29 May
Alternate Energy, Inc., to Distribute Apricus Products Throughout New England
Posted in Reviews by adminAlternate Energy, Inc. unveils revolutionary thermal collector technology products from Apricus in the middle of winter! When asked about how winter in Massachusetts would affect them, Steve Pitney, Owner/Operator of Alternate Energy, Inc., said These dont need hot summer sun to heat water. They can perform even on cold winter days. Moreover, we can use this heat energy for hot water applications like showers, clothes-washers, baths, dishwashers, and even space heating, and air-conditioning.
The high performance solar collector is combined with a unique operating system that has been proven over a thirty-year period. The system eliminates costly heat exchangers and transfer fluids, as well as associated maintenance. The combination is unbeatable. states Pitney.
These will be featured at Building Energy 05, The Conference and Trade Show for Green and Renewable Energy Professionals, Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA March 15-17, 2005.
When asked about the technology Mr. Pitney enthusiastically added, This is light years ahead of anything previously used in the industry. Apricus systems perform at a much higher level, and eliminate the need for an internal heat exchanger. This product is revolutionizing the solar hot water industry. Theyre tubes theyre round! This means they perform much better- even in cold weather- than flat panels do because of the way sunlight hits them. Besides that, flat panels just lose a lot of heat.
The sun’s energy is absorbed and converted to heat by vacuum tubes (collectors) like the one in your coffee thermos. Its actually a tube within a tube. The tops of the two tubes are bonded together and the air is removed to form a vacuum between them. The outer wall of the tube is made of very strong, transparent, impact-resistant glass. The inner tube (also glass) is specially coated to absorb solar heat while minimizing heat reflection. Heat is trapped in the inner tube because a vacuum is a very effective insulator. Its so effective that, while the inside of the tube may be 300 degrees Fahrenheit, the outer tube is cold to touch.
According to Mr. Pitney, inside the [inner] glass tube is a copper [heat] pipe that has had the air removed but has a little purified water put in. Because water boiling temperatures decrease as the air pressure is decreased, the heat pipes used in vacuum tube solar collectors have a boiling point of about 86 degrees Fahrenheit (Normally water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.). When the pipe is heated above the eighty-six degree temperature, the water boils [and vaporizes] to the top of the pipe. From there the heat is transferred to a manifold [through which water flows and is thereby heated]. As the heat is lost at the top of the pipe (the condenser), the vapor condenses back to water, returns to the bottom of the heat pipe and, as long as rays from the sun are absorbed and converted to heat by the tube, the process continues repeatedly. With a curved surface, the collectors consistently convert solar energy into heat (until the sun is at a 40-degree angle).
About Alternate Energy, Incorporated
Alternate Energy, Inc. is a renewable energy company based in Plymouth, MA. Alternate Energy specializes in the installation, maintenance, and repair of renewable energy systems such as Solar Hot Water, Photovoltaic (PV), and Wind Turbines. For more information visit their website: http://www.dcsolar.cc or email them Info@dcsolar.cc and AEI Solarwind@aol.com.
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