The project, a roof-mounted hybrid concentrated solar thermal (CST) system, aims to distribute the generation of heating, cooling and electricity.

The key innovation of the project is the use of spectral splitting of sunlight in a hybrid concentrator photovoltaic–thermal (PV–thermal) rooftop system to deliver 150˚Celsius fluid and solar electricity. The Australian National University’s (ANU) research team believes that this opens expanded domestic, commercial and industrial markets.

Optimised novel air cooling technology will be matched with the collector and receiver to achieve a complete building energy solution in an integrated package that provides solar electricity, high and low temperature heat, and solar cooling.

This project aims to develop and commercialise an improved roof-mounted hybrid solar concentrator PV-thermal product for the cost-effective delivery of solar heating, cooling and electricity that is suitable for installation on millions of domestic, commercial and industrial buildings.

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In addition, novel cooling technology that takes advantage of the 150°Celsius thermal output of the system will be developed and integrated. The fluid will also be available as medium temperature solar industrial heat.

The project will reduce the cost of solar energy by delivering several product streams with low distribution losses directly from building roofs to loads. Importantly, thermal and electrical energy will be delivered to the retail side of the energy meters, where energy prices are triple wholesale energy prices.

This project aims to achieve this ambitious goal by exploiting advances in the areas of materials, optics, and thermal management. The project will make extensive use of the capabilities of the new Australian Solar Institute solar laboratory at the ANU, including outdoor test facilities, accelerated lifetime equipment and characterisation equipment.

“We have brought together a strong consortium comprising the ANU, CSIRO, the University of New South Wales, Chromasun and NEP Solar. We plan to develop a complete solar energy solution for millions of domestic and commercial buildings around the world,” says Professor Andrew Blakers, Chief Lead Investigator, Centre for Sustainable Energy Systems, ANU.

The consortium received $3.2million in funding from the Australian Solar Institute. The total value of the project is $9.5 million.