SBIR-STTR Award

The proposed project would design a 10-ton multi-energy source, integrated cooling, heating, and power system, including the solar collectors, with the capacity to produce 8kWe of back-up electrical power. The system is a single integrated cooling, heating and power generation unit. It is similar in size and cost to a traditional commercial packaged heating and cooling system, and can operated off of solar energy, stored energy, natural gas, or grid power, allowing every Air Force building to become more energy efficient, more energy independent, and less susceptible to energy interruptions, saving up to 100% of the building’s energy costs. Additionally, a small scale demonstration system will be developed and tested as part of Phase I to prove system operation and component performance.

Benefit:
A case analysis tailored for weather in Macon, GA is presented which shows a 93% reduction in energy costs, an annual CO2 reduction of 63,673 lbs, an incremental installation cost payback of 4 months, and initial cost payback of 3.5 years.

Keywords:
Heat-Actuated, Waste-Heat, Air-Conditioning, Heat, Cooling, Co-Generation, Rankine

The purpose of the project is to develop and deliver an integrated cooling, heating, and power system that operates from multiple energy sources can be easily incorporated onto a building similar to a standard air conditioning system. The objective of the project is to build a prototype system that will demonstrate significant reduction in the energy used by a building for heating and cooling, plus the ability to provide back-up power. The design presented in this proposal is expected to reduce energy cost for building heating and cooling by 76%. These dramatic reductions are attributed to several unique system features, including: 1) Direct solar driven air conditioning, 2) The ability to put electric power back onto the grid, if excess solar energy is available, and 3) To operate in a co-generation heating mode, which produces electricity as a by-product from heating the building.

Benefit:
The design presented in this proposal is expected to reduce energy costs for building heating and cooling by 76%, with a payback period of 6 years (simple payback analysis) as compared to a conventional cooling, heating, and power system.

Keywords:
heat-actuated, waste