Cool Energy Inc., a developer of clean energy heat and power generating systems, says Xcel Energy will be providing research and analytical support for the first planned pilot field installation of the SolarFlow System in a commercial building located in Boulder, Colo.
The SolarFlow System is a combined heat and power generation system sized for residential and small commercial buildings that uses solar energy as its only input. The system includes energy storage and a control system that apportions the system's energy output between heat and electricity depending on the season and weather conditions (both current and forecasted).
Core to the system is Cool Energy's low-temperature SolarHeart Engine, a specialized Stirling engine-powered electric generator that the system activates whenever the electricity produced is more valuable than the heat consumed, the company explains.
SOURCE: Cool Energy
