Fresnel Reflectors - Help Bring Solar Power to Life

What began as an invention to make lighthouses more effective has become a powerful tool used in the harvesting of solar energy. Fresnel reflectors are not common in solar designs, but they are major players in larger operations where gathering as much power as possible is the desire.

A Fresnel reflector or lens, as it is also known, was created originally to help make the illumination from lighthouses visible over longer distances. Created in the 1800s by Augustin-Jean Fresnel, a French physicist, the lens has a large aperture and a short focal length. It achieves this without the bulk - volume and weight - that a standard lens might require. This type of lens has proven very effective in lighthouse applications, but it does have other uses as well.

In solar harvesting, a Fresnel reflector would be found in what is known as a concentrated solar power plant. The lens design makes it very effective in helping concentrate the sun's energy and improve the overall effectiveness of solar panels, thus, increasing plant efficiency and productivity. While these lenses are not common in smaller systems, the need for efficiency is.

When solar plants - even home-based ones - operate at their peak, the following benefits are realized:

• Energy savings - The whole idea behind solar energy is to use a renewable energy source rather than fossil fuels. When solar power can keep a home illuminated or power large appliances, for example, the drain on electric power is reduced greatly.
• Environmental advantages - Solar energy is clean energy. Whether it comes from Fresnel reflector-powered plants or a home system, the impacts on the environment are minimal. This is great for those who want to do their part to lessen greenhouse gasses and conserve fossil fuels at the same time.

Fresnel reflectors might not have started out with the concept of energy harvesting in mind, but they have applications in this arena, as well. When power plants want to concentrate the sun's energy, this design from the 1800s helps make that possible.