It took more than 100 years to bring winter sunlight

Chasing the SuByn Kara Eliason to the town of , . But thanks to high-tech mirrors, the results have been dazzling. jukan is a town nestled in the Vestfjord Valley southwest of R . The surrounding mountain peaks offer a majestic view, but they also have a dark side. They block out sunlight from September to March, meaning residents spend half the year in the mountains’ shadow. That changed on Oct. 30, 2013. On that day, three giant mirrors on the side of Gaustatoppen mountain sat ready to reflect rays of sunlight into Rjukan. Residents anxiously gathered in the market square to witness it for the first time. “We were excited, but there were a lot of clouds that day. So we had to wait a few minutes before we could turn on the mirrors,” says Karin Rø, who works for the Visit Rjukan tourist

s office. When sunlight finally streamed ge

Im a into the market square, “people were tty e very happy, cheering, clapping their hands and smiling.” E/ A FP/G TOR Reflecting sunlight into Rjukan was a y MEEK, y

b feat of modern technology. But the idea dates back more than a century. PHoto PHoto

26 Viking june 2015 sonsofnorway.com sonsofnorway.com Viking june 2015 25 More About Rjukan There’s a lot more to Rjukan than its sun mirrors. Here are additional facts about the Norwegian town.

✹ The town became famous for hydropower and its railway system during the early 20th century. In fact, Rjukan is nominated to the UNESCO World Heritage List for its industrial history. ✹ Rjukan played an important role in World War II. After the Nazis invaded Norway, they expressed interest in the From Dream to Reality sunlight into the town, and I found out reflective surface of 50 square meters. modern equipment with technology production of heavy water, In the early 1900s, a bookkeeper named that it was a thought that had Directed by computers, the mirrors shift that people used 100 years ago, and it which could be used to Oskar Kittelsen made a suggestion been around since the beginning of every 10 seconds to track the movement worked really well.” develop an atomic bomb. to the local newspaper: Would it be the town.” of the sun during the day. When they’re Overall, the mirrors have functioned British soldiers worked with possible to install a giant mirror high Although some doubted the idea, in use, the mirrors flood Rjukan’s well since they were first installed Norwegians in Rjukan to in the mountains to reflect sunlight into supported it and helped market square with up to 600 square in 2013. sabotage the Nazis’ efforts Rjukan? Sam Eyde, a local resident and make the $850,000 project possible. meters of sunlight. “There have not been any big changes by destroying the nearby founder of Norwegian energy company The next step was to find someone to to the mirrors, except for the power heavy water factory. Norsk Hydro, heard about the idea and create and install high-tech mirrors. Overcoming Obstacles supply,” Rø says. “The plan was to ✹ Rjukan is home to wanted to make it a reality. He thought That’s where Solar Tower Systems came Installing the mirrors on the side get power from solar panels and a two popular cable cars.

sunlight would be an excellent way to in. The German technology company of Gaustatoppen was not an easy s windmill. But there was too little wind The Gaustabanen takes ge

energize Rjukan’s workers during the built mirror systems for solar thermal task. “There’s no road leading to Im a and the winter did not bring much sun. passengers inside the tty dark winter months. Unfortunately, power plants, making them a good the construction site,” Solar Tower e So we’ve had to use a diesel aggregate as Gaustatoppen mountain. technology at the time just wasn’t choice for such a unique project. Systems CEO Joachim Maass told a backup.” Krossobanen was the advanced enough. Solar Tower Systems got to work CNN in a 2013 interview. “You can first cable car built in FP / G / Krist e r/ A FP , e Then, in the early 2000s, an artist and created three high-tech mirrors hike there in an hour or so, but there o Northern Europe, and e r b o S

named Martin Andersen revived the for Rjukan. They have a combined was no alternative than to carry heavy s, The Impact on Rjukan it takes passengers to ge

idea of using equipment there by Im a Since their installation, the sun mirrors Hardangervidda, Norway’s tty mirrors to reflect helicopter.” e have done a lot more for Rjukan than largest national park. sunlight into There was no way brighten residents’ days. They’ve put the ✹ Cycling is a popular

Rjukan. “I moved to get a crane onto G / E/ A FP TOR town on the map and had an influence pastime in Rjukan thanks

to Rjukan from the mountainside, MEEK, s, on tourism. to beautiful trails that wind ge

Oslo in 2002, so Solar Tower Im a “The residents are very proud of the through Hardangervidda. tty and before that I Systems had to get e sun mirrors and proud to come from ✹ The Rjukan Rockfestival

had been living in creative when it G / A FP this town, which a lot of people have takes place annually in June. E / E O

Berlin, Paris and came to installing the E R B heard about now,” Rø says. “Visitors are This year’s lineup features Mali,” Andersen mirrors. SO asking about the mirrors.” The Rainmakers, Seigmen, says. “The idea “We used ancient Andersen is also proud of what the Backstreet Girls, Jam Rakta t): K RIST E R t):

to face the winter tools, such as tripods l ef p sun mirrors have done for Rjukan. “The and more.

without sunlight made from wood 9 to m most rewarding part of bringing sun to was not appealing. meters long, which f ro Rjukan was to see the happiness the light I started to speak we could bend gives to the Rjukanies,” he says. “The ckw( c lo is e y about the idea together,” Maass b town square is suddenly being used as it To learn more, check out of reflecting said. “We lifted this otos had never been before 2013.” ph visitrjukan.com.

26 Viking june 2015 sonsofnorway.com sonsofnorway.com Viking june 2015 27