Keeping Cool (and Warm) with the Sun
by Jeremy Elton Jacquot, Los Angeles on 09.13.07
A Florida-based company called Solarsa has just launched one of the first pre-assembled solar cooling systems targeted specifically for commercial businesses. Its Energy Independence System 005 (EIS005) can also heat water and allows restaurants to recycle waste cooking oil. Scott Jergensen, its president, described the system as a "series of mirrors" that is "reflecting the sun into a series of collectors and is giving us electricity and hot water at the same time."
The unit - which is installed at no cost (businesses just pay for the energy they use) and can produce up to 4-MW of energy - would only save customers $1000 on average, Jorgensen concedes, but he argues that it could mean hundreds of thousands in savings down the line for large chain restaurants. He claims that its reduced operating and maintenance costs make it a viable alternative to natural gas and electricity over the long-term.
Via ::Tampa Bay's 10: Florida lights up solar power industry? (news website)
See also: ::Hydrothermal Cooling: Improving on Air-Conditioning, ::Windows With Water Reduce the Need for Cooling by 70%
