Let be fair. Every solution has their advantages and drawback.
For established technologies such drawback are well know and publicized.
For:
-Fossil and Coal, Gas it could be pollution and environmental damage,
-Nuclear - possible radiation escape
-Solar PV - price
-Wind -visual effect
-Hydro -PR (public relationship) restrain to convert land into lakes
Because I am more interested in scientific aspect then political and social of this emerging technology as Concentrated Thermal Storage Solar let be fair and let me ask you.
What could be or go wrong with CS?
Before we invest our hope and money
My suggestions:
- Efficiency . If we compare PV with known and proven 15% with top reaching 40% and possiblity for even higher rate from every square meter what is the number for 1m2 of Concentrated Thermal Storage equivalent. I guess less then 1% or more likely 0.1% output from area converted into CSTS plant. Take into account all land needed for mirrors, towers storage, turbines and other equipment. Geometry and technical requirements. When land is cheap there is no issue but when you need to pay for land as it should be costs could be enormous. For comparison every square meter of solar PV is active with not much other infrastructure needed, no moving parts and maintenance, even land purchase could be avoided when existing roofing is used.
-Safety
Molten salt could escape , at best burn people around , escape to water table and poison air. Specifically when is severe rain. Escaped molten salt at 400- 600C will instantly react with water. Flood is even worse could cause explosion of storage tanks.
- Malfunction - What happen when all mirrors control is suddenly immobilized? In Solar Tower version we have suddenly thousands of mirrors shutting indiscriminately into any possible directions. Burning all equipment and people on the ground, planes in the air and satelites in orbit even maybe with their death rays.
It can operate at night, via Biogas or any source of biomass fuel, timber via pyrolysis gas, vegetable oils, ethanol etc. (produced locally or even domestically in the house)