Simple Solar LLC, based in Redwood City California, has engineered a patent-pending, cost effective, energy efficient, modular, scalable solar thermal power generation technology. Even without the advantages of scale, Simple Solar’s 100kW power generation system will produce power at eight cents (8¢)/kilowatt-hour, achieving cost parity with conventional grid power.
Unlike other solar thermal power plants that use water or thermal oil to collect the sun’s energy, the Simple Solar Thermal System uses hot air as its power generation medium. Simple Solar uses Fresnel lens collectors to focus and capture sunlight into its thermal piping system. Microturbines turn this hot air into electrical power directly without the need for expensive invertors, while a regenerator maximizes energy efficiency. Because the heating medium, hot air, is at atmospheric pressure throughout the solar collection field, leakage is not an issue and simple-to-assemble, inexpensive piping systems can be used.

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