- Ausra (company)
Ausra Inc., developer of large-scale
solar thermal power technology, has assembled a team of solar power researchers, power project developers and financiers to make reliable, solar thermal power stations a reality today for electric utilities inPalo Alto ,California . [http://www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story?id=49898 Solar Companies Secure Large Investments] ]Technical details
Ausra's power plants drive steam turbines with sunshine:
:"Locally manufactured solar concentrators made of steel and glass focus sunlight to boil water, generating high-pressure steam that drives conventional turbine generators. New thermal energy storage systems using pressurized water and low cost materials will provide for on-demand generation day and night."
Economics
Ausra's proprietary technology significantly reduces the cost of asolar thermal power plant and so is capable of significantly reducing global carbon emissions normally associated with electricity generation. [ [http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/carrizo/documents/applicant/afc/AFC_Volume_1/AFC_Volume_1.pdf Carrizo Energy Solar Farm, Volume 1] , p. 1-1.] Ausra has recently secured more than $40 million in funding from
Silicon Valley venture capital firmsKhosla Ventures andKleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers .Manufacturing
Ausra has built the first U.S. manufacturing plant for solar thermal power systems, in Las Vegas. The 130,000-square-foot, highly automated manufacturing and distribution center produces the reflectors, towers, absorber tubes, and other key components of the company's solar thermal power plants. The plant began operation in July 2008. [ [http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52936 Ausra Opens US Solar Thermal Factory] ]
ee also
*
Carrizo Solar Farm
*Coal phase out
*Concentrating solar power (CSP)
*David Mills (solar researcher)
*Low cost solar power
*SkyFuel
*Solar Power
*Vinod Khosla
*List of solar thermal power stations References
External links
* [http://www.ausra.com AUSRA, official web site]
* [http://solarheatpower.com Solar Heat and Power, Dr David Mills's Company in Australia]
* [http://www.ausra.com/pdfs/T_1_1_David_Mills_2049.pdf "Solar Thermal Power as the plausible basis of grid supply", David Mills & Robert Morgan, 2007]
* [http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_42/b4054053.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily "Solar's Day In The Sun", BusinessWeek, October 15 2007]
* [http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/02/2048420.htm?section=world "Solar takes off with US power supply deal " - "Australian technology to revolutionise clean electricity", ABC TV(2 videos), 1st October 2007]
* [http://www.ausra.com/news/releases/070927.html" Ausra, Leading Utilities Commit to Large Scale Solar Thermal Electric Power", Press release, Sept. 27, 2007]
* [http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4472604&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1 "Crist promises solar energy plant" (1 video), 26 Sep 2007]
* [http://www.news4jax.com/news/14210917/detail.html# "Clinton, Crist Announce FPL Solar Power Plant", September 26, 2007]
* [http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9875978-54.html?tag=nefd.top Solar-power upstart Ausra bags more dough]
* [http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/printout/0,29239,1730759_1730843_1730989,00.html Ausra]
* [http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUSN0152823720081001 Solar developer Ausra gets $60M private investments]
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