Brilliant Idea for Regenerative Energy Sources

May 2011ContiTech has helped develop a new solution that stores solar energy as effectively as possible: the FLEXSAVE Duo flexible solar tank. The heat storage system is capable of conforming to any space constraints imposed by a house, unlike conventional designs in steel. This system also allows to fit a significantly larger solar collector surface area and use solar energy much more effectively for hot water than was previously possible.

Solar technology is a growth market in both the business and private sectors that will not come anywhere near exhausting its potential for a long time to come. The motivation for turning to solar energy and the benefits of doing so are clear: on the one hand, calculable energy prices over the long run and a heightened awareness of eco-friendly energy forms; on the other hand, dwindling fossil resources. As a result, many energy consumers are already banking on solar power. However, the possibilities of this energy form cannot be used effectively in many houses and buildings: tight staircases, narrow doors or awkward basements often only have space for steel tanks with capacities of just 200 to a maximum of 1,000 liters. ContiTech has helped develop a new solution for home owners and owners of apartment buildings that stores solar energy as effectively as possible: the FLEXSAVE Duo flexible solar tank.

This joint development from ContiTech and FSAVE Solartechnik, a company based in Kassel, Germany, that specializes in innovative storage products, has brought a production-ready product onto the market that opens up new dimensions in storage. The heat storage system is equipped with a flexible water tank from Conti-Tech and is assembled on-site with individual components. The storage system can be set up easily by any installer of heating systems thanks to clear installation instructions. Special training or a company’s own installation team is not required. The installer benefits from the fact that the system is largely pre-assembled and just has to put the components together and screw them tight on site. Welding and special processing tasks are thus fully eliminated. “We've brought about a small revolution in the heating sector,” says Heiko Eymer, general manager of ContiTech Elastomer Coatings, the specialists in coated fabrics, explaining the market impact of the development.

The special feature of the new heat storage system is that it is capable of conforming to any space constraints imposed by a house, unlike conventional designs in steel. Since it is shaped like a cube, the storage unit can utilize the space available in a room better than a round product. "Thanks to ContiTech's exceptional material expertise, we can also install a heat storage systems that is water-tight in the long term and can hold two cubic meters of water or more. This system also allows us to fit a significantly larger solar collector surface area and use solar energy much more effectively for hot water than was previously possible," underlines Claudius Wilhelms, managing director of FSAVE. The system makes it much less of a problem to retrofit existing buildings with solar heating systems. This is important in making renewable energy truly available to many final users.

Close partnership with industry and science

The close cooperation between the University of Kassel and ContiTech Elastomer Coatings was crucial to the success of the new tank. At FSAVE, a technology company founded by the Institute for Thermal Energy Technology, talented graduates, who developed the ideas for the new tank, are at the helm. Thanks to close links to the institute's technical laboratories, the material used was tested in thousands of laboratory hours for aging and temperature resistance, as well as leak tightness. “The up-and-coming solar energy market demands a pioneering spirit, technical know-how and partners working closely together. This type of cooperation holds enormous potential for forward-looking products,” says Alexander Papadimitriou, segment and project manager for the flexible solar tank at ContiTech Elastomer Coatings, highlighting the importance of university partnerships. The results of this joint project were also received enthusiastically by the jurors of the 2010 Intersolar Award – they honored FLEXSAVE Duo with the innovation prize in the solar thermal category.