Davis-Monthan Air Force Base will be using Arizona’s sun to cool its youth center by summer.

Sopogy Inc., a Hawaii-based energy company, is installing a new type of solar-energy system on the roof of the building that will use heat from sunlight to create chilled air.

The project is part of the military’s plan to cut installations’ energy costs.

The Department of Defense found that air conditioning accounts for 30 percent to 60 percent of its total facility energy expenditures. Officials decided that switching from fossil fuels to solar heat would help the department meet its renewable-energy targets.

Sopogy’s system uses heat from sunlight to create cool air in a process known as absorption chilling.

By May 1, there will be 72 mirrored “micro-concentrated” solar collectors, which are about 12-feet long, weigh less than 200 pounds and will provide about 66 tons of cold air, according to a Davis-Monthan spokesman.

The mirrors focus the sunlight on a pipe filled with a heat transfer fluid that runs to a solar absorption chiller, which reacts to the heat and creates cold air, said Darren Kimura, president and CEO of Sopogy.

The parabolic mirrors are motorized to track the sun’s movement, Kimura said. Most air-conditioning systems in the United States use a compressor and a refrigerant, which creates cold air but uses a large amount of electricity. Industrial absorption chillers are typically driven by natural gas or waste heat.

Kimura said Sopogy installed the first air-conditioning system using the technology in 2009 in California.

All of the materials used in the system are nonhazardous, Kimura said. The liquid that reacts with heat to make cold is lithium bromide, which is found naturally in ocean water.

“It takes the same reaction that you would find if you were on a beach on a hot day,” Kimura said. “There’s the hot sun but then that cool air, the cool breeze, that’s the same effect that the chiller has except the chiller is much more concentrated.”

Davis-Monthan will be the second military installation to use the technology. The first was Fort Bliss, near El Paso.

The company began working with NASA on the technology years ago, Kimura said, adding that the Pentagon identified Davis-Monthan as a prime site.

Sopogy’s system also will provide thermal storage and natural gas as backup for the cooling system on cloudy days.

“This gives you cold air 24 hours, seven days a week,” Kimura said, adding that the cost is less than half of the cost of electric refrigeration.

For now, the technology is only for businesses or big buildings like schools.

“We’re trying to downsize it so it can be cost-effective in your home and we’re not quite there yet,” Kimura said.

Michelle A. Monroe is a University of Arizona journalism student and a NASA Space Grant intern. Contact her at mmonroe@azstarnet.com

Read more: http://azstarnet.com/business/local/sunlight-s-heat-will-cool-down-youth-center-at-davis/article_fe6f4ec9-a41c-58d5-942b-00eeacb5ca4b.html#ixzz1py0N4uQM

“Green” air conditioning systems generally consist of conventional compression chillers powered by electricity from photovoltaic panels or concentrated solar power plants. While such conventional chillers and air conditioners use electricity to run a compressor, a double-effect absorption chiller such as the one being tested at Masdar City uses heat to activate a chemical process that provides chilled water for cooling.

If successful, the technology could become a major source of cooling across the 6km2 city. Solar cooling is ideal for medium-scale cooling loads, such as those of supermarkets and shopping malls and can also be implemented in a central cooling plant configuration (“district cooling”). It is especially well suited to address peak cooling demand as the solar thermal energy supply closely matches high daytime cooling demand.

“This project reflects the ongoing innovation taking place at Masdar City as we push the boundaries of sustainable cooling to deliver new solutions that not only compete with conventional systems in terms of quality but also excel in terms of what we can achieve via optimised and cost-effective implementation of state-of-the-art solar technologies,” according to Afshin Afshari, Head of Energy Management at Masdar City.

The collectors include a Sopogy parabolic trough collector with uniaxial tracking and a total mirror aperture area of 334m2. It heats thermal oil, whose heat is transferred to the system’s pressurised water circuit through a heat exchanger. A Mirroxx linear Fresnel collector with uniaxial tracking and a total mirror aperture area of 132m2 heats the pressurised water directly.

Schneider Electric provided the control system components for the pilot plant and EM Hidromontaza installed the integrated system. The Fraunhofer Institute of Solar Energy will analyse the monitored data and assess system performance.

The two solar thermal collector systems have been in successful test operation already for more than three months, explained Simon Bräuniger, project manager for Masdar’s pilot plants. “The collector’s thermal energy has been driving the Broad 50-refrigeration-ton double-effect absorption chiller that is cooling our office building since mid-September, marking the start of full operation for the pilot project.”

