Solar power is a popular renewable energy source with many people considering personal solar panels for their houses. However, the one major downside of solar power is that it cannot generate electricity at night or on overcast days.

A venture called SolarReserve think they have found a solution to the problem – by using salt. Their project focuses on storing and saving solar energy in molten salt and the believe that their new solar plant will be able to produce up to 500 megawatts at peak power. This is around the same figure as a normal coal power plant would produce with the added bonus that the solar plant would not be releasing any greenhouse emissions.

In a nutshell, large mirrors focus the Sun’s rays onto a central collection tower. This collection tower houses a large vat of molten salt which is then heated and pumped into a storage tank. The heated salt is then pumped through a steam generator and the steam generated is used to power an electric turbine. The cooled salt is then sent back to storage tower where the cycle begins again.

Unlike standard solar plants, SolarReserve should be able to produce electricity at night and also in overcast weather. The idea behind SolarReserve’s plant is not dissimilar to Seville’s solar power tower where water is heated and used instead of salt. SolarReserve believe that by using molten salt instead of oil or water, the heat can be stored when the Sun is not present – several studies have shown that molten salt is the most efficient fluid at transporting the Sun’s heat.

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