The solar thermal technology collects the thermal energy of the sun, stores it as heat in a low cost storage solution and then draws heat as required for zero emission power generation.
The energy collection component is currently at the small scale prototype stage. The wind technology is based on aerofoil design and is at the computational modelling stage.
An aerofoil is a wing, propeller or blade, whose shape and orientation controls stability, direction, lift and thrust or propulsion.
Current modelling shows a step-change improvement in efficiency may be possible, and that applications may extend beyond wind turbines into turbine technology more generally.
Both technologies have been invented by Carnegie's chairman Alan Burns and are at the provisional patent stage.
