Clean air conditioner now runs on the sun

Denver, Colorado-based Coolerado says it has has found a solar solution to cooling buildings when it’s most needed, battling a large contributor to peak energy demand during sweltering days.

Coolerado says its air conditioner can cool 3,000 square feet with 600 watts of power from four solar panels. Any extra power generated is used to send air from the exhaust system to hot panels, cooling them so they’ll run at peak capacity. Additionally, the cooler’s technology eliminates the need for harmful chemical refrigerants such as CFCs that deplete ozone.

See Coolerado's air conditioner here »

Coolerado says its A/C units can help builders meet environmentally friendly building standards such as the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) regulations. The cooler could provide eight to 19 points towards LEED requirements because it consumes up to 90 percent less energy than traditional air-conditioners. Because the Coolerado cooler runs on solar power, it also has the potential to reduce peak load caused by traditional energy-sucking air-conditioning units on sunny summer days.

Companies are developing green building technologies in other areas as well. San Francisco’s CleanBoard has developed a solar thermal power process to make drywall from recycled materials (see CleanBoard plans gypsum drywall using solar thermal tech). Sunnyvale, Calif.-based sustainable developer Serious Materials has come up with an insulated drywall that saves energy in its production and in its use (see How green is your drywall?). And Faribault, Minn.-based SAGE Electrochromics raised $20 million at the end of February for its electrochromic technology that changes light and heat levels by adjusting the tint of window glass based on sunlight (see SAGE plans global expansion of nanotech windows).

Coolerado’s thermodynamic process uses clean air instead of chemical refrigerants. The air conditioner filters outside air and then runs it through a heat and mass exchanger, which saturates hot air with water. Half of the air returns to the outdoors, carrying heat with it.  The colder half of the air enters and cools the building.

Coolerado is currently seeking partnerships. The company signed a manufacturing deal in 2005 with Troy, Mich.-based Delphi. But the deal fell through in 2008 as Delphi sought relief from bankruptcy.

Because the air conditioner cools without dehumidifying, Coolerado plans to focus residential and commercial sales on Western states while researching and developing a unit for humid regions.