It is believed that solar power is the power of future. With coal induced green house gases burning the atmosphere, power from sun can be a reliable option.
Sevilla Solar Tower in Spain is Europe’s first commercially operating power station using solar energy to generate power.
It is being operated by Solucar that proudly claims that the plant generates 11 Megawatts (MW) of electricity without emitting a single puff of greenhouse gas. If the claim is true, than it can easily power up to 6,000 homes.
The solar tower is around 115m tall and enclosed by 600 steel reflectors or mirrors (heliostats) that track the sun and focus sunlight onto water pipes at the top of a 40 storey tall concrete tower.
The whole process is about focusing the reflected rays on one location, spinning water into steam, which is stored in tanks to drive turbines to generate power.
Abengoa, an internationally acclaimed company, owns the plant.
The only drawback with solar energy is that it is available as long as sun shines, but once sun sets; the transmitters stop working because they need the sun. And also power from sun is three times more expensive than power from conventional sources.
However, pollution free energy produced in this way is a truly impressive achievement. Plants like Sevilla solar plant should be built wherever possible replacing the old coal burners soon. That would surely help cut down greenhouse gases.
Via: Ecochick
