Energy production and storage is one of the most pressing social issues of our time. Currently, energy is primarily produced from two sources—fossil fuels and nuclear fission. While both of these sources are reliable and effective sources of energy, they have massive drawbacks that prevent them from being feasible over the long-term, including resource depletion and large amounts of dangerous by-products.

SolarMission Technologies has created a solar energy solution that addresses the issues of energy creation discussed above, and propels solar energy into position as a highly feasible energy source for large-scale production. Their “Solar Chimney” will, when construction is completed in the Australian outback in 2010, produce 200MW of energy and, “reduce carbon dioxide emissions by almost 1 million tonnes per year compared to a 200MW brown-coal powered generator. “ The Chimney consists of two parts, a 1000 meter tower (the Chimney), with a 150 meter diameter, and a 5 km diameter solar collector, which traps air at ground level inside an, “air-tight transparent collector,” which will allow the sun to heat the air, thus forcing it upwards into the chimney where it will power turbines to create energy. An advantage of this system is that the warm air can be saved for a length of time, allowing the generator to work at night and during days where the sun is not directly visible.

This technology, if implemented widely, could greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and solve the issue of resource depletion. With the ability to power 200,000 households, Solar Chimneys will hopefully play a role in the push to reduce reliance on outdated, harmful energy sources.

Sources: http://gosunsolutions.com/home/c ontent/view/35/2/ http://www.solarmissiontechnolog ies.com/project.htm

-Julio Miles (site isn't letting me change my display name)