…perhaps to save us from ourselves! I mean, what if we could use solar power to replace fossil fuel power even for industrial applications?
We are all familiar with solar panels. They have become a common sight in many communities and along roads and highways where they power all kinds of signals and signs, especially temporary ones. Yay for us and for the planet!
Solar panels are good for generating low-level heat, like what we need to turn on the lights in our homes. But not even the hugest solar panel arrays generate enough heat for industrial processes.
Good news! Scientists are experimenting with thermal trapping devices that use artificial quartz rods and cylinders that capture and “magnify” the sun’s energy. In recent research, they achieved temperatures of 1,050 degrees Celsius–hot enough to smelt metal.
“To tackle climate change, we need to decarbonize energy in general,” said corresponding author Emiliano Casati, of ETH Zurich, Switzerland, as reported by Science Daily. “People tend to only think about electricity as energy, but in fact, about half of the energy is used in the form of heat.”
Read the whole story here.
Care of Creation 