Solar Startups, Part 5: Solar AC and Heat (Updated May 20)

Using Solar to Heat, Cool, and Power the Home.

A relatively overlooked and underinvested solar sector, solar AC and solar combined heat and power have received small amounts of VC investment of late, primarily in Israel.

Although solar HVAC is a promising technology with a potential real impact on energy usage, it doesn’t lend itself to the type of scalable innovation that VCs demand in an investment opportunity.

The following firms are the innovative startups in this small field.

BrightPhase Energy:  Privately held firm combines skylights, CPV and, thermal solar planning to offer the product via a PPA model.  According to their website – they are seeking $6M in funding.

Cool Energy: Angel, NSF and state government-funded manufacturer of solar residential combined-heat-and-power systems based on Stirling engine technology.  “Taking advantage of non-metallic materials throughout the engine to optimize performance for 100-300°C temperature differences. They are seeking an equity investment of $5M. 

Distributed Solar Power: Israel-based firm developing a CHP system that produces electricity and heat using sun-tracking miniature PV concentrators. The system has a claimed ~75 percent efficiency and is intended for on-grid customers. It can produce high quality heat for steam generation, cooling and AC (using absorption cooling), space and water heating, and process heat. The firm is working with Italy’s Shap and has raised $1.2 million from Israel’s Aurum Ventures et al.

ESE: Project developer doing something they call CHCP -- Combined Heat Cooling Power.  (see comment below)

EWA Technologies Group: Israel-based firm developing a solar powered AC system that collects and stores solar energy, and transforms the accumulated energy into effective cooling. A granular material within the solar collector, reacts with a liquid cooling fluid that send cool air into a room or office in a process similar to an inter cooling radiator system in an automobile.

Global Sun Engineering: Based in Sweden, GSE is in beta testing a CHP unit that produces ~700W electricity and 4200W of heat. It is seeking U.S. and European venture funding.

Millennium Electric: The company's Multi Solar Systems generate electricity and produce hot water.

Promethean Power Systems: With round A funding from the Quercus Trust, Prometheus is developing a solar-powered refrigeration system for commercial cold-storage applications in off-grid and partially electrified areas of developing countries.

PVT Solar: One of the Khosla Ventures’ stealthy, early-stage portfolio firms, PVT seems to be attempting to harvest the waste heat lost on solar-paneled roofs for use in water and home heating.

ThermaSun: Self-funded start-up now seeking outside funding builds solar thermal systems that supply hot water and heating for commercial, corporate and residential applications.  Their target market is green home architects and builders.

And don’t forget to check the other parts of this series:

• Part 1: Wafered Silicon, Installers, Financiers, Balance of Systems
• Part 2: CPV
• Part 3: Next-Gen PV
• Part 4: Thin Film

(This started out as 150 Solar Startups although the actual number is looking like 175.)

As always, we welcome your feedback. Let us know if we’ve missed any.

The next post on Concentrated Solar Thermal startups finishes off this list.