Another way to make heat and electricity is with a Fresnel lens, which was originally developed for lighthouses. For solar power plants, the lenses focus light on a tube carrying liquid that gets converted into steam.
Ausra, originally from Australia, has signed on with Pacific Gas & Electric to build a solar plant in California. Its design uses less steel than traditional CSP plants and keeps costs down by using standard architectural glass, the company says.
Photo by Ausra
Caption by Martin LaMonicaElsa
