The Big Dish (solar thermal)
Encyclopedia
The Big Dish is a parabolic dish concentrator developed by the Solar Thermal Group, Australian National University
.
The initial prototype, SG3
, was constructed on the Canberra campus of the Australian National University
in 1994. An modified version of SG3 was exported to Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center
at the Ben Gurion University in Israel. In 2006, a joint project led by the Solar Thermal Group with commercial partner Wizard Power
, and funding from Australian's Government's Renewable Energy Development Initiative,
began the design and construction of SG4
. SG4 is located next to the SG3 dish, and was completed in 2009.
Wizard Power
holds the patent rights for the SG4 Big Dish structure and is developing commercial installations which will see arrays of hundreds of dishes delivering tens to hundreds of megawatts of power. The first of these will be the Whyalla Solar Oasis which will use 300 Big Dishes to deliver a 40MWe solar thermal power plant. Construction is expected to commence in late 2012.
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
.
The initial prototype, SG3
, was constructed on the Canberra campus of the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in 1994. An modified version of SG3 was exported to Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center
Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center
The Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center at Midreshet Ben-Gurion is the national alternative energy research institute of Israel. It was established in 1987 by the Ministry of National Infrastructures to study promising alternative and clean energy technologies, particularly those involving...
at the Ben Gurion University in Israel. In 2006, a joint project led by the Solar Thermal Group with commercial partner Wizard Power
Wizard Power
Wizard Power Pty Ltd is an Australian company focused on solar technology research, development and commercialisation. The company is headquartered in Canberra, Australia.Wizard Power's technology portfolio includes:* The Big Dish solar thermal concentrator...
, and funding from Australian's Government's Renewable Energy Development Initiative,
began the design and construction of SG4
. SG4 is located next to the SG3 dish, and was completed in 2009.
Wizard Power
Wizard Power
Wizard Power Pty Ltd is an Australian company focused on solar technology research, development and commercialisation. The company is headquartered in Canberra, Australia.Wizard Power's technology portfolio includes:* The Big Dish solar thermal concentrator...
holds the patent rights for the SG4 Big Dish structure and is developing commercial installations which will see arrays of hundreds of dishes delivering tens to hundreds of megawatts of power. The first of these will be the Whyalla Solar Oasis which will use 300 Big Dishes to deliver a 40MWe solar thermal power plant. Construction is expected to commence in late 2012.
See also
- Australian National UniversityAustralian National UniversityThe Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
- Solar thermal collectorSolar thermal collectorA solar thermal collector is a solar collector designed to collect heat by absorbing sunlight. The term is applied to solar hot water panels, but may also be used to denote more complex installations such as solar parabolic, solar trough and solar towers or simpler installations such as solar air...
- Concentrating solar power (CSP)
- Solar trackerSolar trackerA solar tracker is a generic term used to describe devices that orient various payloads toward the sun. Payloads can be photovoltaic panels, reflectors, lenses or other optical devices....
- SolarPACESSolarPACESSolarPACES is an international programme of the International Energy Agency to further the collaborative development, testing and marketing of concentrating solar power plants...
- Wizard PowerWizard PowerWizard Power Pty Ltd is an Australian company focused on solar technology research, development and commercialisation. The company is headquartered in Canberra, Australia.Wizard Power's technology portfolio includes:* The Big Dish solar thermal concentrator...
External links
- ANU Big Dish solar
- Research Institute for Sustainable Energy
- Wizard Power company website