Super Eco

Photo credit: dingbat2005, flickr

Ireland-based Surface Power has released its ultra-efficient solar hot water panel, which it claims is the most powerful of its kind ever built. Independent testing from TÜV Rheinland showed that the panels generated up to 131% more energy than most current solar panels.

According to Surface Power founder John Quinn, the panels were developed specifically to deal with the harsh weather conditions often seen in Ireland, such as abundant wind, rain, and clouds. The product was designed with efficiency in mind, given that Ireland receives about as much annual sunshine as the far side of Neptune. Quinn hopes to create 20 new jobs in 2009 to help market and distribute the product. Users will potentially save 70% on hot water bills.

So, how does solar hot water power work? The general idea is that solar panels are used to heat water for a home instead of traditional gas or electric heating. Homes with proper insulation pump water into a single location where heat absorbed from the solar panels is centralized and is used to steadily heat the water. This hot water is then stored and its temperature maintained in a large tank.

Surface Power claims its breakthrough is due to its use of vacuum collector technology, which utilizes glass tubes to more efficiently insulate the heat absorbed through the panels.

This is a truly amazing time in Ireland. Now that the Irish have conquered solar panels, maybe they can start on those breakthroughs in the non-alcoholic beer industries. Anything's possible!