Solar-thermal for continuous-power? (was land area for SSP versus ground-ba)

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, Joe Strout wrote:
> whatever enormous power-storage system you use to keep the lights on at night (or on cloudy days)?

The solar-thermal advocates have been claiming that that type of system, by its very nature, stores thermal energy overnight (in the working fluid). They say it can thus generate power continuously.

SPS advocates should acknowledge that, if true.

Of course, a week of bad weather is a different animal from overnight or one day of clouds. The longer the black- or brown-out, the more likely the need for back-up. But no one is saying (at least not very credibly) you can't keep a few diesel or simple-cycle gas turbines around for emergency power. The fuel might be expensive, but they might not need to be operated very often.