moreover, there are plans for an IPO in 2007 if the company's upbeat projections come to fruition...
businessweek.com |
