Getting a Hot Shower
Most home solar power is generated through standard photovoltaic technology, which uses large panels to convert sunlight at varying efficiency into electricity. But a new way to harness the sun has emerged. "Concentrating solar" focuses light onto a liquid-filled pipe, which produces steam that powers a turbine as it heats -- the same way you burned ants with a magnifying glass when you were a kid. Companies like Ausra and Abengoa are trying to commercialize the technology at the megawatt scale, but Heliotron, a small Greek company, is offering a type of concentrating solar for home use that it claims can generate 420 watts of power and 210 liters of hot water, too.
Most home solar power is generated through standard photovoltaic technology, which uses large panels to convert sunlight at varying efficiency into electricity. But a new way to harness the sun has emerged. "Concentrating solar" focuses light onto a liquid-filled pipe, which produces steam that powers a turbine as it heats -- the same way you burned ants with a magnifying glass when you were a kid. Companies like Ausra and Abengoa are trying to commercialize the technology at the megawatt scale, but Heliotron, a small Greek company, is offering a type of concentrating solar for home use that it claims can generate 420 watts of power and 210 liters of hot water, too.
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