Sep 14 2010
Chromasun, a company engaged in developing and manufacturing of rooftop solar solutions, declared its partnership with SunWater Solar, a solar heat technology integrating company to install a Micro-Concentrator (MCT) roof top demo system over Solar Decathlon House at Santa Clara University.
Micro-Concentrator (MCT)
The low-profile MCT system is light in weight and designed for rooftop usage. The technology incorporated in the module is intended to offset the peak power usage during the summer months by using solar power for industrial and commercial cooling requirements.
The MCT unit incorporates a flat sheet type of solar heat collector designed to realize nearly 25 times of solar heat intensity by utilizing reflective type of aluminum mirrors that are light in weight and manufactured by Alanod solar. The mirrors are set on a pivot to follow the movement of the sun all the time. The solar power collected by the mirrors is directed over a stainless steel receiver pipe with an exclusive coating and the pipe generates up to 220°C temperature which will be used for purposes such as making hot water, space heating and air-conditioning. The total heat generating system is kept inside a sealed cover to protect against harsh environmental elements. The MCT does not use any peripheral moving parts and can be mounted over the existing racking systems of other normal flat type solar panels. The installation and maintenance of the solar panel is easy.
The demo unit installed at the Santa Clara University will remain as a part of the university’s solar powered house which was placed in third position in the Solar Decathlon conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy during the year 2007. The demo unit currently installed at MCT offers reusable solar thermal power for hot water, space heating and air-conditioning purposes.