How a Giant Solar Tower Could Power the Future

[Dover]

How a Giant Solar Tower Could Power the Future
By Michael Schirber, Special to LiveScience

02 July 2008

A new energy concept called a solar tower could generate enough electricity for 200,000 homes. Looking like a giant smokestack, it would release no noxious fumes — just sun-heated air.

Demonstrated more than 20 years ago, the basic design calls for solar collectors to warm the air near Earth's surface and then channel it up the tall central tower. Turbines placed at the bottom make electricity from the updraft.

"It's a combination chimney, windmill, greenhouse," said Kim Forté of EnviroMission Limited in South Melbourne, Australia...cont'd

http://www.livescience.com/technology/080702-pf-solar-tower.html


AND it's a sundial!


A Solar Tower prototype operated from 1982 to 1989 in Manzanares, Spain. Credit: EnviroMission Ltd.

[sam sarrha]

1. canada is building a mega site similar to that, only 3 could produce all their day time power

[opihimoimoi]

2. Awesome.....KnR

[nashville_brook]

3. this is so cool. like art that makes power.

[lurky]

4. Anybody know how much land-usage

these require relative to the Stirling engines people keep talking about putting in the Mojave? I know that solution would require an area about the size of New Jersey to power the entire US. How much would this need, by comparison?

[immoderate]

5. Coming from New York that sounds like a win-win.

--IMM

[Dover]

I believe that info is in the article...n/t

[Voice for Peace]

6. More than 20 years ago is a new concept?

love the sundial effect. It seems like a nobrainer.

[losthills]

7. Run the oil and nuke men out of Washington,

and there are lots of great things we could do...

[phantom power]

8. I still say that if we're going to do this, we should do it with...

a tornado machine.

http://vortexengine.ca/index.shtml

[XemaSab]

9. Or real tornadoes...

I mean, if hundreds of thousands of people are disconnected from the grid, viola, no more power problems. :hide:

[Indenturedebtor]

10. You work for the mobile home industry don't you!

The truth will out!

I remember reading about these a few years ago. They seem very promising.