Solar Stirling Plant

[Pappy]

http://www.solarstirlingplant.com/?hop=d60eba

My brother got an email on this and neither of us could find much on it. Most of the google hits were of either the company selling the plans or some commercial applications.

The couple of 'reviews' said what it was and basically how it worked, but not really any pros or cons.

Claim from the company is up to 50% reduction in electric bill when implemented on a small scale.

Any of the engineer types have any knowledge of the concept or the system being sold?

[Cochese]

Google results indicate your classic 'less-than-advertised' scam. When there's an inordinate amount of search results from sources you don't know, avoid.

[Ed62]

Never heard of it. But my first question when I recieve something like this, is "Where did this come from?". If I didn't expect it, or I didn't recieve it from someone I knew, I wouldn't even open it.

Ed

[TB Roye]

Besides all they are selling for $199 is a set of downloadable instructions on how to build it. The cost of the parts are probably off the chart. Parabolic mirrors are not sold at Lowes or Home Depot last I heard. Big scam. The reviews are from Europe mostly.

Tom

[LCHIEN]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stirling_cycle

A sterling cycle is described in the above article on wiki. I personally found the whole thing hard to follow.
I'd say its the kind of very complex difficult to analyze kind of thing that scam artists love because its so hocus-pocus and hard to disprove.
what are you getting for your money? hardware that's proven or just ideas that will take a full fledged thermodynamics expert to implement? I think i'd avoid it.

[jackellis]

I know a little about the technology. It's a great idea but the machines are complicated, expensive and still in the R&D stage. At least one industrial scale plant was supposed to be built in the desert under a contract with a California utility. It was converted to photovoltaic (panels) when it became clear that the cost of the Stirling engines would end up a lot higher.

It's certainly worth reading about if you're curious, but don't try it at home unless you have time and money to burn.