SOLAR. FAQs Brochure. Industrial Systems ABENGOA

Transcription

1 ABENGOA SOLAR Industrial Systems FAQs Brochure

2 FAQs What is solar thermal? Solar thermal technology uses the sun s energy, rather than fossil fuels, to generate low-cost, environmentally friendly thermal energy; i.e. heat. Our solar systems often incorporate thermal storage so that heat can be delivered around the clock. Energy use does not have to stop when the sun goes down. As a result, we can reduce fuel bills by up to 70%. What is the difference between solar PV and solar thermal technology? Solar thermal systems generate heat in the form of hot water, steam or any other heat transfer fluid required by industry. Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems generate electricity. The peak efficiency of generating solar heat in the field is greater than 65% compared to 20% for PV under laboratory conditions. PV electricity generation stops when the sun goes down while solar thermal energy can be dispatched well after the sun has set. In addition, solar heat output increases with rising temperatures, whereas PV electricity output suffers a significant decrease. Overall, for a given area, Abengoa s solar thermal systems deliver three or four times more energy than PV systems. How do Abengoa s solar thermal systems work? Abengoa employs parabolic trough collectors (mirrors) to deliver heat to client facilities. Parabolic troughs are the solar technology best suited to the needs of industrial and commercial customers. Parabolic trough systems are easily scalable whether you want 10 or 500 therms/hr output. They are also extremely flexible and economically deliver heat from 50 C (120 F) up to 220 C (430 F). The collectors automatically track the sun throughout the day. The parabolic reflector concentrates sunlight onto the receiver at the focal point of the parabola. It is because of this light concentration of energy that parabolic troughs can efficiently deliver heat at high temperatures. The receiver consists of a steel absorber tube surrounded by a glass insulating envelope. Light passes through the glass and is absorbed by the steel tube. A heat transfer fluid, typically water, is pumped through the absorber and transports the collected solar energy to a heat exchanger where solar heat is transferred to the process load at the desired temperature. Compared to fixed-tilt collectors (i.e. flat panels), tracking is advantageous because the collectors operate longer during the day, and energy delivery is more efficient and uniform throughout the day. Design and cost advantages include smaller pumps, heat exchangers and thermal energy storage tanks, less and smaller diameter piping and insulation, easy flow balancing through flow loops and reduced electricity use for pumps. In addition, parabolic trough collectors are easily turned off for maintenance. Fixed collectors can only be worked on at night since they remain hot during the day when the sun shines. Can you integrate into existing heating systems? Yes. Our systems easily integrate with any heat delivery system used for hot water, space heating and cooling, process heat and steam generation. Our engineers will ensure that the integration of the solar system is efficient and will not interfere with existing process operations.

3 What industries can use Abengoa solar technology? With a collector operating temperature up to 250 C (480 F), Abengoa technology can meet the needs of any industrial or commercial operation that uses heat including: food processing (e.g. milk and dairy products, wine and beer, meat packing and rendering, canning and freezing operations, bakeries, confectionary, edible oil production, vegetable and food drying), mineral extraction and electro-winning, chemicals, oil and gas processing, metals processing and finishing, asphalt tank heating, paper industries, plastics manufacturing, pharmaceutical industries, automotive industry, textile industries, and the large-scale thermal needs of hotels, prisons and military barracks and living complexes. Why Abengoa? We offer a no-cost analysis to our clients so they can explore the technical and economic feasibility of a solar thermal investment. The analysis includes an optimized system design, predicted energy delivery, turnkey installation price and costs for system maintenance. Typically, this analysis is enhanced by a site visit by our engineering team to meet with client personnel. Once the decision to move forward is made, Abengoa offers standard contractual arrangements. We are a single source solution for: finalizing the system design, securing building permits, identifying and securing all available incentives, manufacturing, installation and startup. A performance test will be conducted to ensure the system is running at maximum efficiency. So you can concentrate on your business, Abengoa provides a follow-up contract for off-site monitoring and on-site maintenance to ensure efficient system operation and consistent energy delivery. Do I still need my natural gas or electric heater? Yes, but run time, and wear and tear on this equipment are reduced. Thermal energy storage tanks, if used, will extend solar energy delivery into the night time hours, but a conventional heating system is still needed for when the sun does not shine and the solar storage unit has been fully discharged. A solar heat system provides a backup to conventional equipment. Loss of conventional systems does not happen often, but existing Abengoa clients, at times, have been able to continue operations fueled 100% by solar energy while repairing conventional heaters. How much space do I need? Sunnier areas generate more heat than areas with less sun. In the San Joaquin Valley, each acre of land can deliver about 22 therms/hr (650 kw) of heat under peak sun conditions. In the Mojave Desert an acre will deliver about 25 therms/hr (720 kw) of heat under peak conditions and will deliver more energy on an annual basis. Revenue from each acre of land, depending on the price of natural gas, is in the range of $40,000 to $50,000 per year or $1.2 to $1.5 million over the life of the system using today s low cost of natural gas and assuming no escalation in price. Displacing LPG, cost savings can be two or three times greater. When can the system generate heat? A solar system only generates heat when the sun shines. However, thermal energy storage can be integrated into the system to compensate for cloudy periods or to deliver heat at night. Thermal storage can also be used to collect heat on days when a plant might not be operating and delivered for use when plant operations resume.

