Environmental effects of solar-thermal power systems: ecological observations during early testing of the Barstow 10-MWe pilot STPS

Technical Report · Mon Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6667825· OSTI ID:6667825

Turner, F. B. ^[1]

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1. ed.

Environmental measurements were continued at Solar One during 1982, while final steps in construction and early testing were carried out. Measurements of sand depths downwind (east) of the heliostat field indicated that some of the sand blown off the field (most of it between September 1979 and March 1980) has been carried farther east, reducing sand depths somewhat in areas just east of the field. Observations of birds between March and June 1982 revealed that (1) the natural avifauna of the field has been altered, although the area is still used for feeding by some icterids (larks, blackbirds) and aerial insectivores (swallows, swifts); (2) of 15 bird casualties ascribable to the presence and/or operation of Solar One, 12 followed collisions with heliostats, three resulted from incineration in heliostat beams; (3) the central receiver tower does not appear to be a source of mortality. Numbers of rodents (particularly kangaroo rats) trapped in areas downwind of the site declined steadily between 1978 and 1982 in areas both clost to the field and as far east as 600 m from the fence. The most likely interpretation of these changes is a reduction in reproductivity and/or early survival caused by four consecutive years (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981) of suboptimal autumn rainfall. Micrometeorological measurements in areas downwind of Solar One showed small effects on air temperatures (<0.5/sup 0/C), wind speeds (<0.4 m/sec), and evaporation rates (<1.5 ml/hr).Effects were detected only in areas 100 to 190 m from the east perimeter fence. Because these differences are so small, relative to natural heterogeneities, the effects of Solar One on rates of evaporation, air temperatures and wind speed will not affect the downwind biological community. The relavance of these findings to construction of a larger solar thermal power plant (e.g., Solar 100) are considered.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Los Angeles (USA). Lab. of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00012
• OSTI ID: 6667825
• Report Number(s): UCLA-12/1385; ON: DE83004454
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140400 -- Solar Energy-- Environmental Aspects
140702* -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
500500 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Site Resource &amp; Use Studies-- (-1989)
510500 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Site Resource &amp; Use Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
ANIMALS
BARSTOW SOLAR PILOT PLANT
BIRDS
DATA
DEATH
DEPTH
DIMENSIONS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
EVAPORATION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUNCTIONAL MODELS
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
METEOROLOGY
NUMERICAL DATA
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PILOT PLANTS
POPULATIONS
POWER PLANTS
RODENTS
SAND
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOWER FOCUS POWER PLANTS
VERTEBRATES
WIND