{"id":30715,"date":"2022-09-02T17:56:03","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T21:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=30715"},"modified":"2022-09-02T17:56:03","modified_gmt":"2022-09-02T21:56:03","slug":"rooftop-solar-vacuum-tubes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=30715","title":{"rendered":"These rooftop solar vacuum tubes that make both electricity and heat are US-bound"},"content":{"rendered":"

UK-based solar tech developer<\/a> Naked Energy\u2019s rooftop solar vacuum tubes, which produce both electricity and heat, will soon be sold in the United States.<\/p>\n

Peoria, Illinois-headquartered ELM Companies<\/a>, a US energy storage and microgrid specialist, is funding Naked Energy, along with banking giant Barclays and US venture capital firm Big Sky Partners. <\/p>\n

ELM Solar, ELM Companies\u2019 new division, will distribute Naked Energy\u2019s solar thermal and PV thermal products, which are called Virtu (pronounced \u201cvirtue\u201d). ELM Solar will also distribute Virtu products through ELM Companies\u2019 large dealer network and partnerships across the United States.<\/p>\n

ELM has also announced, following the US Senate passing the Biden Administrations\u2019s climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, a couple weeks ago, that it will build a factory in Texas to assemble Naked Energy\u2019s Virtu product line domestically. The Inflation Reduction Act has spurred on a race in the United States to manufacture renewables domestically.<\/p>\n

Naked Energy\u2019s rooftop solar vacuum tubes<\/h2>\n

Solar vacuum tubes are made up of two layers of glass with a vacuum in between, kind of like a Thermos. Naked Energy claims that its Virtu products are three to four times more efficient than traditional PV solar panels, and ELM calls Naked Energy a developer of the \u201cworld\u2019s highest energy density solar technology\u201d in its news announcement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Naked Energy says its Virtu products\u2019 vacuum tube minimizes thermal losses to the atmosphere, resulting in high efficiency, even in cold weather. Absorber \u200bplates in the tubes\u200b are \u200btilted to an optimum angle so that they can be used on flat or pitched roofs, and also vertical facades.<\/p>\n

Virtu products are fully modular, so they have a low installation cost. They also have a low-profile design that reduces wind shear. Naked Energy says that its Virtu products are best suited to buildings with high heat demand, such as multi-dwelling residential, manufacturing plants, and hotels.<\/p>\n

The VirtuHOT product heats water only, up to 90C (194F), from solar power. But the VirtuPVT product combines solar PV and solar thermal technology to generate both electricity and<\/em> heat from a single solar collector. Of course, VirtuPVT\u2019s tubes require less space than if there were separate thermal and PV systems being used.<\/p>\n

This video demonstrates how VirtuPVT works:<\/p>\n

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