For most of us, the vision of a solar-powered future conjures a mental image of rooftops covered in photovoltaic panels. But PV tech is actually only a few decades old, and humans have been harnessing the sun’s power for millenia. Concentrated solar power (CSP), or “solar thermal,” is an ancient, low-tech version of solar energy capture, in which the sun’s heat energy is used to boil water and create steam.
Now, like PV’s long-forgotten older brother, CSP is returning home to stake its claim in the solar energy revolution. And its potential is enormous.
The first commercial CSP development is PS10 in Seville, Spain. The Guardian recently posted a great vid on the project, looking at the future of renewable energy production and highlighting some of the financial challenges involved.
Watch “The Challenge of Solar Power” here.
(via Huff Post)
Photo: PS10, the world’s first commercial solar tower, in Seville, Spain. (afloresm/Flickr, via GOOD)