Why not use the solar or wind energy to heat water into steam and power a turbine like before?,(reply>), @RRP Solar energy is used directly to heat the water, electricity is only generated inside a conventional generator, which is turned by a steam turbine.,(reply>), @đeri662 Nice, thanks for the info. Is that direct from the solar, to the water from the panels or transferred to electric then powering through heat from the electric,(reply>), This is actually done with solar in so called concentrating solar power plants, where a large number of mirrors (called heliostats) redirect the solar energy on the top of the solar tower, where it is used to heat up some sort of a medium (pressurised water or a salt mixture), which then boils water and superheats the steam, which turns a turbine. Also google for parabolic trough or parabolic dish systems.