The guys over at ZDNet were at the opening of CSIRO’s latest solar power project, a 30 metre high tower surrounded by 450 mirrors that concentrate the suns energy on the tower, heating it up and spinning a turbine to create electricity. It looks awesome.
The facility is part of a research station developing and commercialising the solar tower technology internationally. On days when the sun doesn’t create a high enough temperature to spin the turbine, backup natural gas can ensure the power doesn’t drop off.
The pics on the ZDNet page look amazing, although cleaning all those mirrors would be a real pain in the backside, don’t you think?
[ZDNet]