Wednesday, July 27, 2011
After the grey soup of a spring we've had, Nova Scotia needed some good news about the sun. And this is it: The smartest, most powerful new solar technology on today's market is coming out of our very own province. What's more, as part of a pilot study, a local Halifax fire station is using this technology to harness the sun right now.
The Nova Scotia Government's Supplier Development team and the Department of Environment recently partnered with HRM to find the perfect spot to install a SolarBeam Concentrator--a remarkable solar water system that tracks the sun to create free hot water. The SolarBeam is the newest advancement from Solartron Energy Systems, a global high tech company based, we are proud to say, in Amherst, NS.
The fire station on Knightsridge Road, Halifax, presented the best location for the SolarBeam. Passing by, you can now see what looks like a big satellite dish not far from the station's water tanks. From morning to dusk, this dish is continuously repositioning itself, tracking the sun using a computer controlled 2-axis tracking system. The fire station is now one of the few establishments in the world able to heat its water using concentrated solar power equal to 350 suns.
Renewable energy is the heart of industry's future. There is simply no compromise to finding alternative energy sources. The SolarBeam is by far the most promising new solar technology. It's 270 per cent more efficient than flat plate panels, which, because they're stationary, only work at peak efficiency for about 2 hours a day. The SolarBeam will pay for itself in six years compared to 20-plus years on flat plate panels or 15 years on evacuated tube panels.
When paired with an absorption chiller, the SolarBeam cools incoming water for air conditioning, saving energy in the summer as well as the winter. What's more, Solartron is now working on a photovoltaic module that attaches to the SolarBeam to generate electricity. The goal is to produce up to 3.5 KW per hour.
SolarBeam is unquestionably the most innovative solar water system there is, and the only one whose design makes it perfect for industrial and residential use. The fire station on Knightsridge is one of the first to try this smaller, less expensive, and more efficient system, but Solartron is fast becoming an international sensation. As more communities, provinces, states, and countries invest in SolarBeams, the company will train local workers to install and service the systems.
This local company is giving direction to the world. It's raising environmental standards and creating jobs. The Nova Scotia Government is proud to spotlight it here on our website. For more information, please visit http://www.solartronenergy.com/.