| After the success of Solar One - the world's | | | | abundance. By all intents and purposes, it is |
| first large-scale thermal solar power plant - | | | | a larger and more ambitious project. With the |
| and its update, Solar Two, Europe has now | | | | backing of the EU Commission, who have |
| entered into the race for sustained solar | | | | provided 5 million Euro through the EU 5th |
| power. Solar Tres, located West of Ejica in | | | | Frame program, it has the potential to move |
| the Andalusia district of Spain, has been | | | | thermal solar power into the competitive |
| modeled on the Solar One and Two projects, | | | | energy markets. After the relative success of |
| which were developed and updated in the | | | | the original US Power Tower Plants, the |
| Marstow Desert, California, in 1981 and 1995. | | | | improvements to Solar Tres mean a bold step |
| Like its American predecessor, Solar Tres | | | | towards sustainable energy in the world at |
| will produce energy through heliostats: large | | | | large. With a project of this scale, it |
| mirror assemblies that track and reflect the | | | | signals a move from personal sustainability |
| sun's rays throughout the day. From there, it | | | | initiatives - the efforts made, from |
| is bounced onto a central column, named the | | | | individuals to family units - to a |
| 'Solar Power Tower', which absorbs and stores | | | | potentially full-fledged commercial |
| the energy, to be converted into thermal | | | | representation of universal solar power in |
| power. What marks Solar Tres above its | | | | the community. It now means that two of the |
| prototypes is that it uses molten salt as its | | | | world's major political powers - The US, and |
| conducting fluid, so that the energy can be | | | | the EU - are committing themselves to the |
| stored in molten form and converted at any | | | | importance of sustainable energy. Whilst |
| time. It means that the new European Solar | | | | Solar One and Two are now closed, they |
| Power Tower can be operational 24 hours a | | | | represent important first examples of what |
| day, allowing for greater energy storage and | | | | Solar Tres can now make possible. And that is |
| conversion, and it outstrips its US | | | | not to say that the US have abandoned the |
| counterparts, which ran on oils, and so had a | | | | pursuit; upon the closure of the original |
| lower capacity for storage after conversion. | | | | Solar One and Two site in 2001, they |
| It also looks to expand on the size of Solar | | | | commenced production of Nevada Solar One, |
| One and Two, with a heliostat field that is | | | | which became operational in 2007, and boasts |
| three times larger than Solar Two at its | | | | a maximum production capacity of 75MW. With |
| optimum. It means that Solar Tres has a | | | | three major Solar Power Tower Plants built |
| potential capacity of 15MW, where Solar One | | | | since 1995, moves to a genuine production of |
| and Two could reach a maximum of 10MW. Not | | | | solar power are being implemented on both |
| only can it run more efficiently, then - | | | | sides of the Atlantic. Sustainable energy is |
| working right round the clock - but its | | | | a real possibility. Let's hope other nations |
| output is greater, allowing for sustainable | | | | follow suit. |
| energy that is produced more quickly and in | | | | |