Photos: Solar business heats up the Golden State

This tubular device from Entech is a combination of a concentrating photovoltaic device and a solar hot water heater. It uses a Fresnel lens, which magnifies the light 20 times onto a strip of solar cells to make about 500 watts of electricity. The heat produced from the sun is then used to heat water. The company has designed it for commercial customers, including food processors and hotels.

Photo by Martin LaMonica/CNET News

Caption by Martin LaMonica