Page 18 - MetalForming July 2009

Wind and Solar Energy
How to Concentrate the Sun’s Rays into Solar Power
Parabolic troughs
Central receivers
Dish - stirling engine systems
Linear fresnel
2008. Unlike the large wind market, the major small-wind manufactur- ers are based in the Unit- ed States, led by Bergy Windpower Co., in Nor- man, OK, and Southwest Windpower in Flagstaff, AZ. And, while the typical horizontal rotor-blade design is the dominant design, there are a wide variety of competing “egg-beater” and other designs that lend them- selves to a variety of man- ufacturing processes.
The volume potential for small wind is impres- sive. In 2008, 10,500 small
wind turbines were sold There are four primary designs for concentrate solar power: parabolic troughs, linear Fresnel lens in the United States, and systems, power tower central receiver and solar dish.
19,000 globally, and
OEMs are gearing up for tens of thou-
sands more. The market is very open to new suppliers. Not only are there liter- ally dozens of new OEMs and a range of innovative and varying designs, but there also is a strong precedent for OEMs to turn to automotive suppliers for their manufacturing capacity. In Michigan for example, Mariah Power has formed a joint venture with auto- motive supplier MasTech to produce the Mariah wind blade at its recently retooled manufacturing facility in Man- istee, MI. Also in Michigan, Cascade Engineering in Grand Rapids secured the North American sales and manu- facturing rights of the rooftop-mount- ed Swift wind turbine from its UK developer, and is ramping up sales and production.
MF: In addition to wind energy, concentrated solar energy is getting a lot of press. Explain that technology and characterize its growth, please.
McCabe: Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a rapidly emerging form of utility-scale solar power that offers numerous opportunities for metal- forming companies. CSP produces elec- tricity by using mirrors or lenses to concentrate the sun’s energy and gen- erate heat.
There are four primary designs for CSP: parabolic troughs, linear Fresnel lens systems, power towers and solar dish. More recently, thermal energy- storage technology has advanced to where such systems can effectively sup- ply the grid 24/7, even when the sun fails to shine. This makes CSP projects even more attractive to utilities.
Dan Radomski, a vice president at NextEnergy, recently told me that, “Solar concentrator/collection products offer a very impressive opportunity for tra- ditional metal-fabrication companies. Tremendous growth has been recog- nized by companies bringing this prod- uct to market, such as BrightSource, Stirling Energy Systems and Infinia Corp. Many of these companies have significant volume orders and are well- backed by venture capital. These systems require metal fabrication (aluminum and steel) for the concentrator support structure and other components. Qual- ity of these systems is essential, since most are designed for a long mainte- nance-free life cycle in the field.”
Demand for CSP projects is taking off in the United States and in Europe. For example, more than 6000 MW of CSP projects are under development in the Southwestern United States alone,
and that’s just the start. The U.S. market is expected to quadruple its current installed capacity by 2011. Due to the large size of the components, local sourcing often is preferred. Federal leg- islation and research spending in CSP both point to strong growth for the industry, and hence demand for manu- factured components.
What specific opportunities are out there for the metalforming industry? CSP plants feature several mechanical
parts and processed metallic components. For instance, most heliostats (reflectors) are polished, curved/rolled sheetmetal sections; they comprise half of a solar tower plant’s capital costs. Trough sys- tems also comprise polished sheetmet- al sections, rolled into parabolic shapes.
Drives and tracking systems also are used, to ensure maximum concentra- tion of solar rays. And heat exchangers, steam turbines and engines capture the heat, leading to electricity generation. Other large components include tanks, water- and fluid-circulation systems and motors to adjust the mirrors.
The Solar Energy Industries Associ- ation (www.seia.org) and the Solar Elec- tric Power Association (www.solarelec- tricpower.org) are great sources for more information. MF
16 METALFORMING / SPECIAL ONLINE-ONLY ISSUE 2009
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