Google.org’s research on “Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal”has seen a breakthrough, as the search engine giant has announced thedevelopment of a new type of concentrating mirror for solar thermalpower plants, which can cut the cost of solar thermal plants in half.Solar thermal plants rely on mirrors to focus sunlight onto a towercarrying a substance that is used to make steam.

Thissteam is then collected and used to run a turbine to generateelectricity. Google has been looking at unusual materials for themirror’s reflective surface and the substrate on which the mirror ismounted. The company is already discussing the new technology withBrightsource Energy, which has recently got $1.4 billion in loan guarantees for the world’s largest solar thermal power plant.

Via: Treehugger