Average Daily Solar Insolation: United States (click to enlarge) |
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Average annual global insolation
(click to enlarge) |
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The elevated price of oil and other hydrocarbon fuels has made alternative
energy systems an economic issue and not only an environmental one.
Due to exponential growth in populations, emerging economies and consequently
similar growth in fuel consumption, it is reasonable to expect continued
elevation in prices of fossil fuels.
This finite reserve of fuel will become more expensive as demand grows
and supplies diminish. In contrast the sun, directly & indirectly,
provides us with an infinite supply of energy.
Harnessing the power of the sun is one of the major missions of Energy
International Systems Group, Ltd. Since the mid 1970s, the company
has been developing advanced thermodynamic systems for the collection
of solar energy with the ultimate aim of developing a self-sufficient
domestic energy system.
Most of the various components for such a system have since been developed,
making it an economically feasible enterprise.
Solar System Efficiency
The EIS 1000 solar panels achieve peak performance very quickly due
to their absorption efficiency and relatively low thermal mass. This
is critical for performance in shorter winter days. Similarly the
efficiency of the EIS 500 Vacuum Super Insulation (175°c-200°c)
allows for longer peak operating hours, assuring thermal storage around
the clock in areas of sufficient average irradiation. Combining the
above two technologies & several others, Air Conditioning &
complete energy systems will be available.
Micro-generation of electricity is now considered feasible, PV &
wind are typical examples, the latter with about 15% efficiency. EIS
on the other hand, because of it's unique thermodynamic approach,
will achieve about 70% overall efficiencies. This will ultimately
lead to savings of the order of 90-100% on average household energy
bills.
In other words, it is feasible that residents of US
States such as Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas,
would be able to afford the luxury of leaving their air conditioning
on all day. Obviously any part of the world that required air conditioning
should be in a similar situation. Not only would people be able to
save money but they would be making a major reduction in CO2and
contributing significantly to the improvement of the environment
Needless to say these systems can work anywhere the sun shines, however
the number of panels required will vary depending on where you are
on the planet. Obviously at the North & South Poles are difficult
because they only get radiation for 6 months of the year; anywhere
else solar radiation should be able to contribute to any household's
energy input. For example, based on hourly solar radiation figures
falling on the town of Nottingham in the UK, not renowned for its
sunny climate, the average home could be totally energy sufficient
with about 20m2 of the EIS 1000 solar panels. This is less
than the average area of one side of a terraced house roof. Obviously
it depends upon how many people occupy any property and what their
energy consumption is, however areas of higher irradiation will normally
require less panel area.
The above map
and table shows the average annual global irradiation from this we
can see that the potential market for solar thermal systems is vast.
EIS can provide solutions
The components designed by EIS for their own solar thermal systems
have a broad application across a spectrum of industries.
For instance, the Caribbean islands, like many other parts of the
world, rely on imported refined petroleum products for their energy
needs. Tourism is a major component of their GDP and the hospitality
industry is an energy intensive industry. The air-conditioning component
costs alone must be having a serious impact on profitability for the
industry in those island nations. Refrigeration costs in perishable
goods must also be rising dramatically. EIS’s integrated energy
systems will provide the solution across these static energy requirements.
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