Solar-fresnel energy and desalination plants appear to be a technology whose time has come as the state of California reaches record high temperatures. The technology behind such plants is incredibly simple: ocean water is pumped into shallow pools inside of chambers whose roofs consist of solar fresnels. The fresnels concentrate sunlight onto the pools, raising the temperature to in excess of 212 degrees fahrenheit, causing the water to boil rapidly. Steam pressure forces the steam into uptake pipes where it then drives low-speed steam piston driven engines, which convert the heat and steam pressure to mechanical energy to turn generators and create electricity.

The partially condensed steam that is exhausted from the generators passes through an activated charcoal filter to remove hydrocarbon vapors and other impurities, and then passes through a heat exchanger which both condenses the H20 being exhausted from the system, and preheats the ocean water being fed into the system, thereby maximizing flow-through and overall system efficiency. The net result is electricity and distilled water that can be used to support municipal functions. This is a technology that’s so simple that there’s no reason for places like Caliornia and the Gulf Coast states not to be trying it out.

(This is a National Zero original article.  Although you will find articles that hint at this kind of system, you won’t find anything that describes this exact series of steps unless you have access to the Contentious Otter’s sketchbook that he keeps next to his pile of Scientific American back-issues.)