Like a solar panel, but for heat
Solar thermal technologies reduce greenhouse gas emissions by offsetting fossil energy use.
Our solar collectors are a series of reflectors paired with evacuated tube receivers. Sunlight which hits the reflectors is redirected onto the receiver tubes. A selectively coated fin inside the receiver tube absorbs the concentrated sunlight and heats up. A heat transfer fluid (pressurized water) is circulated through the solar receiver tubes to carry away this heat so it can be injected into your process via a heat exchanger. Simple!
What makes the technology unique is our use of nonimaging optics which allow our collector technologies to concentrate sunlight year-round from a stationary position. This allows us to generate high temperatures (up to 350 F) from a static panel.
Like a PV panel, but for hot water, steam, or process heat.
Our patented solar thermal technologies were developed through multiple grants and awards at the University of California, Merced.
We combine the simplicity of non-tracking systems with the high temperatures and high efficiencies of active-tracking systems.
Features:
- Our nonimaging solar collectors are designed to concentrate solar radiation year-round from a stationary position, with no moving parts.
- Wide-angle optics collect light scattered by clouds, dust, and the atmosphere, enabling operation in regions with high diffuse fractions.
- Selective coatings applied to the absorber surface maximize solar absorption and minimize thermal re-radiation losses.
- Ultrasonic welding of the fluid channels to the absorber ensures efficient transfer of collected thermal energy into the working fluid.
- Vacuum jacketing around the absorber eliminates convection losses, maintaining high thermal efficiencies even in cold environments.
- Collectors are lightweight (< 2 pounds per square foot) and can be roof mounted to maximize land-use efficiency.
- Collectors are modular and scalable and a solar array can be sized to meet customer, application, or process requirements.
