Become part of the change! Promote renewable energy source awareness!

Our environment is threatened by unprecedented destruction due to climate change. The evidence is everywhere: global warming, extreme climatic events such as heat waves and flooding, acidification of the oceans and destruction of biodiversity. Even worse, the production of greenhouse gases such as CO2, which are understood as the very causes of this catastrophe, are continuing to be produced at an accelerated pace. It does not have to be this way. Many measures can be taken to halt this imminent disaster and to ameliorate its impact. The Cyprus Institute (CyI) is conducting research to understand these environmental phenomena and to develop methods for adaptation and mitigation.

Principal among the mitigation technologies is the utilization of solar energy; an unlimited renewable energy source. Each hour, more solar energy reaches the Earth’s surface, than what is consumed globally in a year.

Harvesting of the solar radiation can be achieved with heliostats, special mirror assemblies which track the sun and redirect its radiation onto a fixed receiver. Each heliostat employed at CyI has a five square meter curved mirror that concentrates the solar radiation intensity by 50 times. The field of heliostats yields intensity of 2500 suns, with the capability of reaching temperatures in excess of 1000 Co. Sunlight is converted into heat and stored for later use, so solar energy can be used anytime, in the evening or in cloudy days. At CyI it will be used for the co-generation of electricity and desalinated seawater.

This technology, being researched internationally, due to the inexpensive storage capability it offers, holds the promise of providing clean energy production, one of the grand challenges facing mankind.

Make a statement as a concerned citizen, or improve your company’s green profile. Partner with us in our efforts to promote Green Energy in Cyprus while at the same time promoting innovation in the island by adopting one or more heliostats placed in the field laboratory. Your sponsorship is a meaningful way to contribute towards your corporate social responsibility goals and will help advance research in renewable energy sources and their environmental impact.