Concentrated Solar Power: Coming to a Rooftop Near You?

Typically, we associate concentrated solar power (CSP) with utility-scale power generation. The people behind Chromasun, however, have a different application for CSP technology: commercial and industrial rooftops. Yes, that’s right folks! It looks like solar panel manufacturers might have a new competitor for retail rooftop real estate: mini-CSP units.

According to Chromasun, the solar thermal collector placed on the roof is composed of:

…lightweight highly reflective aluminum 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 selectively coated stainless steel receiver tube.

Chromasun’s approach is unique: take a proven form of renewable energy (in this case, utility-scale CSP) and modify it for a new application (industrial rooftops). Packaging the technology as a solar HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) system, the company states that policy-based incentives at both the state and federal level in this classification lead to payback periods that are:

…far shorter than traditional PV systems…the cost can be recouped in less than five years [and in] areas with good solar resources and incentives, the payback can be even faster.

It will be interesting to see if business is receptive to this type of solar energy application when compared to solar panels. People are more familiar with photovoltaics and its rooftop application, so small-scale rooftop CSP is bound to encounter some hesitancy in such a competitive marketplace. For more about Chromasun’s technology and offerings, click here.