Validating sustainable technology innovation in New York State
NYSP2I enables startups and mature companies working within the sustainable technology sector to assess the viability of new technologies, products, and processes. We’re a trusted, independent third party specializing in sustainability assessments and technology validation.
“The data […] provided important design validation in terms of both ease of installation and actual energy performance, both important milestones as we prepare to go to market with this product.”
Overview
A photovoltaic (PV) solar panel gets very hot as it collects sunlight during the day. Stephen Shea, CEO of Tyll Solar and his team, wondered if it were possible to convert that heat into energy, increasing the overall output of power from a single panel. They estimated that standard PV panels on the market are just 15–22% efficient on account of the loss of latent heat. Tyll Solar saw this as an opportunity and designed a solar panel that incorporates a heat-collecting system that could raise that number to 80% by capturing thermal energy along with solar. Tyll Solar came to NYSP2I for an independent, third-party performance evaluation of their prototype thermal-PV solar panel to support their research and development.
Solution
NYSP2I developed and installed a roof-mounted solar test bed to test the energy efficiency of twelve different panels, including a mix of panels with and without Tyll’s prototype coolant flow system. Once the unit was active, our team monitored key data points, including environmental conditions, panel temperatures, pressures, electrical output, and system flowrates.
Results
NYSP2I’s test produced a dataset that allowed Tyll Solar to further develop, optimize, and commercialize their coolant-enabled PV solar panel. Ultimately, the prototype system produced both solar and thermal power as predicted by Tyll Solar’s design models.
