J.B. Scott, B. Riggs, Y. Ji, L. Artzt, D. Codd, M. Escarra
Tulane University,
United States
Keywords: Process heat, photovoltaic, sustainability, renewable energy, high-efficiency solar, fluid cooling
Summary:
The Tulane Hybrid Solar Converter captures both heat and electricity from sunlight. Unlike traditional photovoltaic systems, which cannot effectively use absorbed heat despite heating up in sunlight and becoming less efficient if hot, this device concentrates solar heat in a fluid up to 200ºC for use in industrial or commercial processes without compromising photovoltaic performance. Competing approaches overwhelmingly generate process heat in this temperature range by burning fossil fuels. As a solar technology, the Tulane Hybrid Solar Converter is a fully sustainable heat source. This offers to radically transform the carbon footprint of any adopters. The exterior portion of the Tulane Hybrid Solar Converter fits inside a two-meter cube, is light enough to mount on standard rooftops, and can fold down in inclement weather to increase wind tolerance. As a result, it is easily deployed, including to microgrids and remote locations, and can be simply scaled by increasing the number of units. Furthermore, capturing the thermal energy present in sunlight increases the overall efficiency of energy capture to 80+% (vs. around 20% for standard photovoltaic panels). Proof of concept has been demonstrated on the roof of a Tulane building, where the Tulane Hybrid Solar Converter delivers electricity to the campus grid and feeds heat into the campus steam system. Tulane is currently seeking a partner for direct licensing or an entrepreneur to build a business around this technology. An extensive family of issued and pending patents are available.