Concentrated Solar Thermal Collector Powers Industrial Air-Conditioning System in Abu Dhabi

Chromasun recently announced that it is collaborating with the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) to showcase their MCT technology at the subsidiary Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) Distribution Management Center. The Center provides management and direct control of ADDC processes and activities. The building is presently air-conditioned by conventional electrically driven screw type chillers which have significant peak power demands on hot days.

In 2010 Chromasun will install a solar driven system to supplement building air-conditioning load and offset this peak electrical consumption with clean renewable energy.

The Chromasun MCT is a solar thermal collector that utilizes a classical Fresnel reflector optic to obtain 25 times sun concentration. The optic comprises lightweight, highly reflective aluminium mirrors which pivot in unison to follow the sun. The entire optic is enclosed in a sealed glazed canopy which protects the mirrors from wind, rain and dirt.

Solar energy is collected from the mirrors in a high performance receiver tube and sent to the plant room at 175˚C.

The project will involve fitting Chromasun’s MCT collectors on the roof spaces which will in turn provide high grade thermal energy to the air-conditioning plant room.

Inside the plant room a double-effect absorption chiller will be fitted that will convert the heat coming from the MCT panels into chilled water that supplements the cooling for the building.

Chromasun CEO, Peter Le Lièvre spoke about the project; “The Chromasun MCT showcase at the ADDC Distribution Management Center will be the first showcase demonstration of commercial solar air-conditioning in the UAE. I thank the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority for their support of this project and also thank ADDC for their generous cooperation.

I believe that advanced solar-air-conditioning technologies such as the Chromasun MCT can significantly reduce the peak electricity power demands of buildings and hence improve the operational stability of modern grid systems which are under the greatest stress on hot summer days. This showcase project will prove the viability of such systems and pave the way for far greater adoption of solar air conditioning in the UAE.”

About Chromasun

Chromasun’s mission is to develop and manufacture the next generation of commercial/industrial sized solar collectors for building energy needs. Chromasun’s vision is to harvest solar energy for air-conditioning, power, process heat, and lighting – right on the roof. Chromasun’s products capture the sun’s energy and make it available in ways buildings can immediately utilize.

Chromasun’s founders have deep experience in utility scale solar thermal systems. The massive scale of this technology is being forged now smaller into manufacturable products that are available for the first time in a building friendly and cost effective format. The benefits of these technologies have long driven the hopes of a sustainably powered economy in the isolated wildernesses of deserts and remote locations. Now, with Chromasun, the same technology can be mounted on your rooftop. Accessible for the first time where buildings are, where loads are and where people live. Efficient, effective and aesthetic.

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