SOLAR TOWER proposals (500m-1.5km)

[CULWULLA]

latest news on Australia's 1000m Solar Tower
www.enviromission.com.au

SOLAR TOWER SITE DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY
Meteorological testing to confirm Bureau of Met eorology weather data will commence at the site of EnviroMission’s proposed Solar Tower this month.
Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd will commence the installation of site facilities including project offices and operational equipment at the site over January in readiness for MEDCO Pty Ltd who will manage the meteorological testing from February 2005.
MEDCO’s meteorological testing will provide quantitative data for EnviroMission and Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd to use to support early project findings and confirm existing Bureau of Meteorology weather data in
the area and specifically at the site for the world’s first Solar Tower power station in the Wentworth Shire of south west NSW.
Testing will involve measurement of ambient temperatures, wind velocity, solar insolation and vertical
temperature profiles.
EnviroMission Executive Chairman, Roger Davey, advises “the commencement of testing by MEDCO with
project management by Leighton Contractors is a vital event in the journey to commercialise a Solar Tower in Australia.
“Several markets poised to develop Solar Towers, primarily China and the USA, closely follow the progress of the Australia project and whilst this meteorological testing is site specific, the information and methodology will be generic to the overall development template.
“Testing at the site is also intended to further prove and strengthen critical design assumptions within the engineering case where they relate to weather patterns and conditions.”
This investigation coincides with the assessment of two technologies , previously announced by EnviroMission, for inclusion with the Solar Tower design – it is expected confirmation of the meteorological data will also benefit the evaluation of the technologies’ commercial case.
If successfully adapted to the Solar Tower, the technically and commercially proven technologies will substantially increase the efficiency and energy output in the region of 40% compared with original concept design estimates and will vastly reduce the collector zone corresponding in an overall reduction in capital cost.
The success of the pre-feasibility stage of the project concluded in February 2004, advanced operations towards detailed financial modeling throughout 2004 that included investigation of enhancements to the Solar Tower design to further increase output and decrease capital cost in order to deliver the strongest commercial model for domestic and global commercialisation.

Ian Riley
Company Secretary
Chief Financial Officer
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[Manu84]

the idea is from spain!!

[AtlanticaC5]

Is it the one that will be 1000 m? Yikes.

[Accura4Matalan]

Cool

[STR]

Wow, this thing is actually going to be built. I assume from the article that this will be a generic design that can basically be copied and built anywhere, with minor differences in foundation, correct?

[empersouf]

Great news.

[james2390]

Thats scary, but cool.

[Taufiq]

I have a question.. it's kind of n00bish. :p For example the CN Tower right now is 553m, but it's not in any of the official WTB listings. So I am just wondering if the Solar Tower is going to be considered in the official lists:

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.html
http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/sk/st/tp/wo/

[Islander]

It, like the CN tower, is not an office or residential building, so it won't be considered the world's tallest building. Tallest structure, on the other hand, yes. What an amazingly gigantic structure it would be if built!

[DamienK]

Even though the walls are "only" 1 m thick - I wonder if the solar tower will have a greater volume of material than the great pyramid in Giza - 5.2 million tonnes.

[Taufiq]

Originally Posted by Islander

It, like the CN tower, is not an office or residential building, so it won't be considered the world's tallest building. Tallest structure, on the other hand, yes. What an amazingly gigantic structure it would be if built!

Thanks for clearing that up.

[STR]

Originally Posted by DamienK

Even though the walls are "only" 1 m thick - I wonder if the solar tower will have a greater volume of material than the great pyramid in Giza - 5.2 million tonnes.

The Great Pyramid's mass is in the area of 1,300,000 tonnes. The figure of 5.2 million tonnes comes from the blatantly wrong idea that the Pyramid is made from 2 million plus stone blocks averaging 2.5 tonnes. This is flat out wrong, computer models have shown that the Pyramid has, at most, 550,000 stones. This figure excludes the fact that 30,000 blocks's worth of volume is taken up by the Pyramid's core. The core is made from an outcrop of limestone bedrock, and is believed to displace the equivelent of 30,000 blocks.

[eXSBass]

I don't know if i'm being picky. I know the solar thing will be in the desert conditions, and not really for attractions but can't it be a little prettier?

BTW - if this goes gold will they be mass producing them all over Australia?

[baxter-rules]

Originally Posted by Manu84

the idea is from spain!!

Actually Germany. The whole concept and design is from a German designer, but the original test tower they built was in Spain and built with help from the Spanish Goverment.

[CULWULLA]

Originally Posted by eXSBass

I don't know if i'm being picky. I know the solar thing will be in the desert conditions, and not really for attractions but can't it be a little prettier?

BTW - if this goes gold will they be mass producing them all over Australia?

the stacks were going to be painted pretty colours/patterns ect but this would prove to coslty to maintain. so it was decided to leave the finish as exposed concrete or similiar to a chimney stack.There will be 5 built in middle of Australia. one in most states.The centre of Australia is a dry arid place and perfect for the constant extreme heat needed to run the turbines for energy generation.

[Homeroids]

Can we base jump off it when it is complete?

[CrazyCanuck]

If Toronto is going to lose it worlds tallest title, I wouldn't mind it going to a project like this, help save the Earth.

[demanjo]

Yeah it is great to see such an aggressive project, and as an added bonus, it is an environmental project!
I love this idea & cant support it more...

Surely will add to the tourism of the area... lol, no but seriously an observation deck 1km high would be cool, but wait, whats there to look at?
Woah.. these are the REAL questions facing mankind...

[Trances]

hope it happens this is one of the best move australia has made for as long as i can remeber

[renell]

Originally Posted by Manu84

the idea is from spain!!

gotta give credit to the ones implementing it

whats this one's exact height?