Source: inhabitat.com

Published: April 22, 2015

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Now, they have just released a free solar concentrator (Sol1) construction guide that aims to educate communities on the ability to harness solar energy through low-cost DIY tech.

by Lori Zimmer

Imagine a world where nobody had to be cold, because energy harnessed from the sun could be used to heat homes for free. Solar Fire Concentration Ltd (SFCO) hopes to help supply solar thermal energy to alleviate energy poverty around the world, with a little help from crowdfunding. The Finnish company has launched the Free The Sun campaign, which will help to build their GoSol solar concentrators around the world. Rather than creating solar energy for electricity, the concentrators will power solar thermal devices, giving usable heat energy to anyone in off-the-grid areas, without using pollution-causing charcoal and wood.

Although using photovoltaic panels to generate solar energy is a great sustainable source, SFCO recognizes that most rural and poverty-stricken areas around the world are not even equipped to utilize the electricity the panels can produce. What is more useful is solar thermal energy, which can be used for cooking, heating, distilling water or powering steam engines. That realization led to the development of the GoSol concentrator.

Related: Solar Cooker Could Provide for Hot Water and Food In Disaster Zones

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Through their crowdfunding campaign, SFCO plans to raise at least $68,000 toward helping developing countries build their own solar concentrators. The program would include construction directions, which would give locals the power to build their own concentrators from simple tools and readily available materials, like household mirrors. The basic concentrator could then supply free heat, or enough to cook for 20 people at a time. On a small business level, the concentrators could help to power solar drying or roasting of coffee or cacao.

If funded, SFCO could supply free construction methods and guides to developing areas around the world, changing thousands of lives with clean heat and energy.