INTRODUCTION
Traditional solar PVT panels have struggled to capture a place in the market as solar thermal
However, photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) only have a theoretical maximum operating efficiency of just 50%, and photovoltaics in particular is an extremely ‘dirty' way of producing power.
So we dedicated the last four years to developing a highly advanced solar thermal nano technology – that can act as a bridge to the time we develop one that can.
We created SolarFluidics.
SOLARFLUIDICS SOLAR THERMAL POWER
The construction of the collectors are a composite of carbon nano particles which enable solar harvesting with a maximum operating efficiency of 80%
Harvested light is converted into heat by the nano particles, and the heat is transferred into water by a heat exchanger that is built in to the back of each panel.
The panels or cells are modular, and can be connected together to adapt the collection area to any desired power output. They have been field tested at 800-1,000w per square metre.
This is how we buy ourselves the necessary time to develop the true replacement for oil and gas – cheaply and without sacrifice.
Powerful
1,500 kWh per year per 1m²
Simple Manufacturing
Similar to Double Glazing
100% Recyclable
Basic Components, No Chemicals
80% Efficient
Max Operating Efficiency
Easily Sourceable
Carbon, Aluminium, Glass
Minimalist Design
7 static components
Inexpensive
$85 per square metre
Sustainable
Earth Elements, Organic Oil
Inbuilt Redundancy
No single point of weakness
* 1 gram of nano fluid has a surface area of more than 2,500m² *
POWERFUL AND EFFICIENT
How much power?
Taking our lowest figure of 800w per square metre of panels, and assuming just 5.5 hours of sunshine per day, gives us 4.4 kWh per day.
Even when allowing for only 350 days of production, this gives us 1,540 kWh per year, which we round down to 1,500 kWh per year.
How does this compare?
In contrast, a convention 1m² photovoltaic panel has an operational power output of 150 – 200w.
Does this mean that SolarFluidics is at least 4x more effective at collecting solar power than a conventional system?
In a word, yes.
How efficient?
With a maximum operating efficiency of 80%, SolarFluidics is 4x more efficient than PV and 2.5x more efficient than CSP.
Not only that, but their theoretical maxium is just 50%.
There is no comparison.
HOW DO WE DO IT?
SolarFluidics contains three main elements which give their panels high performance:
1. Meso-silica porous matching layer to improve the index of refraction allows more light into our panel;
2. Carbon Nano Particle photo resonance (tubes, spheres, graphene, pea pods, whiskers) for improved light absorption;
3. Ultra thin film radiant shielding. Low emissivity high thermal conductance heat exchanger to allow collected power to be used and stored.
Also of note is the Heat Sensor, in the form of a digital (“on / off”) snap switch, which allows panel temperatures to be set and regulated for collective solar absorption.
SolarFluidics is a truly ‘Smart Technology', and this has been achieved without the use of prone-to-failure electronics.
MANUFACTURING
The manufacturing of this product can be adapted to several different environments, and has been designed to be built in real life, not just a laboratory.
It can be vertically integrated into any country that has basic (compositing) capabilities, and a relatively low-skilled workforce.
SolarFluidics panels themselves are composed solely of fundamental earth elements. They are truly as environmentally-friendly as manufacturing can ever be, and 100% recyclable.
In addition, all materials can be easily sourced.
WHAT CAN IT BE USED FOR?
Applications for Solar Thermal power include:
Hot Water
For residential, commercial and industrial – by contributing to or replacing existing hot water systems. This is the most obvious application, but it is by no means the only one!
Air Conditioning
Existing air conditioning systems can be retrofitted with SolarFluidics panels to reduce running costs, or new especially designed hybrid systems can be implemented for even greater efficiency
Desalination Plants
Adding energy to an existing process to improve efficiency, or replacing entirely where other heat or power sources aren't available
Aluminium Plants
Adding energy to electrical power production by supplying hot water for feed water, resulting in approximately 10% reduction in running costs
Electrical Generation
Adding energy to electrical power production by supplying hot water for feed water, resulting in approximately 10% reduction in running costs
Pathogen Neutralisation
Preparing water to be safe for drinking (elimination of protozoa, parasites, bacteria, viruses and algae) Filters can be added where required for removal of heavy metals etc.
RESIDENTIAL
Just 1m² of SolarFluidics’ panels provides enough hot water to satisfy all of one person’s showering, bathing, dishwasher and washing machines needs. Add more panels to affordably power air conditioning* systems as well!
