Uzbekistan's Solar Furnace Concentrates Sunlight

Uzbekistan's massive solar furnace uses 10,700 curved mirrors to focus sunlight into a single beam that can reach 3,000 C (5,432 F). Located in Parkent, 45 kilometers from Tashkent, the 1-megawatt facility was built between 1981 and 1987 in a mountain region that receives sunlight about 270 days each year. Its concentrated heat can test materials for spacecraft reentry, synthesize nanomaterials, and produce hydrogen fuel without creating combustion pollution at the point of use.

Previous Fact Next Fact