much attention and news coverage. There has been growing concern that the whole of humanity faces some serious challenges pertaining to energy consumption and distribution that will need to be addressed in the coming years. It is predicted that at current rates oil production will peak within a generation. To compound this, the global demand for energy intensive products and services is increasing as previously third world nations mature. Along with this is increasing trepidation about the impact of humanity on the environment and climate change.

We believe that there are some hindrances to the adoption of new energy technology due to societal traditions and current economic models. These obstacles follow a few basic principles.

Much of the research and development of new energy technology follows the current and ingrained model of location, refinement, distribution and consumption of energy. Examples include fossil fuel replacements like ethanol and hydrogen, which are not yet proven in the large scale. Unlike fossil fuels, which are buried deep in the Earth, and are beyond the reach of individuals, sunlight falls more or less evenly everywhere. This Energy is evenly distributed but not constant; take for example a cloudy day or nighttime. A contemporary model of energy distribution would lend itself to a decentralized, but connected solution. A distributed power system does not follow the current “big centralized power plant” model and does not fit into current big business trends.

Equipment currently used in home heating and power is standardized and does not require any expertise on the part of the homeowner. Although many technologies that could be instrumental in creating the changes necessary have already been discovered. There has historically been little or no regulation, and a very informal course to installation and design. A consumer can purchase an oil or natural gas furnace and be assured of the availability of maintenance and service. Much of the current permutations of renewable technology require very site-specific system designs. This results in nonstandard equipment and is inconvenient for a builder working on multiunit projects.

There has been a political connotation to being interested in renewable energy. The proponents often mix political views with their energy concerns and are perceived to be to be anti-government or anti-corporation. This may contribute to an adversarial attitude on the part of the majority.

Despite these obstacles, the necessity for a renewable power solution has come. In my view it will need to be decentralized in its collection, communal in its distribution, attainable in its construction, and regulated in its control. The solution that we are developing uses a hybrid geothermal-solar technology utilizing available energy that is common to many locations. Proven technology put to new use.

Drawing off prior technologies, the device currently consists of a few basic systems. It is designed to be non-site specific, work in a variety of climates, and be easily networked.

The heart of the unit is a Thermal transfer (Stirling Motor). This technology was originally invented by Robert Stirling in 1816. The Stirling engine has proven to be the most efficient method of producing electricity from sunlight. It also has the distinct advantage of being able to run off any heat source or fuel for easy and reliable backup systems. The ability of this machine to produce mechanical energy is only dependent on heat differences. Either hot to cold or cold to hot will turn the machine. There are few moving parts and since there is no combustion, the machine is very quiet.

The Stirling Motor would be coupled with an ordinary electric generator. This simple magnet and coil machine has a long history of use and reliability.

At the top on the unit or on the roof of the building is the solar collector/heat sink. Algorithmic computer control determines whether this component gives off heat like a heat sink or collects heat like a solar hot water panel. Water or glycol is pumped through the collector to heat or cool one side of the thermal differential. Excess heat can be used for hot water or comfort heating.

Below ground sits the geothermal loop. The ground below the frost line stays at about 50˚F throughout the year. Water or nontoxic glycol is pumped through pipes to maintain a fluid temperature equal with the ground. This gives the Stirling motor a frame of reference that is colder than the collector in the summer and warmer during the winter. Again excess heating or cooling energy can be captured for other uses.

To prolong the daily usefulness of the system, there will need to be a storage system. This component will use thermal mass to store the sun’s daytime energy. It may also take the form of a flywheel, batteries or a water tank. According to computer algorithms, this component will be charged to increase the efficiency and effectiveness on the unit.

The existing electric grid plays a critical role in this system. While the units are designed to be capable of powering the buildings that they serve, increases in efficiency are realized be networking the units together. As is the case with connected large power plants, when one unit has a surplus, it can contribute to a unit that has a deficit. Many states require utilities to buy back electricity produced in private facilities and therefore already have the entire infrastructure necessary.

Centralized control and monitoring allows the customer to be free of the hassles and fears associated with current renewable energy systems. This could be as simple as a service similar to a home alarm system callback center to detect troubles or more advanced to regulate and control the units as a whole system thereby delivering increases in overall system efficiency.

Finally, the backup system provides power when other systems fall short. Due to the nature of a Stirling engine, a simple gas, oil, wood, or other backup system is easily installed to handle power outages, or extended periods of low heat differential between the ground and outside air.

These systems come together in a unit that is no harder to site design or install than central air conditioning. Two examples of running modes are as follows: On a hot summer day the collector heats up and transfers that heat via fluid pipes to the top side of the Stirling engine. At the same time a separate loop of fluid is pumped through the ground loop and the cooled liquid is transferred through the bottom side of the Stirling engine. On a cold winter night the collector acts as a heat sink and transfers cold liquid through the top side of the motor. Meanwhile the ground loop is warmed by the earth and that heat is pumped to the bottom side of the motor. In either case the motor turns creating electricity. The functions of the pumps can be controlled by a computer on site, however remote monitoring takes the duty out of the hands of the homeowner, while enabling maintenance alarms and increased efficiency through networking the individual units.

When devising a plan to develop the aforementioned technology, it was important to us to make sure that none of the steps along the way were going to require outside funding during the research and development phase. We plan to use revenue from BASK POWER LLC who specializes in solar panel installation to fund development. Winning the Buckminster Fuller Challenge would catapult development and bring this technology to the mainstream years ahead. Me and my team will draw off our many years of engineering, manufacturing and product development experience to carefully and consciously reach our goals. Thank You.