Australian researchers aim to cut solar thermal energy costs by 40%

Researchers in Australia are 关键字3working on a way to lower the cost of producing solar thermal energy by as much as 40% with the help of shatterproof rear-view mirrors originally designed for cars.

That could be huge for agriculture and industrial facilities which need large amounts of heat for large-scale processes at temperatures between 212 - 754 °F (100 - 400 °C). That addresses food production, drying crops, grain and pulse drying, sterilizing soil and treating wastewater on farms; industrial applications include producing chemicals, making paper, desalinating water, and dyeing textiles.

A quick refresher in case you're out of the loop: solar thermal energy and conventional solar energy (photovoltaic) systems both harvest sunlight, but they work in fundamentally different ways. Solar thermal setups capture the Sun's heat rather than its light, use reflectors to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver, and convert solar radiation directly into heat energy. This heat can be used directly for heating buildings, water, or the aforementioned industrial processes.

A team at the University of South Australia (UniSA) is using plastic mirrors developed at UniSA to be shatterproof, flat-packable, 50% lighter than glass counterparts, and easier to design and assemble into rear view wings for new vehicles. The plastic in question is a commonly available material, but uses special coatings to be as reflective as a regular mirror. Here's a promo clip highlighting the mirrors' capabilities: