Environmental and economic impact of a new type of solar louvre thermal collector

Environmental concerns, the limits of fossil fuel reserves and continued economic growth will create an increasing demand for non-polluting, stable and reliable energy systems. Renewable energy systems offer an alternative to conventional systems, but are intermittent in nature and are not yet capable of meeting energy demand. Their relatively high capital cost is the single greatest barrier to their uptake, but their lower operational and maintenance costs offer economic advantage over the long-term. This paper focuses on how the improvement of a renewable energy technology, in this case a solar louvre system, could reduce its payback period and so improve its market potential.