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Solarheatholdspotentialforsteam-assistedoilsandsengineerEnvironmentCleanEnergy7TuesdayJune102014ElderoftheYearAwardCitizenoftheYearAwardPaulCurrieVolunteeroftheYearAwardFortSmithisfortunatetohavemanypeoplewhocontributetothebettermentoflifeinFortSmith.Pleasetakethetimetonominatethesewonderfulcitizens.NominationdeadlineJune162014at1200noonNominationformsavailablefromTownHalloronourwebsiteatwww.fortsmith.caTheTownofFortSmithisacceptingnominationsforByMEAGANWOHLBERGTheheatofthesuncap-turedbylarge-scalesolarpowerplantscouldlowercostsforcompaniesusingsteam-assistedbitumenex-tractiontechniquesintheoil-sandsaccordingtoapowerengineer.DavidBabicharstclasspowerengineerandpresi-dentofEcomizerConsultingGroupInc.basedinFortMc-Murrayiscurrentlylookingintowaysthatsolarenergycanbeharnessedbyoilcom-panieslookingtoreducetheiroperationalcostsbyweaningoffofnaturalgas.Unlikethestandardphoto-voltaicsolarpanelsthatcap-turethesunsenergyandcon-vertitintoelectricitythermalsolarpowerstationsuselargearraysofmirrors-about500acresfora100-MWplant-tocapturetheheatfromthesunstoreitandthenuseittosupplyheatorelectricityatdoubletherateofapho-tovoltaicsystem.Photovoltaicisnotcom-merciallyviablehereinnorthernAlbertabecausewehavesomuchcloudandbe-causethedirectradianceissolowsothatswhyyoureseeingmorephotovoltaicinplaceslikeOntariohetoldTheJournal.Theaspectofmakingitcommerciallyviableherewillbetoreplacethenaturalgasbecauseofcoursemanyoftheoilindustriesherearelookingforwaystoreducetheircosts.Sothatsthebigadvantage.ThoughseveralsolarplantsexistthroughouttheworldincludingademoplantinMedicineHatAlta.thatiscurrentlysupplying1MWofheattothemunicipalpowerplantnosuchapplicationexistsinAlbertasoilsandswheremassivequantitiesofnaturalgasareusedinboththeextractionandreningprocesses.Babichisthinkingaboutchangingthat.Theessenceofmyinterestisthatalargearrayofmirrorscanbeusedtoconcentrateen-ergyfromthesuntobeusedtogenerateheatanddisplacetheconsumptionofnaturalgasinSAGDhesaid.SAGDorsteam-assistedgravitydrainageisakindofinsitubitumenextractionmethodthatworksbyinject-inghigh-pressurizedsteamundergroundtosoftentherigidbitumenbeforepump-ingittothesurface.Whileitwouldbeastretchtoreplaceallnat-uralgasusagewithsolarintheoilsandsBabichbelievesitiseconomicallyviabletodisplaceasubstantialamount.Ithinkintheshorttermwecanreplacesome.Inthelongertermitwillreplacealothesaid.WhatIimagineisthatthiswouldbeusedrstofallinthehottestthreemonthsofthesummerandthenyoudexpanditouttofourorsixmonthsandthenwhoknowsPerhapswecanusesomeoftheexhaustedSAGDfacili-tiesundergroundforstorageanddrawitoutintheothersixmonthsoftheyearwhenitscold.ThoughhisinterestliesinlargerindustrialapplicationsBabichsaidheat-generatingsolarplantscandisplaceanytypeoffuelmakingitavi-ableoptionforthermalcom-munitiesintheNorthaswell.Itsadaptinglocaltechnol-ogyandnewcuttingedgeforuseinnorthernAlbertaandperhapsevenintheNorth-westTerritorieshesaid.Whiletheshort-termcap-italcostsarehighBabichsaidthelong-termbenetofhavingvirtuallynooper-ationalcostsbringsthenetcostdowntoamuchmorereasonablelevel.Theadditionalcostcomesfromthestoragesystemthatwouldberequired.Typicallysolarheatisstoredwithinmol-tensaltorcarbon.ButBabichsaidthosecostsaredroppingandexpectsthemtocomedownevenfurther.WhatIknowisthatthecapitalcostsfortheinstallationofsolarpowerplantshavebeencutinhalfinrecentyears.Theyusedtobeabout10awattandnowtheyredowntoabout5awattsothatsanumberthatsadrasticreductionhesaid.Commerciallyviableplantsfornaturalgasareintherangeofabout2.5awattsowevedroppedfromfourtimesasexpensivetotwotimesasexpensive.Iwouldthinkthatwithinveyearstheywillbewithin2.5perwattorsystemsthatcangen-eratepowerevenatnight.Sothatwillmakethemcompeti-tivewithallsystems.Babichsaidenergycom-panyChevronisalreadystartingtoemploytheuseofthermalsolarintheUnitedStates.Thetechnologyispop-ularinSpainIsraelBrazilandmuchofthesouthernUS.WhileheisstillinthepreliminarystagesofhisresearchanddevelopmentBabichsaidhehasgarneredinterestfromothersinwork-ingoutanactualplan.MyintentionistoseeifIcangetitgoing...butintermsofactuallydoingsomethingpracticalwerealongwaysofffromthathesaid.Iwilldoit.Itsjustamatterofhowsoonandwhere.TheSolnovathermalsolarplantinSpaingeneratesandstorespowerusingtheheatofthesun.PhotoAbengoaSolar