Cool Energy Fuel Efficiency Breakthrough Can Reduce Fossil Fuel Use by 10%

BOULDER, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cool Energy (link to http://www.coolenergyinc.com/index.html#) today announced the successful demonstration of a breakthrough in converting wasted heat into electricity for commercial, industrial and military applications. This new waste heat recovery (link to http://www.coolenergyinc.com/wasteheat.html) technology can dramatically boost the fuel efficiency of engines around the world, reducing fossil fuel use by 10% and helping globally in the fight against climate change and air pollution.

“This week’s achievement is the culmination of six years of effort. We have successfully demonstrated that our SolarHeart Engine energy boost system generates carbon-free electricity simply from the exhaust waste heat of a diesel generator”

Boulder, Colorado-based Cool Energy has created a Stirling engine system that captures the exhaust energy of an internal combustion engine and converts it into electricity with no extra carbon emissions. This week, the company connected its patented 3kW SolarHeart® Engine system to a standard 30kW diesel generator to produce additional electricity from waste heat that would otherwise be lost. This innovation will boost the performance of all types of engines – whether they are powered by diesel, gasoline or natural gas.

“This week’s achievement is the culmination of six years of effort. We have successfully demonstrated that our SolarHeart Engine energy boost system generates carbon-free electricity simply from the exhaust waste heat of a diesel generator,” said Sam Weaver, CEO of Cool Energy. “If our power conversion technology was used globally on small diesel generators, nearly 500 million gallons of diesel fuel per year would be saved in the telecom sector alone.”

More than 60% of the energy created by engine generators is lost as wasted heat. Cool Energy has achieved a robust 22% efficiency in heat to electricity conversion. Applied to distributed electricity generators, this amounts to a 10% fuel savings. In mass production, the Stirling engine system will pay for itself in less than one year in many situations.

While the Stirling Engine has been around for almost 200 years, Cool Energy has pioneered several innovations in the engine design to make it practical to achieve record cost and fuel savings, including features such as oil-free self-lubricating pistons, highly effective heat exchangers, and a high-reliability design. The engine is housed in a fully sealed package designed to operate for more than 10 years with no internal service required.

Around the world, especially in remote areas and on islands, diesel generators are often the primary source of electricity. Operators using Cool Energy’s SolarHeart Engine will need 10% less diesel fuel transported to these locations. For the military in combat operations, this can be a significant savings in lives as well as dollars.

About Cool Energy

Cool Energy, Inc. was founded by Caltech graduate Sam Weaver. Since 2006, more than six million dollars has been invested in the development of its patented waste heat recovery technology. The company has been awarded nearly two million dollars in competitive grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and other agencies due to the significance of Cool Energy’s technology for energy efficiency improvements and emissions reductions. The company is raising an additional round of funding to license its technology to engine producers in the U.S. and overseas to meet demand from customers around the world. Idealab, a creator and operator of technology businesses, is a lead investor in Cool Energy. For more information, and to inquire about investing and partnering to bring this technology to major markets around the world, contact Cool Energy at http://www.coolenergyinc.com/contactus.html or (303) 442-2121.

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