Ausra Co-Founder Returns With Solar Air Conditioner : Greentech Media

Ausra Co-Founder Returns With Solar Air Conditioner Multifunctional solar devices harvest both light and heat from the sun. Traditional PV cells only harvest light and are only around 23 percent efficient in converting photos to electric power. Solar thermal systems collect heat, and are about 48 percent efficient at best. Utility-scale solar thermal systems are closer to 20 percent efficient because the captured heat gets converted to electricity.

Chromasun's device is 75 percent efficient. The device – at 10 foot by 4 foot sealed box – is essentially a utility scale solar thermal plant and a utility-scale concentrating solar PV plant in miniature. It contains mirrors, receivers and a concentrator for generating solar thermal energy as well as silicon solar cells.: Greentech Media