Phoenix Arizona solar energy collector furnace by sky harbor is Southwest Solar Technologies Research Park that uses hybridized engine design where each dish unit can utilize natural gas to replace the suns heat during cloud cover or after sundown

If you drive down the I-10 in Arizona past Sky Harbor Airport you will see a dish to the south.   It is a hybrid solar / gas electricity generator system that covers generation shortfalls with gas and as an option compressed air energy storage.

Links

• Brayton Project overview document
• Southwest Solar
  

I love technology and from an early age was fascinated by solar energy.   That being said I always snicker when I hear liberals tout solar energy.  They like solar energy because solar is easier for them to understand as compared with say nuclear.  Solar is the hemp fabric of energy.   What really made me laugh as I wrote this was the metaphor of liberalism.  As time progresses those without engineering skills feel more and more irrelevant.   Global Warming is the left's passive aggressive religion and since it requires them to fight for the earth by doing nothing!  Curbing energy use is their solution!   This is what makes them feel relevant.    The tagline for solar energy should be

          Solar!  Passive energy for Passive agressive people!