Solar updraft towers may provide another alternative source of power
Solar updraft towers are another possible alternative for renewable energy production. As its name implies, solar updraft towers utilize the natural phenomenon of updrafts to spin a turbine, which in-turn creates electricity. More specifically, solar reflectors on the ground (ideally spread out over a 1.5 mile radius) heat up surface level air, which is then channeled into a super tall chimney (ideally 3000+ feet tall). Since the ground level air is so much hotter than that found at the top of the chimney the super hot air rushes skyward (at around 34 mph), creating a vacuum effect which spins the turbines at the base, thereby creating electricity.
Some downsides to solar updraft towers include that they require large open spaces (for the solar reflectors) and are also only 1/10th as efficient as solar cells in converting the sun’s rays into electricity. However, on the plus side, solar updraft towers are substantially less expensive than traditional solar plants, due to the cheaper material costs.
Although there are no solar updraft tower power plants currently in existence, a prototype was tested in the 1980’s in Spain and locations in Australia and the American Southwest are currently being considered for actual plants.
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