Photos: Solar players show off their wares

Shown up close, a "micro concentrated solar power" trough from Sopogy features a glass tube filled with food-grade mineral oil that is heated up to 200 degrees Celsius. The heat can be used in turn for power, air conditioning, or process heat.

Rather than similar utility-scale systems emerging in vast desert spaces, Sopogy's product is designed for the level of hundreds of kilowatts to around 25 megawatts. Potential uses include farms in Napa Valley as well as water purification and desalination plants in the Middle East. Sopogy's equipment, which includes roll-up, polished aluminum, ships in a flat pack for assembly on site, sort of like Ikea furniture. The company is based in Honolulu.

Photo by Elsa Wenzel/CNET

Caption by Elsa Wenzel