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Western Area Power Administration
Solar-thermal energy (STE) is power harnessed from the sun and transferred into heat. Unlike traditional photovoltaic solar power, which converts energy from the sun into electricity, solar-thermal power uses the sun directly to heat water for commercial use or recreational sources like swimming pools.
The majority of STE collectors are of the low temperature variety. Solar energy is collected and preserved in a large chunk of material, what is known as a thermal mass. Since heat naturally moves from warmer to cooler areas, these thermal masses store heat until its surrounding area cools, after which the heat is released. The heat is typically used for swimming pools or even as a space heater for a home, if the thermal masses are constructed and placed correctly.
Larger scale solar-thermal collectors use lenses to concentrate heat and convert it to electricity. Higher temperatures are necessary for this process, but solar thermal towers can harness this energy and store it until it becomes necessary. According to Solar Developments, installing thermal towers on 1% of the Earth's deserts would generate more electricity than is currently produced the world over by fossil fuels.
Solar-thermal energy has become a prominent clean energy alternative, alongside photovoltaic solar power and wind power. In 2008, Google.org invested in BrightSource Energy, an innovator in the solar-thermal field. In 2009, NRG Energy Inc. invested $10 million in eSolar to develop three solar-thermal power plants in California and an adjacent state.
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