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Solar Thermal

Solar thermal energy is the oldest form of solar energy that mankind has harnessed. Simple ancient building designs took advantage of the sun’s warming energy. The famed hanging gardens of Babylon would be one of the best examples. Indoor, or at least enclosed, plants flourished because of creative use of the sun’s power. And that shining example occurred thousands of years ago.

It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that harnessing the thermal properties of solar power is far more efficient than the electrical properties. After all, heat transfer occurs universally, and humans have had far more practice harnessing heat transfer to meet our own needs. From clothing to homes, much of what mankind invented in the earliest stages of civilization was designed to control warmth.

Today a solar thermal plant can operate at more than twice the efficiency of a photovoltaic array. So why don’t we hear more about these power plants? They do not scale down the way photovoltaic arrays do. So while you can create a 500 megawatt thermal plant, a 20 kilowatt version to power your home is below the viability threshold. So there’s no immediate commercial appeal in a thermal plant.

 

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