Frequently Asked Questions

How does your technology work?

Our system works like a conventional concentrated photovoltaic cell (CPV) system, but we are unconventional in our mechanical approach to forming and pointing our mirrors. Instead of rigid aluminum or glass structure to focus light, we use metalized plastic films and instead of ribs, trusswork, or material heft to maintain the mirror shape, we use active inflation air.

Unlike most other CPV companies, we actively water cool our photovoltaic cells to remove waste heat rather than relying on large, material intensive, heat spreaders and sinks.

Can I install coolearth's technology onto my rooftop? My residence? A commercial building?

The coolearth system can only be installed on the ground. We are currently in the prototype and pilot plant stages, but After our system is fully certified, we plan to make it available for residential and small commercial use.

Can I buy coolearth's solar concentrator? How much?

No, we don't sell our products or systems to third parties and consequently we don't quote our prices either on this web site or through email inquiries.

I am from [Insert Country Here], can I be your representative in [Said Country]?

We are currently focussed on our domestic power plant installations and expect to pursue the international market sometime in 2009.

I have land, would you like to co-development with me?

We are interested in sites that are suitable for building large solar farms. If you are interested in either leasing or selling your property to coolearth, then we look forward to speaking with you.

Can you give me any more technical specification for your technology and/or systems?

All of the information that is publicly available is already on this web site and that information will be maintained and updated regularly, so please feel free to continue to check our progress online.

Are you a publicly traded company? Can I invest?

No, coolearth is a privately held company and we are not seeking additional investors currently.

When will you be accepting customers?

coolearth is currently negotiating with electrical utilities for the sale of energy from our solar power plants. The company’s goal is to provide clean, renewable, solar power electricity at a competitive cost with current fossil based sources of grid power.

How is the coolearth solution better than other solar technologies?

coolearth's solution has two main advantages. First, our CPV technology addresses the limited availability and cost fluctuations of solar cells. Second, our innovative use of reflective thin films as our reflector material reduces by an order of magnitude both the amount of material and the weight required for a CPV system. The result is a solution that generates electricity at a price competitive with that of traditionally fueled power plants.

Why are your solar concentrators inflatable?

Serendipitously, inflation air allows us to make an effective concentrator from nothing but thin flat clear and reflective plastic films that are bonded to each other like a conventional foil balloon. The inflated structure is lightweight but strong enough to survive 125 mph winds. We can optimize the optical properties of the balloon by actively controlling its inflation. The balloon also forms a protective barrier around our receiver.

What is Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) technology?

Similar in principle to using a magnifying glass to concentrate light, concentrated solar systems use lenses or reflectors to concentrate sunlight onto highly efficient solar cells. By concentrating the light onto a single high efficiency cell, the technology vastly reduces the amount of traditional solar cell area needed to produce electricity. Multi-junction, high efficiency cells derived from satellite technology allow CPV systems to generate the same amount of electricity as traditional flat panel PV systems while using up to 500 times less solar cell material.