Development and manufacturing of the SF900 high-temperature Concentrated Solar Thermal system for industrial process heat, cooling and water treatment
Swiss Furnace GmbH
Root D4 (Technopark Luzern), CHNew on Amplifa
About Swiss Furnace
Swiss Furnace GmbH is a Swiss manufacturer of renewable energy systems specializing in high-temperature Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) technology. The company develops and produces the SF900 system, a heliostat tower system with a cube-shaped receiver (Power Cube), which concentrates sunlight to temperatures of up to 900 °C and converts it into industrial process heat. Per thermal storage unit, 1 MWh of solar energy is stored using environmentally friendly materials, so that energy is available around the clock even without sunshine. The systems are used for steam generation, industrial cooling processes via absorption chillers as well as water treatment and Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG), and are integrated into existing plants with heat exchangers, absorption chillers and boiler systems. Target industries are energy-intensive processes such as metallurgy, chemicals, glass and ceramics manufacturing, food processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles and paper, as well as data centers and district cooling applications. The company is located at Technopark Luzern in Root (canton of Lucerne) and additionally offers consulting, feasibility studies and operation and maintenance services.
- Site
- Root D4, LU
- Processes
- Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) technology / Solar Furnace SF900, Design and production of heliostats (mirror systems), Cube-shaped receiver (Power Cube) for concentrating sunlight into heat, Thermal energy storage (1 MWh per unit), Steam generation, Integration of heat exchangers, Integration of absorption chillers, Industrial high-temperature process heat (including metal forging, glass manufacturing)
- Materials
- Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) Heliostat Tower System, Thermal Storage Unit (1 MWh), Heliostat Mirror Systems, Power Cube (cube-shaped receiver), System Integration (heat exchangers, absorption chillers, boilers)
- Industries
- Metallurgy and metal processing, Chemical industry, Advanced materials and manufacturing, Food and beverage industry, Glass and ceramics industry, Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
- 01
Design and engineering of the SF900 system
- 02
Production of heliostats and receivers (Power Cube)
- 03
Integration of thermal storage units
- 04
Integration of heat exchangers, absorption chillers and boiler systems
- 05
Consulting and feasibility studies
- 06
Operation and Maintenance
Technology & Processes
Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) Heliostat Tower System
High-temperature system up to 900 °C with heliostat mirrors and cube-shaped receiver for generating industrial process heat.
Thermal Storage Unit (1 MWh)
Stores solar energy using environmentally friendly materials for uninterrupted 24/7 operation without the harmful environmental impact of conventional batteries.
Heliostat Mirror Systems
Tracking mirrors that concentrate unfiltered sunlight onto the solar tower with low losses.
Power Cube (cube-shaped receiver)
Captures concentrated sunlight and converts it into high-temperature process heat.
System Integration (heat exchangers, absorption chillers, boilers)
Seamless integration into existing plants in cooperation with the respective service providers.
Location
Root D4 (Technopark Luzern)
CHDevelopment, design and production; company headquarters
- SF900 Solar Furnace System (Heliostat Tower)
- Heliostat mirror systems
- Thermal storage unit (1 MWh per unit)
- Power Cube receiver
System Components
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) technology / Solar Furnace SF900Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Design and production of heliostats (mirror systems)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cube-shaped receiver (Power Cube) for concentrating sunlight into heatEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Thermal energy storage (1 MWh per unit)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Steam generationEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Integration of heat exchangersEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Integration of absorption chillersEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Industrial high-temperature process heat (including metal forging, glass manufacturing)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Industrial cooling processes using solar energyEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Water treatment and Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG)Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Solar desalination with thermal storageEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Boiler systems for energy, cooling and freshwaterEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
7 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Furnace System SF900 (Heliostat Tower CST System) | Swiss Furnace GmbH SF900 | – | – | – | Platz 4, Technopark Luzern, 6039 Root D4, LU, Switzerland |
| Heliostat mirror systems | Swiss Furnace GmbH | – | – | – | – |
| Thermal storage unit (1 MWh per unit) | Swiss Furnace GmbH | – | – | – | – |
| Cube-shaped receiver (Power Cube) | Swiss Furnace GmbH | – | – | – | – |
| Absorption chillers (integration) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Heat exchangers (integration) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Boilers (integration) | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
History
- 2023
Website and company presence at swissfurnace.com (© Swiss Furnace GmbH, 2023)