Concentrated solar energy, once seen as a promising way to generate power around the clock, lost ground to cheaper photovoltaic panels. Now, 247Solar, a US-based startup, is reviving the concept with a modular design that allows the same hardware to run on stored solar heat or fossil fuels. The system uses mirrors, called heliostats, to focus sunlight onto a tower, heating ambient-pressure air to roughly 970 degrees Celsius.
This hot air can drive turbines or be stored for overnight generation. Unlike older systems relying on corrosive molten salts, this design uses ambient air, potentially reducing maintenance costs. The company claims the system can burn various fuels during low solar resource periods, acting as its own backup.
India has contracted 247Solar to build and operate a small 1-megawatt plant that mixes this technology with photovoltaics. The modular approach aims to offer flexibility and avoid the need for separate backup facilities, addressing the historical cost challenges that have stalled concentrated solar development. By integrating solar thermal with fossil fuel capability, the system provides a dispatchable power source without the distinct infrastructure usually required for overnight energy needs.
Source: Ars Technica · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing