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Solar Thermal
Energy
Solar Thermal Electricity
Solar Thermal describes using the sun's heat to make electricity
- solar means from the sun
- thermal means heat
Sunlight shining on something can warm it, like the ground getting hot on a sunny day.
One way to use the sun's heat to make electricity is to arrange many mirrors to aim sunlight at a water tower (see the image on the right). The sunlight heats the water in the tower and turns it to steam. The steam goes into a machine called a turbine-generator that makes electricity.
