Google’s Mirror Technology

Google's Mirror Technology

Google, the well-known Internet search corporation, is getting into the solar energy business.  It is working on mirror technology to be used in solar powered turbine plants.  These plants use solar thermal power: sun shines on specially designed mirrors which focus the energy to superheat water which is then used to turn turbines, generating electricity.  This type of power generation is also known as concentrated solar power.

You might be wondering… what does Google have to do with solar power?  Well, its headquarters are in sunny California and, perhaps more than anything else, however, it has resources to invest!  Google has partnered with two solar thermal companies, eSolar and BrightSolar to develop cheaper mirrors and turbines.

The company has a “green energy czar,” Bil Weihl, who has this to say about Google’s mirror technology:

“We’ve been looking at very unusual materials for the mirrors both for the reflective surface as well as the substrate that the mirror is mounted on.”

They are also working to develop turbines that run on solar power, rather than natural gas, which will increase electricity savings even more for utility customers.

In order to understand the basics of concentrated solar power, consider this primer:

Solar thermal technology improving with Google's R&D

At a recent conference in San Francisco, Google announced that the new technology could cut the cost of manufacturing heliostats, which are the fields of mirrors that track the sun’s path across the sky and concentrate its energy.  And not by a small amount, either.  Google’s mirror technology could result in savings by a “factor of three or four.”

When might we expect the results of Google’s R&D?  Internal review should begin within a few months, which means that we could see on-the-ground installations within a year or two.  Perhaps sooner?

Google is predicting that the mirror technology will allow the creation of renewable solar energy at a price less than coal.  And, its putting $50 million where its mouth is, through investing with eSolar and BrightSolar.

We hope to see more companies follow Google’s lead and invest sums towards energy R&D that will help our country get off of fossil fuels, and towards a brighter future.

Tags: concentrated solar power, google, mirror technology, solar energy, solar power, solar powered turbine plants, solar thermal