The system provides sustainable cooling to 1700m2 of office space using advanced air-conditioning and delivery equipment from Swegon, such as active chilled beams and an air handling unit that achieves 75% energy recovery. The objective is to demonstrate that high-temperature solar thermal cooling is more cost effective and requires a smaller collector footprint compared to a conventional electric chiller plant powered by solar-generated electricity. The solar cooling pilot installation produces cooling equivalent to approximately 80 conventional split-type air conditioning systems, leading to annual emissions reductions of approximately 70,000 kg of CO2.

The pilot plant will be operated for approximately two years to test the technology’s suitability in Abu Dhabi’s climate and weather conditions, and assess the scope of cleaning and maintenance requirements.

From TheFutureBuild.com: http://www.thefuturebuild.com/masdar-turns-to-sun-s-heat-to-cool-buildings-28298/news.html

Tony Davis Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Saturday, February 4, 2012 12:00 am

A smorgasbord of new clean energy projects at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base shows what’s needed to create an economy “built to last,” said a top White House environmental aide who visited them Friday.

Council on Environmental Quality Chairwoman Nancy Sutley visited a solar-panel-topped basketball court, a device using dry cells to inject hydrogen into car engines and an energy-saving, ceramic-paint-topped building.

She quoted the Obama administration’s economic catchphrase as she proclaimed these test projects are examples that should be transferred to civilian life to build a clean-energy economy.

During the tour, base officials discussed plans to have the California-based Sun Edison utility build enough solar panels to boost the base’s solar capacity to 14.5 megawatts, or about 35 percent of the total power used there. The project starts construction in March and is slated to finish in May, officials said.

They added that the project will put the base above the national standard of 71.5 percent renewable energy sources for military facilities. The base has two solar-panel facilities providing about six megawatts of power to homes.

Sutley, touring with Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, saw:

• An array of Sopogy MicroCSP thermal energy collectors under construction that will chill water that in turn will cool an educational-and-recreational center for base kids. The cost wasn’t available.

• A ceramic-painted building with nontoxic paint that’s supposed to use 22 percent less energy due to the ceramic material’s insulating qualities. The paint costs about $80 per gallon. It was one of four projects under development that Sutley saw at the aging-aircraft maintenance facility known as the Boneyard.

• A microturbine generator that can run on relatively clean natural gas or propane, as opposed to dirtier diesel fuel. The generators cost $100,000 for a 65 kilowatt model and up to $1.7 million for a model generating one megawatt. The turbines power a small building and an air compressor used on pneumatic tools.

• A cooling device that uses a little less energy than a standard evaporative cooler and 80 percent less than an air conditioner. A 5-ton unit costs $5,000.

• Dry cell generators that use the power of alternators to generate hydrogen to use as auto fuels. They can provide up to 6 percent of a vehicle’s fuel requirements, and improve gasoline mileage by 15 to 20 percent, D-M officials said, for a $1,000-per-vehicle kit.

“It’s self-contained, mounted under the hood, with no moving parts,” Davis-Monthan Major Andy Middione told Sutley.

“Do you think it will work on my Subaru?” Sutley asked, to which Middione replied “yes,” adding said it could be installed by any mechanic.

• A 144-room dormitory, costing $12.8 million and partially occupied, that has passive solar heating and piping for gray water along with the solar panels atop the basketball court.

The tour came as President Obama is pushing a sweeping renewable-energy policy calling for continued tax credits to encourage solar purchases. At the same time, he’s supporting continued development of natural gas reserves, which has stirred some concern among renewable advocates that the cheaper gas will discourage use of more expensive renewables.

Meeting with reporters after the tour, Sutley signaled the administration’s willingness to continue to push for more solar panel manufacturing in this country. That’s despite widespread cutbacks among domestic panel manufacturers due to competition from cheaper Chinese panels. Sutley said there is demand for solar panels around the country, and “people want to be close to the demand.”

On StarNet: Read more environment-related articles at

azstarnet.com/news/science/environment

Contact reporter Tony Davis at tdavis@azstarnet.com or 806-7746.
Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/science/environment/white-house-energy-official-tours-d-m/article_06f699db-e55e-5f80-87fe-8a25a0d98417.html#ixzz1lX9LyZ31

Tucson, Arizona – February 3, 2012 – Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Nancy Sutley, will visit Davis-Monthan Air Force Base today to inspect an air conditioning project that will be fueled by the sun. In a collaborative RDT&E effort, ESTCP, the US Navy and NASA have partnered to build the solar air conditioning system on the Air Force Base. They have selected Sopogy, a Hawaii-based clean tech, as technology provider.

