Solar Energy Gets Breakthrough

The ability to harness the sun’s energy has just recently had a potential breakthrough. This new solar energy technology could prove to be a major card in helping this form of renewable energy get off the ground. This new technology makes it possible to store the sun’s heat for use on rainy days or at night. These two problems have always been a major draw back in the world of solar energy.

In the desert of southern Spain, not to far away from Granada, the sun is being bounced off large curved mirrors onto pipes that cover the area of 70 soccer fields. These mirrors are set up to follow the sun as it moves across the sky, which means that the sun’s rays are always being concentrated onto the pipes. Inside the pipes is a synthetic oil that is heated to almost 150 degrees Fahrenheit. This oil is then used to boil water, which then powers a steam turbine. Some of the heat can be pumped into vats of salt that turn into molten lava.

Engineers can now use this molten salt to store heat from the sun for many hours after the sun goes down. This can then be released at will to drive the turbines with no sun. For the first time ever, solar energy will be able to produce energy around the clock.

The plant in Spain, Andasol 1, began doing this process back in November of last year. This plant now makes 50 megawatts of power. This is enough energy to supply 60,000 homes year around with power. Another plant is ready to begin operations this summer and a third plant is under construction.