Chromasun lands $3 million for solar air conditioners

[wpsedgwick]

Source: Green Technology Daily

Chromasun, a developer of solar collectors designed to drive air conditioning chillers, has raised $3 million in its first round of venture capital, which was led by VKR Holding, a Danish investment firm. GoGreen Capital and two unnamed U.S. investors also invested in the deal.

Using solar energy to cool buildings is enticing because the hottest times of the day coincide with the best times to harvest sunlight. Rather than use solar panels to make electricity, though, Chromasun's system converts heat into usable energy for cooling.


Read more: http://www.greentechnologydaily.com/investments/680-chromasun-lands-3-million-for-solar-air-conditioners

[Dappleganger]

1. Awesome!

BTW, we are seriously looking into solar water heaters for our home. We'd have to get HOA approval but we've been given the indication it should go through. Two of our friends have had it done during the past year and we've been quite impressed w/their systems.

Solar A/C seems a natural next step. Those of us in the sunshine states should take advantage of the sun as much as possible!

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. I can't believe nobody thought of this before.

Hell, I can't believe I never thought of it before.

Now on a similar thought, how about windmill powered heaters for climates with cold, windy winters?

[bergie321]

4. I had an idea for a solar powered ceiling fan

That runs on dc power so no inverter is needed. Unfortunately several people already make them.

[DCKit]

5. Ammonia/absorbtion cycle - like gas refrigerators (those found in RVs).

They're not terribly efficient (from what I've been told, 1/3 the efficiency of new electric compression refrigeration), but the heat to run them (in this case) is FREE.

Once you pay for he original equipment, the only cost should be cleaning the mirrors.

[Uncle Joe]

3. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, wpsedgwick.

[Ghost Dog]

6. These are neat small solar-thermal units. Air-con is only one application.

"Heat from the collector’s mirrors is transmitted to a stainless steel receiver tube capable of operating at up to 220°C and 40 bar pressure, and a wide variety of fluids can be heated including thermal oil, water, saturated steam, salines, slurries, or even beverages, according to Chromasun."

I can see this hot fluid pipe leading to the hot end of a stirling engine, which could provide mechanical work or generate electric power.