Solar Energy - Solar reflections
Solar reflections
The Pyrenees Mountains, near Odeille in southern France, seem like an unlikely place for a solar reflector, but one has existed there since the 1950s. It towers over a meadow of wildflowers and features 63 separate mirrors that reflect sunlight onto a curved, mirrored wall. Electric motors move the mirrors to track sunlight and direct it to a central receiving tower. This method generates the intense heat needed for industrial use. It also produces steam in boilers, which is used to produce electricity.
Other solar energy collectors include photovoltaicA device made of silicon that converts sunlight into electricity. (pronounced photo-vol-TAY-ic) cells, developed by three Bell Telephone scientists in 1954 as a way to produce electric power from sunlight. Also known as solar cells, they convert sunlight energy into electrical energy. They have been...
[The entire page is 304 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
