1. Welcome to VegasMessageBoard
    It appears you are visiting our community as a guest.
    In order to view full-size images, participate in discussions, vote in polls, etc, you will need to Log in or Register.

Mandalay Bay installing huge solar array

Discussion in 'Casino Industry & Development' started by Someone, Jul 3, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Someone

    Someone High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2012
    Messages:
    836
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    1
  2. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2009
    Messages:
    16,023
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    175
    They have had a huge one at Nellis Air Force base (Vegas) for around 6 years now. Last I read it generates about 1/4 of the electricity used on the base.
     
  3. bardolator

    bardolator Lifelong Low Roller

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2005
    Messages:
    3,055
    Location:
    Gig Harbor, WA
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    999
    All it takes is the will to act. Wish solar were practical here.
     
  4. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2008
    Messages:
    6,550
    Location:
    Flusherville, Canada
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    60
    How much will the "Solar Resort Energy Fee" be? :rolleyes2:
     
  5. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2012
    Messages:
    3,414
    That's one fee I probably wouldn't mind paying.

    Very cool, I hope others follow.
     
  6. Terry Benedict

    Terry Benedict VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2010
    Messages:
    1,658
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    15
    I've always wondered why Las Vegas didn't have more solar arrays. I guess I still wonder.
     
  7. Someone

    Someone High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2012
    Messages:
    836
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    1
    solar is really not that cost effective without some tax rebates especially until recently when the conversion factor of solar panels has grown and when the cost has fallen dramatically

    also Nevada does not have the friendliest net metering rules......for larger systems the utility is allowed to charge some fees for infrastructure and the entity installing the panels has to pay for some infrastructure to deal with the outflow onto the grid from their generation and you do not get a cash credit you get a credit against the next months bill

    also while Nevada has not had cheap electricity they have had an abundance of electricity especially peak power with the hydro plants that can come on and off line very quickly and large coal plants some of which are now being shut down like Laughlin

    some of the net metering rules have changed recently and the cost of solar has been dropping fast and the coal going off line has been recent as well.....but in the case of Nevada and Las Vegas that happened to coincide with the crash in the economy and casino profits so the money was not there for a long term payback investment and the ability to take advantage of tax breaks was not there as well because you don't take advantage of a tax break when you are showing a loss overall

    so with MGM showing a slight profit, energy use increasing slowly, solar panels going down in price because of massive overcapacity, conventional plants going off line, and net metering rules being more friendly now is the time more of this will start to happen
     
  8. matguy

    matguy High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2008
    Messages:
    884
    Location:
    Seattle-ish
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    8
    Plus, solar cells themselves, as a product of their function, can reduce the thermal gain of a building by "soaking" the heat and converting it to electricity, rather than that heat getting in to the roof of the building. In many areas the benefit is negligible, in Vegas it might make quite a difference.
     
  9. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

    Joined:
    Aug 24, 2009
    Messages:
    6,341
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    75
    Good thing. I'm pretty sure the alternative to paying said fee is a stint in the pokey.
     
  10. mossman

    mossman Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2010
    Messages:
    175
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    5
    I would take an educated guess that just covering the roof is negligible since it's a rather small area compared to the entire surface area of the building. You still have the entire outside covering to contend with. Most Vegas structures are tall don't forget.

    Now make solar panels that function as glass and do the entire sides of the building and you are talking. There are some designs going in that direction actually. Not to mention I think most Vegas hotels do a pretty good job of blocking solar gain through outside coatings on the glass.

    Solar panels are much more efficient in years past. Also, Vegas has plenty of open area to put big fields of solar arrays (with solar tracking). I always wondered why I see many more solar arrays (and wind turbines) in my home state where it is rather cloudy all the time. Crazy. Keep shutting down those coal plants and keep the price of gas high and we will see change. :evillaugh People only change when they have to. :cry:
     
  11. Someone

    Someone High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2012
    Messages:
    836
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    1
    there is also another issue with solar as well that makes it harder to work with in Vegas......solar requires a large amount of water to keep the panels clean so they keep working at peak efficiency.....and in Vegas with the desert and the wind and the very fine partials of silt and dust there is going to be a larger need to clean those panels....and with the water issues in that entire region one has to consider that as a factor as well especially if the cost of water rises

    it is an issue with solar that makes solar more difficult to implement in pretty much all the areas where solar makes the most sense...while I believe it is a legitimate consideration that has to be taken into account I also think it is one of those issues that magically arises when some form of alternate energy suddenly becomes much more cost effective and starts to be widely implemented with an actual realistically calculated return on investment VS a large expense that will not be recovered or show a savings...the same types of things happened with wind and other alternative energies.....they were pushed very hard by some groups when not economically viable and then suddenly when they are more economically viable many of those same groups or members of those groups suddenly find an issue with that source of energy and it is evil

    I think with solar they are working on more automated washing systems that will have some recapture of the water used.....I do not know if the system in this article will, but I bet it would......savings in labor as well
     
  12. mossman

    mossman Low-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 23, 2010
    Messages:
    175
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    5
    Not sure I agree with you. I would think keeping windows clean in Vegas would be easier actually. There isn't much rain, just dust and sand. The windows on all the hotels stay pretty clean and I don't think they spend much time cleaning them, but I could be wrong. It's not like the North east where you have rain (leaving water spots), yellow pollen and such.

    Also, I seem to remember a new coating they were trying that uses sun light to effectively wash the glass. It was being demonstrated on the outside of buildings but should work well for solar panels. Seemed pretty cool.
     
  13. Someone

    Someone High-Roller

    Joined:
    Jun 16, 2012
    Messages:
    836
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    1
    solar panels are not vertical like windows are for the most part and with solar panels where a conversion factors are already one of the main things holding solar advancement from moving forward even a small % decrease in conversion % can make a system much less cost efficient

    it is also dramatically different looking through a window especially from feet+ back from the window VS dealing with the literal electron scale factor of converting sun to energy

    look at the annoying advertisements on the outside of some hotel windows.....they have holes punched in them that probably represent less than 35% of the area of the advertisement overall, but when you are in the roon looking out that window with that advertisement for donny and marie on the outside you are still able to make put pretty clearly what you are looking at up and down the strip......sure it is a blocked view and it will be much more hazy and blurred looking, bout you can still get a pretty clear picture overall of what you are looking at and that is with a massive % of the overall area of that window actually blocked by the ad.....reverse that to the electron level of solar conversion and a thin layer of dust that is pretty imperceptible to you is a very large % of solar blockage to a solar panel.....and look at a car windshield in a place like Vegas.....wipe it off after a dust storm and even if you can easily see out of that windshield you will still have a massive amount of dust on your cloth.....dust that is well above electron sized

    and the reality is solar panels both traditional ones and solar panels that are reflectors onto tubes of fluid that are super heated are washed and washed often so they stay as clear as possible or as reflective as possible and they are washed with high purity water as well so there are not water spots

    and in the case of solar power that uses reflection and super heated fluid to generate steam to turn a turbine there is the issue of the massive amount of water used to create that steam and that steam is usually released right into the atmosphere instead of being captured and condensed back into liquid and reused
     
  14. wigwam_salesman

    wigwam_salesman VIP Whale

    Joined:
    Aug 30, 2011
    Messages:
    2,466
    Location:
    Manchester, United Kingdom
    Trips to Las Vegas:
    9
    They should turn Luxor into a giant solar panel.

    Solar is often a token effort for a user though as it can take decades to see a return on investment.
     
Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.