Solar Power Towers and the Future of Clean Energy
What’s amazing about the energy industry is that as much as it does seem embedded in the past, it’s also one of the biggest technological pioneers in the world. The greatest minds in the world realize that there are a finite amount of sources that the planet can provide, which is why, especially in the last few decades, there has been a huge movement to change the way that humans produce and consume various forms of energy as fuel.
Looking at the Future of Clean Energy
One of the fastest growing trends amongst clean energy is the further development of solar technology that efficiently converts the over abundance of sunlight hitting the Earth into useable fuel of some capacity. Some of the biggest (literally) projects that you’ll start to see around are solar furnaces. These can go by a few different names, such as central tower power plants, heliostat power plants, or heliostat power towers.
How Does a Solar Furnace Work?
One of the reasons why these installations are becoming more prevalent is due to the way they’re able to produce mass quantities of renewable, pollution-free energy. First of all, this isn’t the type of installation you’re going to see somewhere in the middle of a city. They need a lot of open space in a location where the sun is scorching hot.
The basic premise is this: there are a large number of moveable mirrors (which are referred to as heliostats) that redirect any sunlight towards a tall central tower. The mirrors rotate depending on the time of day to attempt and maximize the amount of sunlight that’s being given to the receiver.
In the earlier iterations of this technology, the redirected sunlight was used to heat water to the point of evaporation so there was enough steam generated to power turbines. Now, newer models incorporate other elements such as nitrate and sodium nitrate (molten salts) which can make better use of the captured sunlight before it’s converted. This means that, over the course of a full day, more energy is stored, and then when the sun is gone, the towers can continue to generate energy.
Where Are These Installations?
As of this writing, there are a few major installations in the United States, a few in European countries, and in Turkey. They each vary in size, and produce varying levels of energy (measured in gigawatt per hour, or GWh). One of the world’s largest solar furnaces is actually in California’s San Bernardino county, approximately 250 miles northeast of Los Angeles. It generates nearly 650 GWh, and is only a few years old. There are 3 operational stations there (3 receiving towers and surrounding mirrors). As more and more research, technology, and time is devoted to these installations, there is going to be a push to make them more commercially viable and ready for more public energy consumption.
How You Can Be Part of the Clean Energy Revolution
Not everyone has the capability to get some sort of solar panel installation for their home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of clean, renewable energy. If you contact a member of the team at Star Energy Partners, we can help you choose from and support clean, renewable energy sources like wind and solar power instead of purchasing directly from your utility company.
