Turning a solar power system into its own backup

A small company has developed a design for a solar power system that can run on either stored solar heat or combustion, potentially eliminating the need for separate backup facilities. The system uses concentrated solar energy to generate heat, which can be used to drive traditional generating turbines. The system's design integrates with a fossil-fueled backup system, sharing most of the generating hardware. This design aims to reduce the costs and complexities associated with traditional solar thermal systems.