Sopogy’s technology is called MicroCSP for micro-concentrated solar power. MicroCSP is a renewable source of energy delivered through modular, parabolic solar collectors. Sopogy’s collectors are twelve feet long, and weigh less than two-hundred pounds.

At Davis-Monthan AFB, the solar air conditioning system will provide sixty-six tons of chilled air to the Youth Center. Seventy-two MicroCSP collectors will concentrate the sun’s heat onto receiver tubes carrying heat transfer fluid to fuel the chiller. The dual-effect absorption chiller generates cold air with heat, not electricity, the hotter the sun, the more effective the chiller. In addition to the solar collectors, Sopogy is providing proprietary thermal storage to back-up the cooling system. MicroCSP thermal storage is low cost relative to batteries. When clouds roll in, hot fluid will flow from storage to the chiller for continuous production.

Department of Defense studies have concluded that air conditioning accounts for 30-60% of its total facility energy expenditures. Switching from fossil fuels to solar heat will help the DOD to meet is aggressive renewable energy targets. The demonstration project at Davis-Monthan AFB is scheduled for completion in March 2012.

Here’s a video explaining how Solar A/C works: http://sopogy.com/video/sopohow_how_it_works_ep2.html

About Sopogy
Sopogy revolutionized solar thermal technology with Micro Concentrated Solar Power, or MicroCSP. Developing modular collectors about one-third the size of a traditional concentrated solar power mirror, Sopogy cut the cost of solar thermal energy to a fraction of the cost. Proprietary storage units stabilize volatile energy production when cloudy and prolong production after sunset. Please visit www.sopogy.com.

Media Contact
Tsurumi Hamasu
808-237-2439
thamasu@sopogy.com

The memorandum of understanding outlines how Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company would invest in Sopogy, Inc. and projects using Sopogy’s MicroCSP technology in Hawaii and China. In return, Sopogy is agreeing to expand in China with Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company as its marketing and manufacturing partner.

Marking the conclusion of weeklong activities for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hawaii, a signing ceremony took place at the China Aloha Business Leaders’ night gala sponsored by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Bank of Hawaii. Honolulu City and County Mayor Peter Carlisle and others from the Hawaii-China delegation attended the event.

Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company was a member of the APEC 2011 Chinese Business Delegation, and Sopogy was the Honolulu winner of the 2011 Business Innovation Showcase.

About Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company
Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company is a member of the Sichuan Dongjia Group which is focused on real estate development and investment, technology application of energy savings, building design and construction and real property management.

About Sopogy and MicroCSP
Sopogy revolutionized solar thermal technology with MicroCSP. Developing modular collectors about one-third the size of a traditional concentrated solar power mirror, Sopogy cut the cost of solar thermal energy to a fraction of the cost. Proprietary storage units stabilize volatile energy production when cloudy and prolong production after sunset. Sopogy’s thermal energy is the fuel for stable, renewable power generation, air conditioning, and process heat. Please visit www.sopogy.com for more information.

Left to Right: Shengri Zhang (Vice President, International Banking for Bank of Hawaii), Betty Hoang Brow (Executive Vice President, International Banking Division of Bank of Hawaii), Judy Carlisle, Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu Peter Carlisle, Chen Zhengming (Chairman of Sichuan Dongjia Group), Darren T. Kimura (President and CEO Sopogy Inc), Ningjin Miao (2011 Narcissus Queen) Chen Ziwei (Chairwoman of Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company), Lau Gong (Advisor to Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company) Lau Gong (Advisor to Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company).  Photo by Linda Louie.

Left back, Lau Gong (Advisor to Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company), Left front, Ms. Chen Ziwei (Chairwoman of Sichuan Dongjia Investment Company), Ms. Betty Hoang Brow (Executive Vice President, International Banking Division of Bank of Hawaii), Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu Peter Carlisle, Mr. Chen Zhengming (Chairman of Sichuan Dongjia Group), Darren T. Kimura (President and CEO of Sopogy).

###

Media Contact:
Tsurumi Hamasu, PR Specialist
Sopogy, Inc.
thamasu@sopogy.com
808-237-2439

Sopogy revolutionized solar thermal technology with MicroCSP. Developing modular collectors about one-third the size of a traditional concentrated solar power mirror, Sopogy cut the cost of solar thermal energy to a fraction of the cost. Proprietary storage units stabilize volatile energy production when cloudy and prolong production after sunset. Sopogy’s thermal energy is the fuel for stable, renewable power generation, air conditioning, and process heat.

This video will be played during APEC Leaders’ Week on the special in-room TV station, created for the Hawaii Host Committee by 1013 integrated, a Pacific Focus Inc. company. LWTV will be seen in the 30 APEC host hotels on O’ahu on the hotel television network of Visitor Video Inc. in conjunction with Convention Television.

