physics

Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center

Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center rather than just read about it. In short: Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is the solar parabolic-trough component of an integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) 1150 MW plant, in western Martin County, Florida, United States, just west of Indiantown. The project was built by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL).

Key takeaways

Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is the solar parabolic-trough component of an integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC) 1150 MW plant, in western Martin County, Florida, United States, just west of Indiantown. The project was built by Florida Power & Light Company (FPL). Lauren Engineers & Constructors (Abilene, TX) was the EPC contractor for the project. Its construction began in 2008 and was completed by the end of 2010. The ISCC plant is part of the Martin Plant site which consists of 5 units. Unit 1 & Unit 2 are 800 MW steam electric generating units that use natural gas and low-sulfur residual oil. Unit 3 & Unit 4 are 500 MW natural gas-fired combined cycle units. Unit 8 is a natural gas fired 4-on-1 combined cycle unit with a nominal capacity of 1150 MW. Light oil is used as backup. Unit 8, placed into commercial operation in 2005, is integrated with the solar plant. Unit 8 features four 170 MW gas turbines, one 470 MW steam turbine, and a single condenser and cooling tower The single solar field circuit heats 4 steam generators, after each gas turbine. The Martin solar thermal facility is designed to provide steam for FPL's existing Martin Unit 8 combined cycle unit, thus reducing FPL's use of natural gas. No additional capacity (MW) will result from the operation of the solar thermal facility. The Solar Energy Center has an array of approximately 190,000-mirror parabolic troughs on about 500 acres (202 ha) of the Martin County plant. The solar collectors feed heat to the existing steam plant, displacing gas generated electricity at an estimated rate of 155,000 MWh per year. The 2012 solar-derived production was about 89,000 MWh of power, according to records filed with the state’s Public Service Commission, which was 42% less than projected when the plant got approval. The solar component can generate electrical energy only if the four gas turbines are in operation, otherwise the 470 MW steam turbine will not move. When gas turbines are stopped, the solar heat is used to keep the steam turbine in temperature, in order to facilitate a more rapid start-up. FPL expects the $476 million solar plant to reduce the combined-cycle power plant's natural gas consumption by 1.3 billion cubic feet (37 million m³) per year. Over the 30-year life of the project, this is expected to save $178 million in fuel cost and reduce carbon emissions by 2.75 million tons. Excess pressure and a release of operating fluid led to the plant being shut down for four months in 2011 for cleanup and testing. As of 2026, no additional concentrated solar plants are planned for Florida, although in 2007 FPL had planned on building a 300 MW Fresnel solar thermal plant.

Production

References

External links "The Cost of Solar Electricity at the Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center". Gerson Lehrman Group. March 14, 2010. Retrieved 2011-01-28.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center

In research: Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2010 establishments in Florida, Energy infrastructure completed in 2010, Martin County, Florida, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center in simple terms?

Why does Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center.