If you want to improve the output of solar energy systems, why not also run them at night? That's the question researchers in Qatar and Jordan addressed as they successfully devised a system that promises to more than double energy output of current solar power stations.
researchers designed a model that could generate 753 MWh of energy annually. That's enough to power roughly 753 homes for about five weeks
Why can't the writers of these articles make useful comparisons? Can they just not do basic math? Each tower can generate enough electricity for about 72 homes... period. Just say that. No apples and oranges required.
Right. Like damn, get real. We gonna have 50-story towers decorating the landscape for every 73 homes?? It doesn't even make sense for extremely remote and impoverished locations due to the amount of materials it needs (cost).
The TTSS works out efficiently in a hot, dry climate.
[...]
researchers also note that reliance on a continuous supply of large quantities of water is an issue that needs to be addressed.
These two things don't really add up.
I suppose you could feed it with saltwater if you're on the coast, but there's a reason why you don't pump that stuff around unless you really have to.
I missed the part where they pump water up to generate power from the downdraft (of cooled air). I don't want to shit on cool ideas. Maaaaybe there's are range of parameters where this works, but I'm holding my breath.
It uses a ton of material to power 73 homes annually (652 feet high and 45 feet in diameter), works best in a desert but requires a lot of water. Yeah, nuclear energy is really threatened by that. Modern microreactors in development make, for example, 1.5 MWe at let's say 90% capacity factor. Assuming about 1000 kWh/mo for a house, that microreactor, which can fit on the back of a semi truck and be transported down the highway that way, can power 985 homes anually and doesn't require cooling water (will require water for electrical steam generation).