Our client expressed a need for renewable power generation on their campus to serve their energy hungry data centres. The design of the Concentrating Solar Panels use heat generated from the sun to generate a peak cooling capacity of 330kW. The system consists of 242 solar mirrors covering a total area of 484m2, which track the sun to generate pressurized hot water at 180 degree Celsius. The hot water in turn powers an absorption chiller that produces chilled water circulated into the data centre for cooling of IT equipment. The mirrors follow the movement on the sun, based on the GPS location, orientation & the date and time.

This information guides the system to track the sun to concentrate on the central absorber tube where the heat is generated. This has zero impact on carbon emissions and when it rains, the mirrors move into a self-cleaning position. On cloudy days, the mirrors turn down into a protective stow position. Renewable energy installations can be aesthetically pleasing if attention to detail is a priority.