Penguins, Polar Bears and Photovoltaic Solar Air Heaters
Solar air heaters displacing fossil fuels in Antarctica
Its a long, long way down to Queen Maud Land in Antarctica. 🇳🇴❄︎
From the Tierra Del Fuego, or Constitution Dock in Tassie, it’s going to be a week or two in the Southern ocean before you set sight on land / ice. 🚢🌊⚓
And it’s real expensive to get there, $10k and change for a round trip.
It is also the coldest place on the planet.
In winter it is dark and in summer it is light.
24/7
So how do we keep all those scientists warm in such isolated surroundings?
By and large, we ship down barrels of diesel to burn at great expense and inconvenience.
You would think all those scientists might have come up with a better idea…?
Well now they have.
Arctica Solar
Arctica Solar originally created solar air heaters for the Antarctic summer months to help curb the use of fossil fuels for space heating. Solar air heaters have been used in the Queen Maud Land region of Antarctica since 2015.
How does it work?
Where a PV solar panel generates electricity, an Arctica Solar heater use solar energy to generate hot air for space heating. Their technology is much more efficient than using PV panels connected to a conventional space heater.
With support from the California Clean Energy Fund, Arctica Solar are now engineering modular solar air heaters for use in a variety of (cold) markets.
Arctica Solar are on a mission to drastically reduce the price and increase the performance of existing commercial solar air heater options.
And help save the planet ✅
For reading this far, you have been rewarded with a penguin gif 🐧
And a polar bear for good measure
