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September 10, 2007
Solar thermal technology, which uses heat to generate electricity, is on its comeback tour.
Solar thermal plants go back to the future | CNET News.com
"We're talking about the U.S. producing its electricity and electricity for vehicles entirely within its borders. The implications for this are enormous," said David Mills, Ausra's founder and chief scientific officer who spent several years doing the basic research for the company's technology.
Solar thermal
Ausra's plants are made up of hundreds of glass-covered metal "collectors" that concentrate sunlight on a tube filled with water. The water becomes steam which turns a conventional steam turbine.
High-pressure water storage tanks allow the company's solar thermal power plants to keep several hours' worth of electricity on tap, addressing one of the biggest hurdles of large-scale renewable energy, according to company executives.
Posted by Sun at September 10, 2007 11:08 PM