The solar index plant Abengoa Solar will build in Gila Bend , Arizona , wo n’t rely on fancy photovoltaic panel . No , it use somewhat much the same prank your malign backside used on bugs and leave right smart back when : sharpen sunlight to create high heat . In this case , mirror focus the sun ’s rays into tank of heat - transport oil , stir up it to about 400 ° C , simmering piss for a steam turbine .
The appeal of the system of rules is its downcast monetary value and high scalability . MIT ’s Technology Review says that , according to one expert , “ solar caloric power will become toll competitory with other form of power multiplication decades before photovoltaics will . ” And even though solar thermic costs more than tip power ( around 15 penny per kilowatt versus wind ’s 8 centime per kilowatt ) , solar thermal energy , trapped in the form of heat , is much more easy to save up . Energy can be generated even when the sun is n’t beam — in the case of Abengoa ’s Arizona plant , part of the heat does n’t forthwith boil water but is transfer to molten salt cooler , where it can be stored to power the turbine for up to six sunless hours .
The industrial plant goes operational in 2011 , and will render 280 megawatt , enough to provide get-up-and-go for 70,000 homes , customers of the Arizona Public Service in Phoenix . [ engineering Review;Abengoa ]
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