Lark Energy has secured funding from the UK government-sponsored competition for the development of a mobile version of its solar thermal system. The solar thermal system features the company’s solar steam technology, which focuses the sun’s rays onto a tube which contains water through a Fresnel lens array. Upon focusing, the water is heated which then creates steam. The resulting steam can be used in industrial process heating and cooling applications or for power generation, the company said. Lark Energy renewable energy development engineer Simone Perini said: “Solar steam has the potential to transform energy access in India and other developing countries. “In particular we are looking at delivering a mobile containerized energy system that is able to operate where the grid is unbalanced, unreliable or unavailable – like rural India.” The proposal was submitted in the fourth round of the Energy Catalyst mid-stage technology development competition, which is funded by Innovate UK, the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). Larkfleet proposed to build a ‘containerised’ version of its solar steam technology to deliver renewable heat and power to off-grid rural communities in India. The two-year project will be developed by Lark Energy in partnership with Cranfield University and an Indian solar collector manufacturer. The Energy Catalyst competition aims to develop and demonstrate the application of new technologies such as Larkfleet’s solar steam system which would address the elements of the global energy ‘trilemma’ – low carbon emissions, affordability and security of supply. Perini added: “We are adapting this technology to have a positive impact on the generation of sustainable and renewable energy in areas where access to power is limited. “To show the global potential of the technology we are collaborating with academic and commercial partners to deliver this project in India but we are also seeking to demonstrate the viability of this technology in other regions.” Image: Lark Energy plans to build a mobile containerized solar thermal system. Photo: courtesy of Larkfleet Group.
Lark Energy is to develop a mobile version of its solar thermal system after securing funding from a UK government competition. The system uses solar steam technology; the resulting steam can be used in industrial heating and cooling applications, or for power generation. Simone Perini, a renewable energy development engineer with the firm, said Lark wanted to create a mobile containerised energy system that can run in locations where the grid is unbalanced, unreliable or unavailable, such as rural India. The project will be developed in conjunction with Innovate UK and an Indian solar manufacturer.