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Supersized solar on the rise

Jun 16, 2008

Another way to use heat to make electricity is with a Stirling engine.

These reflective concentrator dishes from Stirling Engine Systems measure 38 feet in diameter and include 82 curved mirrors. They track the sun and focus its heat onto a Stirling engine that generates up to 25 kilowatts of electricity. Tests of the SunCatcher system at Sandia National Laboratories in February found them to be 31 percent efficient. Stirling Engine Systems is set to provide up to 1,750 megawatts at two locations through agreements with San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison.

Credit: Stirling Engine Systems