Cons: No commercial installations, can not store heat, can not produce in low sunlight or at night. (newscientist.com)
Previously, solar power plants had depended on back up energy plants powered by carbon emitting fuels because a solar system's peak generation hours do not coincide with the utility's peak load hours after 5 p.m. Low sunlight meant low energy generation, and this challenge scaled back the environmental benefits of solar plants. (earthday.org)
The implication, the researchers say, is that steam - generating applications can function with lower sunlight concentration and less - expensive tracking systems. (sciencedaily.com)