4 How long do installations take? Once permitting is in place, we aim to complete the installation, start to finish in six months or less. Time is an important element in maximizing revenues to our customers. Is there a warranty on the product? Yes. Abengoa guarantees peak performance that will be verified by a test conducted during system startup. Abengoa will provide on-site spares of critical items to ensure system reliability. This inventory is backed by a full complement of spare parts held by the production factory in Phoenix. All parts are covered by a 12 month warranty following system operation. More comprehensive warranties can be obtained as part of a maintenance contract with Abengoa. Where is your system made? The Abengoa PT-1 solar system is manufactured 100% in the United States using components sourced 100% from US suppliers. Many states in the union and the workers they employ participate in building our systems, but specifically aluminum coil supply and processing from Ohio, electric motors from Arkansas and Wisconsin, screw jacks from North Carolina and Ohio, extrusions from Arizona, pumps from Illinois, system controllers from Utah, instrumentation from California, Connecticut and Washington, pipe hangers and fittings from Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, steel tubing from Minnesota, fabricators in Arizona to support our manufacturing operation in Surprise and engineering services from Colorado. Can I monitor system performance? Yes. Abengoa solar systems are extensively instrumented to ensure that they operate at peak performance. For every system, Abengoa provides the hardware and software so that the operation of the system can be viewed with ease on a PC or smart phone in a graphical format, either on site or remotely through a cellular modem. What are your certifications? Abengoa is ISO 9001:2008 Platinum and ISO certified. Additionally, our system has received the OG-100 certification from the Solar Rating & Certification Corporation. What is the lifetime of the system? With good operational and maintenance practices, we expect our systems to operate efficiently for 30 years or more. The system at FCI Phoenix started up in February We expect it to operate for at least another decade. Numerous improvements have been made to the technology since 1999 to increase life expectancy. Can I get reports on system performance? Yes. Our control system archives performance data on an hourly, daily and monthly basis for easy import into Excel spreadsheets for review and analysis. The system owner has access to this data and to all the system parameters, both on site and remotely. Can I add more collectors in the future? Yes. Our systems are modular and can easily be increased in area.

5 Who benefits from solar thermal system installations? Primary energy in the US is used 40% to generate electricity, 28% for transportation fuels and 31% as heat. While the renewable energy focus is on solar electricity generation, solar heat is a large untapped market with a vital part to play in the US energy mix to stabilize prices and to mitigate the impacts of energy consumption on climate change. The solar system owner benefits from: cost savings, increased profits, stable energy pricing and supply, backup energy source, reduced O&M on conventional equipment and increased environmental compliance. Local Contractors & Vendors: dirt movers, concrete installers, gravel truckers, plumbers, electricians, welders, fence installers, insulators, mechanical contractors, vendors of supplies and equipment used by subcontractors State and federal governments: State and federal governments provide incentives to stimulate the solar industry. However, they collect taxes on the expenditures used to build solar systems and from the increase profits generated by the system owner due to his reduce utility costs Local government: sales taxes paid on equipment and services, and general increased economic activity Everyone: Climate change is a global phenomenon that knows no borders, so we all benefit from measures to mitigate its impact

6 Contact Us: For general inquires, no-cost, no-obligation preliminary analysis or quotes, please contact us at (303) and ask for the industrial solar team or us at and we will respond promptly. Visit: Chris Coghill Project Manager Asma Hanif Solar Thermal Engineer Michael Morianti Business Development Associate Angelo Chialva Business Technology developer Amparo Pazos Division Director Ken May Senior Technical Advisor