David Mataen

March 19, 2008: Never in the history of modern civilisation was there so great need for energy like now.

Ironically, the most abundant, most renewable, most free of all renewable resources is the sun. Emerging every day unfailingly from the east, shinning all of 13 hours at the equator and discharging on average 300 watts per square metre.

A plant in Acciona in Las Vegas, United States, called “Nevada Solar One” can generate up to 64 megawatts, equal to the capacity of Olkaria II at Naivasha.

CSP provides an answer to PV’s main pitfalls, it does not involve expensive silicon wafers and wide, shiny, inviting panels open to abuse and vandalism.

Some designs provide power round the clock by storing energy in the form of molten salt. Undoubtedly, this is the solution that Kenya and in deed Africa has been waiting for.

A technological quantum leap, a classic revolution in energy affairs.