DESIGN & ENGINEERING

Concentrator

The solar hot water system was designed to take advantage of the parabolic curve performance of a reflector which is the most efficient means of collecting solar energy. By utilizing the parabolic curve, the SolarBeam hot water system focuses the sun’s intensity onto the focal point, where the absorber is located.  Incredibly, the absorber is very small (10” x 10”) but has the ability of providing 10kW per hour (31,140 BTUs)

EG Energy Controls, a successful energy saving company, designed the SolarBeam to handle extreme weather conditions. High quality components & materials are used to ensure product integrity in both hot and cold conditions. The reflective petals are made of a high quality reflective material with a high resistance to corrosion. The reflective petals will not deteriorate from salt spray or acid rain when installed in regions prone to these conditions.

Solar Collector

The solar absorber is made of solid aluminum block to maximize the thermal transfer to the poly-glycol fluid.

Power Train

The  power mechanism for the solar concentrator is driven by a motor for horizontal tracking and a heavy-duty actuator is used for vertical tracking.

Tracking System

SolarBeam’s patent-pending celestial tracking system allows the concentrator to follow the sun during all times and seasons with 100% accuracy. The solar concentrator does not require additional sensors to track the sun. As seasons change, the distance from the earth to the sun also changes. The solar concentrator automatically adjusts each day to maintain alignment with the sun.

Wind Load

The solar concentrators supporting structure, including the foundation, was approved by a registered structure engineer to withstand up to 170km per hour wind load.

Safety

The system goes into safety mode when there is no sun available for harvesting.  This safety feature places the solar concentrator in a horizontal position to protect it from damage from wind or vandalism.

Mounting Structure

With practicality in mind, the mounting structure was designed so that the SolarBeam will not affect people or animals near the collector; nor will people or animals interfere with its operation. When the SolarBeam is mounted on the ground, it’s mounting post will be 8 feet from the ground. In applications where the solar hot water system will be installed on a flat roof, a different mounting application is used. The mounting of SolarBeam on the roof is a perfect option for apartment buildings, hotels, offices, grocery stores and retail stores. The hot water system is light enough to be installed on a roof and will not affect the daily operation of the facility.