Copperless solar thermal collector looks to ramp up.

[skids]

This rather important sector of the renewable energy market gets next to no press, unlike PV and wind. Heck even the fledgeling wave and tidal industry gets more media play. Fortunately despite this the industry shows strong growth numbers.

So since we have this rare event -- an actual press release from a solar thermal manufacturer, I thought it deserved some mindshare:

Solar Roofs Inc. is seeking funding to manufacture the Patented MegaMat solar absorber in its Tuesday presentations. A solar collector is made up of an absorber and a housing unit that contains it. While most absorbers on the market are made of copper, the patented MegaMat is an extruded elastomer or polymer absorber. The key advancements of the MegaMat technology are the geometry of the extrusion that maximizes the surface area of water exposed to the sun, and also the properties of polymer, which can withstand a wide temperature range.

The opportunity with the MegaMat is to supplement first generation copper absorbers with a reliable, high performance alternative material. This will become increasingly important as copper continues to rise in price and is scarcer and harder to obtain. In the last six months alone, the cost of a typical copper absorber has doubled.

...

In addition to a lower purchase price, customers also benefit from lower installation and delivery costs for SolarRoofs "plug & play" system. The MegaMat, used SolarRoofs partner company's housing, is the lightest and easiest to install solar collector on the market. Whereas other collectors weigh up to one hundred and fifty pounds and require several trained installers to solder and secure them on the roof, SolarRoofs user-friendly collector's total weight is under forty pounds. (ed- I assume that means empty of water.)

http://renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/market/business/viewstory?id=46056

[phantom power]

1. I noticed the price of copper a few weeks ago, doing some plumbing.

I paid over 10 bucks for 5 feet of 1/2 inch tubing. Parts I used to buy for 25 cents were closer to 75 cents. It adds up.

[sam sarrha]

2. at the rate copper is going up, theives will leave your jewelery and pull

all the romex out of your walls..