Power Conversion Per Vendors at Building Technology ’06, only two real manufacturers of off-grid electrical converters Beacon Power Outback http://www.beaconpower.com/index.htm Contact initiated, waiting on reply Wilmington, MA firm

Power Conversion Cont’d Outback Power http://www.outbackpower.com/ Sponsored 9 teams in 2005 http://www.outbackpower.com/OffGrid.htm

Outback Specs

ThermoAcoustic Generator Fellowes Research Group Prototype built, working on producing for market TAC <$.25/W Capital Cost MEMS – TAR <$.1/W http://www.io.com/~frg/ TAC - Engine MEMS – TAR Solid State Heat Here

Thermo Electrics Higher Capital Costs but Lower Life Cycle Costs1 Kryotherm TGMs generate electrical power up to 10 Watts per TGM at 6 V dc and at 100˚ C temperature difference. P = Qh – Qc = I2× R ~ D T 2 1 http://www.globalte.com/compare.html

Hi-Z Thermo Electrics HZ-2 2.5 W@ 3.3 V HZ-9 9 W@ 3.3 V 4.5% efficient $46 / module (small batch) HZ-9 9 W@ 3.3 V 4.5% efficient $131 / module (small batch) HZ-20 19 W@ 2.38 V 4.5% efficient $154 / module (small batch)

Kryotherm Thermoelectric Generators

Varmaraf Thermator A Can be cooled by air only at a power loss Indoors at 20C with 75C water supply, produces 2.5W at 12V

Building Technology ‘06 Solar Thermal Several vendors recommend Solar Thermal over PV Vendor Contacts: Schuco – Larry Waitz Solar Water Heating Workshop Friday, 0800-1630, $85 / person Ascendent Solar – John Tabb Combined PV and Solar Thermal Oventrop – Joseph Walsh

Ascendent Energy Combine PV and Solar Thermal Use angled approach to maximize collection

Schuco Vendor recommends LA Collector – piping runs vertical and horizontal Premium solar thermal collector with high quality "Sunselect" absorber coating for very high efficiency and optimized thermal insulation to guarantee low energy loss. SRCC-certified collector thermal performance on a clear day: 33 MJ per day/31 BTU per day (rating in category C). Standard frame color silver aluminum, other colors available on request. Absorber surface 27.1 sqft., gross area 29 sqft.