These days, it seems like Israelis can do almost anything using the power of the sun, including what they call ’solar cooling.’ It may sound paradoxical but this oxymoron actually makes a lot of sense. The time when we most need our air conditioners is usually when the sun is out. The relentless heat causes homeowners to forget about expensive electricity bills and crank down their thermostats.

A new Israeli company called Linum Systems has come up with ways to both cool and heat the home using traditional methods, combined with new technology. Linum, which was founded in 2009 by entrepreneurs Yuval Berson and Amir Hirshfeld, holds the patent for a solar cooling technology that will hit the commercial market in 2012.
As the term implies, solar cooling uses the sun to power air conditioners. The system, which will use a solar thermal collector, as opposed to photovoltaic cells, has yet to have a prototype out, but representatives from Linum Systems say that it could yield a return on investment (ROI) in a 3,000 square foot home in Texas or Arizona, for example, within three years.

One other major effect is that it will relieve power companies of much of the strain that they experience during peak temperatures in the summer. More than half of the electricity used in an average American home goes to heating and cooling. “In California as much as a recent 30 or 40% rise in electricity use is solely air conditioning oriented, and it’s a major issue for utilities to solve,” says Berson. The blackouts caused by such surges in power usage can cripple local economies and cause expensive damage to the power grid.

The climate control system developed by Linum will cater to houses ranging from 2,000 to 3,000 square feet. The consumer would decide how many solar thermal collectors to install. In an optimum setting, the company says its air conditioner can cut the cooling, heating and water-heating electricity bills by as much as 85%.

This Linum Systems is definitely one company to keep an eye on. It has already been identified by the non-profit California Israel Chamber of Commerce as one of the top companies from Israel worth meeting.

View a previously written post by Mouli Cohen about Israel.