Solar - Related Articles
Solar Heating Costs Drop from 20-Year Payback to 6 Years with SolarBeam from SolarTron Energy System
AMHERST, NS, December 05, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/
SOLARTRON Energy Systems Inc., Amherst, Nova Scotia, Canada has developed the SolarBeam Concentrator which can provide more solar heat (about 44,340 BTU per hour) than conventional hot water and process heat systems at an affordable price. The payback period (after rebates) is only six years, compared with 20+ years for conventional flat panel or 15 years for evacuated tube technology.
The SolarBeam Concentrator system is simply the most efficient solar hot water system available. Since it concentrates energy on a focal point using a parabolic mirror, the SolarBeam is 262% more efficient that hot water panels and 98% more efficient than evacuated tube technology. In addition, the SolarBeam concentrator is equipped with a computer-controlled dual-axis tracking system that maximizes solar concentration equivalent to 350 suns, which means more efficiency throughout the day.
SolarTron Energy Systems Inc. is leading a movement to make solar heating technologies more energy-and cost-efficient by developing concentrated solar power (CSP) technology that utilizes a reflective parabolic mirror to collect solar energy onto a focal point to produce a high amount of heat. "Our engineers designed the SolarBeam as a durable, rugged, and most importantly, affordable commercial unit," says Edward Herniak, founder and CEO.
The SolarBeam uses patent-pending technology to provide 13kW of heat per hour throughout the entire day. "1 SolarBeam can heat 400 gallons from 62 F to 140 F in 5 hours" says Herniak. With the SolarBeam you can make a major impact to reduce green house gas emissions and lessen your dependency on fossil fuels, whether in the form of electricity, natural gas, or oil. Multiple stand-alone systems can generate thousands of kW or BTU required for even the most demanding applications.
The SolarBeam is ideal for all business, commercial and industrial applications. It allows a business to harness the full potential of solar thermal energy to heat buildings and water. It not only helps lower costs, but also reduces the amount of harmful emissions produced. For example, its solar hot water system is perfect for any application that requires a high quantity of hot water at 200 F, such as bottling plants, hospitals and process applications.
SolarTron Energy Systems Inc. sells the SolarBeam through distributors and installations are happening in Kenya, Australia, USA and Canada. Many distributors are excited about adding the SolarBeam to their product line because it is the first commercially available parabolic system and it has an excellent pricing.
Supplier sees red over solar project
HRM initiative will compete with business, dealer says
By JUDY MYRDEN Business Reporter
Sat, Dec 4 - 12:05 PM
Halifax’s plan to become a solar city is taking some heat. A local dealer says Halifax Regional Municipality’s pilot project to install solar panels on homes to produce hot water is flawed. "Our major problem is the city is going into business and competing with private industry, and to me that’s a huge conflict of interest," Paul Parusel, owner of Atlantic Solar Systems in Grand Lake, said Friday. "Ultimately, at the end of the day, they are going to put me out of business." Parusel worries that the 500 to 700 solar panels required for the $5-million pilot project next year will be "sole-sourced." "They are assuming the homeowner is ignorant, and that’s the whole premise behind this system, is that they are going to take the guesswork out of these systems because the average homeowner can’t figure it out," he said.
But the municipal energy manager in charge of the project, Julian Boyle, said the solar contract will be put out to public tender and the panels could be sourced from at least two different suppliers. "We have an industry session next Thursday and we’re encouraging all solar suppliers to come out and we’re going to lay out the process of the project and see where we are at," Julian Boyle of said. "A lot of these guys jump to conclusions." The meeting will be held in the Helen Creighton room of the Alderney Gate Public Library in Dartmouth from 1 to 4 p.m. Boyle said the municipality is months away from going through the procurement process and has yet to identify suppliers. "Solar hot water is a very labour-intensive business, and there will be Nova Scotians installing these things. That’s one thing I can say for sure," he said. "Where the actual equipment comes from, we have to go through a procurement exercise." Boyle said the municipality has concerns about the industry’s ability to supply and install the hundreds of panels needed for the project. Last year, there were only 200 solar panel installations in Nova Scotia and 800 in all of Canada. "This is a definite leap for the local industry," Boyle said.
Parusel also complained that residential installations of solar panels have screeched to a halt since the project was announced. The municipality has been holding public information sessions for the past two weeks to gauge public interest in using solar power to heat water. The municipality is looking for hundreds of homeowners willing to have solar panels installed on the roofs of their houses. The municipality would pay the roughly $5,000 cost of installation and the homeowner would reimburse the municipality through an extra charge on the house’s property tax bills for five to 10 years, depending on interest rates. The municipality would also apply for any applicable government incentives or rebates. A preliminary assessment by the municipality shows that the pilot project could save over $3 million in energy costs and create more than 300 jobs. If the project is successful, the plan is to gradually scale it up from $5 million to over $50 million per year.
( jmyrden@herald.ca)
http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1215339.html
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