The Solar Solution
“I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” - Thomas Edison, to Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone, 1931
Harnessing the power of the sun to provide clean energy has been an ultimate goal for centuries, but it has taken some time for that idea to become a reality. Great advances have been made in recent years, yet solar energy produced using PV (Photo Voltaic) panels has remained too cost prohibitive to provide solar power systems to generate electricity to the general public.
Thermal solar power has been used widely to heat water, to heat pools, and reduce hot water costs. Thermal solar collection is far more efficient than PV in capturing solar energy. A thermal system typically captures about 60% of solar energy, where PV cells convert less than 20% of the solar energy to electricity.
U.S. solar power has increased at least 45% each of the last two years, yet electricity generated from solar power is still less than 1% of U.S. power generation, in part because of the high cost and low performance of PV.
The only financially competitive solar systems are based upon thermal technology and do not use the expensive silicon based PV panels. An example of the tremendous energy available through solar thermal electric generating facilities can be found in the Mojave Desert at Kramer Junction, California. The Kramer Junction SEGS projects provide a total combined output of 165 Megawatts, effectively displacing over one million barrels of oil. Since the 1980’s Kramer Junction has been producing electricity reliably at a cost far lower than PV technology.
Our Goal
In the early 1920’s Albert Einstein designed and patented an application using heat to provide cooling. Air Conditioning is a thermal process. Rather than use solar energy, convert it to electricity, then use the electricity to drive another thermal process, Austin Solar AC uses heat to generate cold.
Heat driven gas fired cooling is a proven technology, known as absorption technology or ammonia cycle cooling. Absorption cooling has been in use since early refrigerators were powered by propane. Many recreational vehicles use propane powered refrigerators, and hundreds of thousands of gas fired air conditioning units have been installed all over the world.
By using CSC (Concentrated Solar Collectors), miniaturizing the model of the massive parabolic trough structures at Kramer Junction, the ASAC system provides the most effective solar technology for use to drive absorption cooling for businesses and homes. Austin Solar AC provides fully sun powered air conditioning and heating systems at an affordable price.
Find Out More About the Details of the ASAC System
A Brief History of Solar Energy
The ancient societies of Rome and Greece designed buildings with solar energy efficiency in mind to provide maximum light and warmth. However, the first modern version of harnessing solar energy can be attributed to Auguste Mouchout, a 19th century French inventor. Mouchout believed strongly that fossil fuels would not last forever and actively searched for alternative energy sources.
In 1861, Mouchout created the first solar-powered motor that converted solar energy into steam power capable of operating a small steam engine. By attaching his solar powered steam engine to a refrigeration device, Mouchout essentially made ice with the sun's energy.
The first solar collectors were developed in the late 1800's and by the early 20th century companies began offering solar motors and solar energy systems.
In the past 20 years, Germany and Japan have supported massive implementation of solar panels for homes and businesses in their respective countries. As demand increases and technology improves for solar energy sources, we will all benefit from reduced costs and an improved environment.