Solar Thermal Scales Up

One of the most promising large-scale alternative energy technologies, solar thermal, is scaling up with its first dedicated factory, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Ausra Inc. plant in Las Vegas will pump out enough equipment to cover four square miles of desert every year with reflective panels that capture the sun's heat and transform that heat into steam to turn turbines, just as traditional power plants burn coal or other fossil fuels.

The technology is more productive and cost-competitive than more familiar photovoltaic cells, which harness the rays of the sun without exploiting its heat (in fact, because they were designed by NASA for use in space, many work better at cooler temperatures).

The desert Southwest, with large expanses of relatively empty land and plenty of sunlight and heat, could generate a significant portion of the electricity in that part of the country, and assembly line efficiency will only help bring the cost down further.

COMMENTS ()