The Odeillo Solar Furnace Every year, the earth receives from
the sun 10,000 times more energy than we use. The current energy
crisis and our dependence on fossil fuels therefore represent a
failure of ingenuity rather than an intractable situation. Many
now believe that Concentrated Solar Power is one of the most
promising forms of renewable energy in areas of high solar
intensity. The Odeillo CSP scheme uses an array of solar-
tracking mirrors to reflect the sun onto the parabolic mirror
which then focuses the light onto a point that can reach 3600
degrees centigrade. The primary purpose of the building was to
research high temperature alloys but the heat can also be used
to create steam and drive a turbine to generate electricity.
While the architecture of the Odeillo solar furnace is rather
unrefined, the project powerfully demonstrates the possibility
of a transition to a solar economy.