Cool Energy to Work with Xcel Energy on Stirling Engine Solar Heating and Power SystemPilot Project

July 24, 2010 – Vol.15 No.18

Cool Energy to Work with Xcel Energy on Stirling Engine Solar Heating and Power System Pilot Project.

Cool Energy, of Boulder, Colorado, a developer of clean energy heat and power generating systems, today announced that Xcel Energy will be providing research and analytical support for the first planned pilot field installation of the SolarFlowÆ System in a commercial building located in Boulder, Colorado.

The SolarFlow System is a combined heat and power (CHP) generation system sized for residential and small commercial buildings that uses solar energy as its only input “fuel.” The system has several novel features, including energy storage and a control system that maximizes customer value by optimally apportioning the system’s energy output between heat and electricity depending on the season and weather conditions (both current and forecasted). Core to the system is Cool Energy’s low-temperature SolarHeartÆ Engine, a specialized Stirling engine powered electric generator that the system activates whenever the electricity produced is more valuable than the heat consumed. Under laboratory conditions of a temperature differential of 210†C, the third generation SolarHeartÆ Engine to be used for this field test recently generated over 2,000 watts of electric power, and reached a thermal to electrical conversion efficiency of over 16%, exceeding expectations and further validating Cool Energy’s engine development methodology.

“Xcel Energy is pleased to be involved in the benefits evaluation of Cool Energy’s innovative solar thermal system,” said Dennis Stephens, the Xcel’s director of smart grid investments. “The energy industry is particularly interested in the potential to provide dispatchable power on demand at times when energy consumption is high. Cool Energy is developing innovative solutions for the energy challenges our nation is facing, including new technologies for providing power with minimal environmental impact.” (7/22/10)

Links:

Cool Energy
http://www.coolenergyinc.com

Disclaimer, Forward-Looking or Safe Harbor Statement on original press release: No