The Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project in Nevada is set to come online in March. Once completed, it will use thousands of mirrors to focus sunlight on a tower, melting millions of pounds of salt contained inside. The molten salt will heat water into steam, which then turns turbines and generates electricity without any carbon byproducts. There’s just one little problem: During a test run on January 14, the intense heat from the mirrors reportedly incinerated and/or vaporized more than 100 birds.
Rewire reports that during the test, operators fired up a third of the 110-megawatt facility’s mirrors, concentrating sunlight on a spot 1,200 feet off the ground. Over a six-hour period, biologists counted 130 "streamers," or trails of smoke and water left behind as birds ignited and plummeted to their deaths. Rewire’s anonymous source said that at least one of the birds "turned white hot and vaporized completely."
Another solar power plant, Ivanpah, reportedly scorches one bird every two minutes. Both companies are trying to devise measures to keep birds out of the concentrated solar energy.
It’s certainly a gruesome way to die. But solar power plants may not be that much worse for birds than other sources of electricity. This graph from a U.S. News & World Report in 2014 shows that overall, fossil fuels cause a lot more feathered fatalities.
However, the chart is not a perfect data source. The estimates weren’t taken in any standardized way, and some of the studies were outdated. It’s also not an apples-to-apples comparison, since fossil fuels supply way more power to U.S. homes than renewable sources. So we combined the chart with data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration to calculate how many birds each type of power kills for every 1,000 megawatt-hours of power that’s generated. It's just a back-of-the-envelope calculation, but here’s what we found:
Coal still stands out as the big bad bird killer, but solar and wind power aren’t so angelic either. If you accept the higher estimate for solar power, the impact on our feathered friends is higher than for oil and natural gas. Does that mean we should stick to fossil fuels? Of course not. (A world scorched by climate change is good for nobody.) But it does underline the fact that clean energy needs to clean up its act.
I think the solar panel would be a great way to get energy. As long as they find a way to stop birds from dying. I hope that we can find more efficient ways of collecting energy.
ReplyDeleteI can understand that coal is a way of life for people right here in our backyard, but we need to find better ways to make, store, and efficiently use energy. This solar things is great but you have to think, if it can kill a bird... What can it do to us? Just something to ponder. Like Joan said, as long as they fix the problem, go for it sally.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we can get the issue sorted out. It sounds like it would be a pretty good idea. But what about airplanes and things like that? If it can kill a bird what about a plane, what will it do to a plane? How far will these steams reach? There are more problems then just the birds that we need to figure out. After these questions and issues will be solved, it would be a great thing.
ReplyDeleteI'm a supporter of renewable energy, but I didn't know that these facilities would kill so many birds. Although wind and solar farms kill more birds than gas and nuclear plants, these plants produce byproducts that are bad for the entire ecosystem. In the article it said the solar energy melted salt, why did they choose salt and what is the melting point of salt?
ReplyDeleteI think that this type of energy produced just form solar energy will change the world. It's great and will provide energy for many people and I could see it being used around the world. The 100 Birds were a sacrifice to this however, I believe there is a way to counter act these birds to coming into the area of the concentrated rays. This new technology reminds me of a tower in the video game Call of Duty Advanced Warfare. In this game, a Tower, using a series of Mirrors focused the Sun's rays to use as a weapon. Even though this is not what the tower will be used for in real life, it reminds me of it quite a lot and who knows?
ReplyDeleteI think solar energy could really help us more than it is hurting us. Fossil fuels are causing global damage. Solar power may have some negative effects, but fossil fuels have more. Fossil fuels are ruining habitats for animal species around the world. I think even though solar energy will save more species and than planet in the long run compared to fossil fuels. Even though many birds were killed by solar energy, that is less than how many species are dying because of fossil fuels. I am supporting solar energy of fossil fuels because it will help us down the road.
ReplyDeleteI think after a few kinks are worked out solar energy is going to be a great advancement. Fossil fuel does near as much and sometimes more damage than killing birds. The only big thing we need to keep in mind is what more solar energy could badly affect. Could it eventually hurt us if its already killing an animal?
ReplyDeletei think being able to get energy from solar power tower will definitely help our society. But I do also think the risk to the birds is a serious issue. So many species have already been killed off because of our harmful ways. So once they fix the risk it causes for birds, i think the process should work perfectly.
ReplyDeleteThe idea with the mirrors and solar panels are really good but they need to be safe. If scientists are going to resolve the issue they need to do it in a way that doesn't effect the environment especially if the goal was to protect and conserve it in the first place. As for the birds, its a huge risk since some of those species could've been endangered.
ReplyDeleteRight now, the world and especially America run on Coal and other fossil fuels. That has to change, for one were destroying the atmosphere, two, we will eventually run out of fossil fuels. I think solar energy is the way to go. I think measures should be taken to protect these birds, but I think the project should go on either way if it can further our knowledge of solar energy. I think if they can save at least 50% of these birds then they should carry on with the project.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea, but killing that many birds is not good. If there was some way to eliminate that many birds dying than I think it's an awesome thing to do. Fossil fuels are damaging things way more than solar energy.
ReplyDeleteI think the idea is great,but the fact their harming birds is terrible. They should find A way to not harm the birds and it can even possibly be a negative thing for planes.If they continue to find other ways to get energy without it harming the environment that would be a great start in changing the world in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteSolar power would be great and help out people in many different ways. Although it hurts birds I believe it would be a better advancement than a harm. Everything man-made thing has its bad characteristics. I'm sure later on down the road or even before solar power becomes big an advancement can or will be made to keep from the birds being put in harms way.
ReplyDeleteThe idea is very interesting. However, the fact that solar power is harming birds is terrible. If birds weren't being harmed I would consider the use of it acceptable. We will eventually run out of fossil fuels in a matter of time. If the project was worked on more and tweaked a little more they should go forward with it.
ReplyDeleteUsing a solar panel would be so much better for Americans. The fact that we use so many reaources such as coal and its killing us should be a big eye opener. Although i do think they should find a way to have them without harming innocent birds.
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