THE MONT-LOUIS SOLAR FURNACE
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Visit the world's first experimental solar furnace at Mont-Louis, construction of which began in 1947.
One cannot come to Mont-Louis without visiting the first experimental solar oven of the world. The region benefits from more than 3,000 hours of sunshine per year, so it was only natural that scientists came here to test work on solar energy. The construction began in 1947 in the citadel, and it was put into service in 1951. It is a huge parabolic mirror that serves to concentrate the sun's rays to a single point. This oven already prefigures its big brother of Odeillo by its performances and its technology (after several years of tests, the oven will be abandoned in favor of a bigger structure in Odeillo). The visit is both fun and educational. It is thus possible to live fascinating life-size experiments, such as the solar concentration, where the 850 facets of the furnace, by positioning themselves in an optimal way, provide a temperature of 2,000 to 3,000 °C, allowing the ignition of wood, the fusion of metals, but also the firing of ceramics. During a fascinating visit, the solar kiln guides will reveal the secrets of the technique and will lead you to the heart of the installations. In the store, you will discover the art ceramics and bronze productions made on site. A unique, spectacular and exciting visit of a site that works for the development of the countries of the South: the sun is an inexhaustible, free and above all non-polluting source of energy.
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