In the daytime, the facility is used for solar energy research. During the night STACEE uses the heliostats to reflect the brief flashes of Čerenkov radiation caused by gamma rays hitting the upper atmosphere to photodetectors mounted in the tower.
During daylight hours, the facility is used for solar energy research. At night, STACEE utilizes its heliostats to reflect brief flashes of Čerenkov radiation caused by gamma rays interacting with the upper atmosphere to photodetectors positioned in the tower.