Solar Power Plants

[nic49548 15]

For people who've played the previous SimCity games, you've seen the Solar Power Plants in SC2K and SC3K. For some reason, despite its cleanliness and high-level technology, Solar Plants produce LESS power than Coal and Oil Power Plants.

In real life, does Solar Power produce less energy than Coal/Oil (while disregarding cloudy weather, of course...)?

[autoVino 26]

Well, solar power (at least I think it works this way) usues mirrors to focus the light at a point and heat up water (or other substances with high heat capacitites) and get energy from that.

Coar/Oil power plants I think work on the same principal except that it's alot quicker to heat up water with a hot fire.

But it really all depends on how big and how well the plant works.  I mean a huge solar plant will create far more energy than a small coal plant.

This is just my simple way of thinking it, it's no expert opinion.

[Jazzmaster 716]

Hmm...you may have a point there. Maybe it's because there's a plentiful amount of solar panels? My theory is however, that people who buy the game wouldn't like it as much if they worked hard to earn a reward that produces LESS power.

[Exsun 0]

But you see the benefit is that there is no pollution with the solar plant. Now you can have local power to a city and not spend the $$ on a deal and not generate the pollution. autoVino you have the right idea...here is a link for more information.

edited for the link...

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Solar power, after the initial investment, is totally free.  However, solar cells of the Einstein type are about 6% efficient.

There are other types of solar systems that use parabolic mirrors to reflect light to a focus and heat water.  This leads to the same kind of energy transfer you find in any plant that heats water for power (coal, oil, gas, nuc), but has the advantage of being totally clean.  This needs a lot more maintenance than straight solar cells.

The draw back to solar power is available insolation.  Unless you are at the equator, you  will only get a fraction of the incoming energy due to the angle of incidence of the sun unless you set up a tracking system which can be very expensive.  There is no insolation, of course, at night.  When the sky is overcast, there is very little insolation.

All things being equal, I would prefer a big wind farm, wave motors or tide motors over a solar plant.  Solar plants have to be huge to collect enough light.

If you want a really good power plant, look on the STEX for my Antimatter plant.  Needs very much water for fuel, however, so you will also need my fancy Artesian water source.  (BTW, unless you fix the lots, both of them, in the SC4Tool, they are a monstrous cheat that gives you practically unlimited water, power, and eat pollution of all kinds.)

[llamavore 0]

there was one sc game, I think sc2k? where the solar power was collected by a satellite and beamed down via microwave, but there were alledged consequences if the beam varied or something. never tried it.

yes, the original sc4 game solar plant uses mirrors to create heat, you might call it solar-thermal. what's popularized today, and used to power satellites, is photovoltaic solar power, meaning the sun hits a special material that then makes electricity. it seems that this would be more expensive, but perhaps more efficient, I dont know. I do know the cells have to be replaced every 20 years or so?

supposedly they're coming out with a paper-thin kind of photovoltaic film that would make solar power a lot cheaper. and when you think about it, wind power and by association, wave power, are also solar power, since the sun's heat causes weather... combined with the rotation of the earth. geokinetic? lol. waves come from the wind, tides come from the moon's gravity, currents are just underwater weather... too bad there's no geothermal power, to be gained perhaps in the proximity of a volcano.

you know, nowadays they're making wind prop generators with a vertical axis, instead of a horizontal one. spins like a helicopter, not a plane propeller, but the blades are shaped more like eggbeaters. basically, it takes up less space.

it would really be interesting if they made near-futuristic version of sc, or a mod.  I miss the arcologies </3

[nic49548 15]

Those plants with the satellite beaming energy down to Earth in SC2K are Microwave Power Plants. They are completely different than the Solar Plants we were talking about. They're also in SC3K, but don't have the misfire disaster. Aside from STEX, Maxis has excluded them from SC4, though.

What is wave power?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Wave power is collected using wave motors.  The floats are held in a static location and move up and down with the waves.  This changed kinetic/potential energy of the waves into electricity using dynamos or generators which are turned by the motion.  You need a sea coast with strong, permanent wave action, or need to be in the middle of the ocean where there is always swell.

[nathanscottdaniels 0]

Just thought I would throw this in there...

You can buy a $400 wind turbine for your own house and set it up. It looks tacky as heck but it will provide your house with all the power it needs all year. It always gets wind if you put it up far enough.

But back to Sim City talk. In SC2k, I use to make huge mountains of water and plop dozens of hydro-electric plants. They seemed very efficient. Too bad there are no more waterfalls in Sim Citys anymore.