During this time in history when the world is so desperately searching for ways to counter global warming we find solar energy.  Solar energy is a clean renewable energy source that enables us to get the energy we need without the issue of destroying our world in the process.

Solar energy was first re-addressed in the early 1970's when America was searching for a way to survive without the desperate dependence on other countries with surpluses of fossil fuels.  From the late 1800's to the early 1930's solar energy was a popular way to heat water.  At the time 30% of homes in and around the Los Angeles, California area were equipped with solar energy water heaters.  These soon spread to areas in the Southwest and the Florida region of the United States.  Unfortunately for the country there were large deposits of fossil fuels found in the western United States and the development of solar energy ceased as the fossil fuel was a much cheaper and more abundant form of energy at the time.  However now we once again see a rise in the development of solar energy.

There are many solar energy power plants throughout the world.  During the 1980's there were rows of huge mirrors called "heliostats" built in the Mohave Desert in California. They are what are called solar power towers.  Theses are huge curved mirrors that basically "catch" the radiation from the sun and turn it into solar energy.  The mirrors reflect the solar heat and concentrate the energy in a tower where it is used to heat water (or oil) to a boiling point thus creating steam that is then used to turn a turbine to generate energy.  There are other plants there that use molten salt to capture the heat and maintain the steam needed to drive the generator during the night or when a cloudy day occurs. These solar power plants now have the efficiency to power the electrical needs of approximately 500,000 people!!!