Chromasun (United States)

A hybrid concentrator PV-Thermal (CPV-T) system for delivery of electricity and 150°C hot fluid in a structure suitable for roof-top installation on domestic, commercial, and industrial buildings is being developed by ANU in collaboration with the University of New South Wales, CSIRO, and industry partners. A first design based on beam-splitting utilising liquid-absorption filters is being analysed, with a study of the most suitable candidate fluids. An initial selection of four liquids was conducted; with the liquids subjected to accelerated tests to analyse their long-term performance and possible optical and chemical degradation. Some of the fluids showed optical changes after high temperature test and UV exposure, leading to slight yellowing.

A unique, linear, low-concentration, hybrid `micro-concentrator' (MCT) system concept has been developed specifically for urban rooftop environments. The light-weight, low-profile form factor satisfies aesthetic demands for general rooftop solar technologies, and is a marked departure from conventional linear concentrator systems. Valuable thermal energy, normally of nuisance value only, and usually wasted by conventional CPV, is extracted via a heat transfer fluid. The recovered thermal energy can be used for applications ranging from domestic hot water through to space heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and process heat. The system can be modularly configured for hybrid concentrating PV-Thermal (CPV-T) or thermal-only operation to meet specific customer demands. At a 20x concentration ratio, system output of 500 W <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pe</sub> and 2 kW <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pt</sub> is expected, for a combined system efficiency of up to 75%. The MCT is constructed from mature, proven technologies and industry-standard processes. An installed system cost of less than US$2/W <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">pe</sub> is targeted, and commercial availability is expected to commence in 2011.