Our planet will support a projected 9.3 billion people by 2050. Visionaries around the world are meeting this challenge now—working on solutions for a flourishing human race by addressing dwindling resources for clean water, energy, food and space to live.

The sun generates far more energy than necessary for life on Earth, yet only a fraction of that is utilized for solar power. In Arizona an innovative company “First Solar” makes thin-film photovoltaic modules affordable and recyclable, while an engineer in Hawai’i with “Sopogy” addresses the challenge of storage.

Lisa Krueger, VP for Sustainable Development at First Solar in Arizona Lisa has a Chemical Engineering degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology and an M.B.A. from Rice. At First Solar she led the vision for creating pre-funded collection and recycling of their photovoltaic modules.

Darren T. Kimura, President and CEO of Sopogy, Inc. in Hawaii Darren studied electrical engineering at Portland State then received a B.A. from the University of Hawaii. He created the core technologies for Sopogy while at Energy Laboratories, a clean technology incubator.

Lobdell is a veteran of the clean energy industry, with over 21 years of energy, clean technology and venture capital experience.  Most recently he was a Director of Advisory Services in San Francisco for KPMG where he led the Cleantech Advisory Services practice.

Darren T. Kimura, President and CEO of Sopogy said, “The solar power industry is undergoing change and through our unique offerings in thermal energy storage, solar air conditioning and industrial heat applications, Sopogy is undergoing rapid growth.  Craig’s experience and wealth of sector knowledge will help us grow strategically and continue to deliver outstanding value to our customers.”

Prior to joining KPMG, Lobdell was a management consultant with CSC Index, Arthur Andersen, and BearingPoint.  In addition he has worked for GE Capital and was a Legislative Affairs Analyst for the Department of Energy (DOE).  Lobdell earned his BA from Carleton College, an MA from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and an MBA from Yale School of Management, Yale University.

About Sopogy and MicroCSP
Sopogy revolutionized solar thermal technology with MicroCSP.  Developing modular collectors about one-third the size of a traditional concentrated solar power mirror, Sopogy cut the cost of solar thermal energy to a fraction of the cost.  Proprietary storage units stabilize volatile energy production when cloudy and prolong production after sunset.  Sopogy’s thermal energy is the fuel for stable, renewable power generation, air conditioning, and process heat.  Please visit www.sopogy.com for more information.

###
Media Contact:
Tsurumi Hamasu, PR Specialist
Sopogy, Inc.
thamasu@sopogy.com
808-237-2439

Dallas, TX—October 17, 2011— Sopogy® the world leader in micro concentrated solar power (MicroCSP) technologies, launches SopoHelios™, its next generation, parabolic solar collector today at the Solar Power International Conference in Dallas, Texas.

SopoHelios features Sopogy’s patented, award-winning MicroCSP technology.  MicroCSP uses mirrors and optics to intensify the heat energy from the sun creating thermal energy.  Thermal energy is the fuel for clean, renewable power generation, air conditioning, and process heat.

The new collector is designed for “high heat” temperatures ranging between 50-326 degrees C or 122-620 degrees F which directly address power generation, solar thermal air conditioning and solar process heat applications.  The collector spanning 7.61 meters squared or 82 square feet, reduces the number of collectors required to power a solar electric power field by 33%.

“Requiring fewer collectors reduces engineering and construction costs and speeds up solar field assembly” said Darren T. Kimura, President and CEO of Sopogy, Inc.  “SopoHelios maximizes the efficiency for our solar thermal systems and significantly improves the system paybacks,” he added.

Tested in the hot, lava field deserts of Kona for strength, torsion and durability, SopoHelios features a light-weight core, solar tracking, all-weather stow mode, ease of assembly, low maintenance and the capability to enable local manufacturing.

SopoHelios collectors are scheduled for installation in Kalaeloa Solar One, a five megawatt power plant 15 miles from urban Honolulu.  Kalaeloa Solar One will also feature Sopogy’s proprietary thermal heat storage system.  Storage stabilizes production when cloudy and prolongs energy production after sunset.

About Sopogy
Founded in Hawaii, Sopogy has deployed MicroCSP systems around the world, including Hawaii, California, Texas, Florida, Mexico and Abu Dhabi, with projects underway in Hawaii, Florida, Arizona, Japan, Jordan and Papua New Guinea.  Please visit www.sopogy.com for more information.

SopoHelios MicroCSP Collector by Sopogy

###

Media Contact:
Tsurumi Hamasu, PR Specialist

Sopogy, Inc.
thamasu@sopogy.com
808-237-2439