Images: Supersize solar power

Another way to use heat to make electricity is with a Stirling engine.

These reflective concentrator dishes from Stirling Engine Systems measure 38 feet in diameter and include 82 curved mirrors. They track the sun and focus its heat onto a Stirling engine that generates up to 25 kilowatts of electricity. Tests of the SunCatcher system at Sandia National Laboratories in February found them to be 31 percent efficient. Stirling Engine Systems is set to provide up to 1,750 megawatts at two locations through agreements with San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison.

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RE: (Images: Supersize solar power): I think the cost of oil has forced a realization among the politicians in the SouthWest states.

Imagine if you had an oil field that wouldn't run dry for billions of years...

OOOH. Ni... (Read the rest); Posted by: Jkirk3279 Posted on: 06/02/08 You are currently: a Guest | Log in | Terms of Use