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Solar Power Breakthrough Could Bring Clean Energy to, Heavy Manufacturing. A new solar-powered device may have reached a breakthrough, generating temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius. The breakthrough was detailed in a study published in the journal 'Device'. 'The Independent' reports that the development raises hopes that green energy could be used to run some of the world's most fossil fuel-intensive manufacturing processes. Using synthetic quartz crystals, the new proof-of-concept device traps solar energies at temperatures over 1,000 degrees Celsius. The breakthrough could bring clean energy to carbon-intensive industries like cement, chemical and metal manufacturing. These manufacturing industries alone account for almost a quarter of the world's total energy consumption. The new device reportedly relies upon a phenomenon known as the thermal trap effect to harness the power of the sun more efficiently than ever achieved before. "Previous research has only managed to demonstrate the thermal trap effect up to 170C. Our research showed that solar thermal trapping works not just at low temperatures, but well above 1,000C." "This is crucial to show its potential for real-world industrial applications.", Emiliano Casati, Study co-author from ETH Zurich, via 'The Independent'. 'The Independent' reports that researchers are looking to optimize the thermal trap effect to find new applications for the groundbreaking process. THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT