Concentrating Solar Power
The same principles of energy-harvesting that make solar cookies and solar hot water so successful can be used to generate electricity. Lots of electricity. In fact, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) works best at large utility scales. The simplified process consists of reflecting sunlight onto a pipe or container filled with liquid (oil or molten salt) and using the resulting heat to boil water, creating steam which turns a turbine and generates electricity.
Thermal energy at a CSP plant can be stored in large insulated tanks of molten salt (or another medium) and released later to provide electricity after the sun goes down. This type of efficient energy storage is the key component for renewable energy. If excess energy from peak production periods can be stored for later use, renewable energy will be far more competitive with fossil fuelled power plants that run around the clock. Other potential storage methods include pumping water uphill for later hydropower production, compressing air into underground cavities, spinning flywheels and charging battery banks or capacitors.
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