Powering Industry with Solar Heat

Tooloo is developing a solar thermal collector that combines concentrated solar energy with simple mechanical engineering. Its modular design aims to reduce manufacturing, installation, and maintenance costs while delivering useful heat for industry.

How It Works

A lightweight Fresnel lens concentrates sunlight onto a thermal receiver, where the energy is captured and transferred into a useful heat stream. Depending on the system configuration, this can provide hot water, hot air, thermal oil, or steam. The collector follows the sun using Tooloo’s patent-pending, dual-axis tracker. A mechanical system coordinates both elevation and azimuth, allowing the collector to track the sun without electric motors, electronic sensors, or software.

Designed for Practical Deployment

The lens, receiver, and tracker are mounted on a lightweight frame designed for manufacture using standard materials and fabrication methods. Individual collectors can be combined into larger arrays and integrated with heat exchangers, thermal storage, or supplementary heating.

Key Features

• Two-axis tracking with one actuator: fewer drive components and simpler mechanics.
• Solar-powered tracking: no electricity required for the tracker; supporting equipment may require power.
• High-temperature concentration: focal temperatures up to 1,000°C under suitable conditions; delivered process temperatures depend on system design.
• Modular and scalable: from individual units to larger solar heat installations.
• Practical manufacturing: designed for local fabrication, straightforward assembly, and accessible servicing.