COMMERCIAL
Hotels, Condominiums, Restaurants, Abattoirs all use an enormous of electricity heating water. And nearly all of them have more than enough room to install the panels needed to reduce their electrical consumption by at least 30%
INDUSTRIAL
Potential uses for SolarFluidics panels include pre heat for desalination plants, aluminium plants and even electrical generation. Every watt produced by the sun is a free watt, and can contribute to around 10% savings on running costs
DEVELOPING WORLD
SolarFluidics technology is ideally suited to pathogen neutralisation; preparing water to be safe for drinking (elimination of protozoa, parasites, bacteria, viruses and algae) Filters can be added when necessary to remove heavy metals.
In countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, where air conditioning alone uses up to 75% of all electrical supply at peak, the case for SolarFluidics is even clearer
Inside a carbon nanotube
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions
20mm x 640mm x 750mm
Efficiency of Nano Fluid
98%
Maximum Operating Efficiency
80%
Smart Technology
Digital Flow – On/Off
Water Flow
Dual flow, optimising power output
Models
⅓ m²
Power Output
300 watts (per panel)
Water Production
10 litres / hour / m²
Temperature of Water
99°C max (system regulated)
WHERE CAN IT BE USED?
The efficiency of SolarFluidics’ solar thermal technology is such that just one square metre of panels is comfortably able to generate 1,500 kWh of power during the course of a single year.
Field tested at 800 – 1,000 watts per square metre, this holds true for all countries located +/- 30 degrees latitude of the Equator, as well as some notable exceptions such as Australia and South Africa. (Nearly all countries could benefit, but not to the same extent)
DIRECT SUNSHINE
NOT REQUIRED
Importantly, although our panels obviously need solar radiation to work, they do not need actual sunshine in order to function, nor do they need to face the sun directly, so there is no need for expensive, failure-prone tracking mechanisms.
It just works.
Please click on the maps to expand
HOT WATER
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that as much as one third of total electrical power is used to heat water.
This water is used by industry (pasteurisation, drying, thermal processing), in residential (showers, laundry and disinfecting) and in rural / third-world countries (pathogen elimination, washing and cooking)
Wouldn't it make more sense to use the sun to heat water?
%
Amount of electricity that is wasted heating water
When it comes to heating water, a watt is a watt is a watt. The same number of electrical watts are needed to heat water as solar thermal watts. The only difference is the cost to produce them, and the impact on the environment.
Once one understands how perfectly suited solar thermal power is to heating water, it quickly becomes very clear that using coal, nuclear, natural gas or oil – to make electricity – to heat water – is absurd
OLD THINKING
1. Oil is drilled
Gas is extracted
Coal is dug up
2. Sent on trains,
boats & pipelines
3. Oil, gas or coal
are then burned
to heat water
to make steam
4. Inside the generator,
the steam spins a big
fan called a turbine
5. The spinning turbine
rotates a big magnet
around a piece of
wire, which creates
a magnetic field that
electrifies the wire
6. The electric current
flows through the wire
and is pushed out
through high-voltage
transformers and on
to your house
7. Electricity powers
immersion heaters,
washing machines,
dishwashers etc.
8. Hot Water
OUR THINKING
1. Sun
2. SolarFluidics Panel
3. Hot Water 99°C
UNRIVALLED COST PER KWH
The manufacturing cost of panels in full production will be $25 – $30 per 1m², making SolarFluidics incredibly cost effective
For example, to manufacture sufficient panels to generate 1 TWh per year of power would cost less than $20 million.
* Even at an installed cost of $200 per square metre, the initial cost per kWh is just $0.13, or $0.013 per kWh over 10 years
CAPITAL COST COMPARISON
Overnight Capital Costs
Overnight capital costs are a useful measure while determining the current cost of building a power plant.
While the measure doesn’t take into account financing costs and inflation, it does give one a clear indication of the cost of building a power plant at the current moment using a company’s own funds.
Capital Costs per kilowatt (kW) for different fuels
The US Energy Information Administration (or EIA) published the above estimates for capital costs for various fuel types in April 2013. Note that these costs are indicative costs for plants in the US and don’t take into account regional variances.
COUNTRY IMPLEMENTATION EXAMPLES
It would cost just $1.65 billion to reduce the UAE's total electrical consumption by 30%
It would cost just $3.71 billion to reduce Saudi Arabia's total electrical consumption by 30%
It would cost just $1.97 billion to reduce Malaysia's total electrical consumption by 30%
Please Note – The above costs do not include the cost of installation.
SUMMARY
SolarFluidics is inexpensive to produce, and causes almost no harm to the environment, either during production or recycling.
It is highly efficient and, if implemented at full scale, it can effectively double a country’s power production capacity, by halving its electrical consumption.
This is what we call sustainable technology, and this is how we give ourselves the time to create the real replacement for fossil fuels.
We are now actively looking for partners, on national and local levels, who are ready to change their (and all our) world.
Please contact us below.
CONTACT US
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SolarFluidics Pte Ltd
8 Cross Street
#24-03/04 PWC Building
Singapore 048424