HELIOVIS AG is developing the HELIOtube, a new type of solar concentrator that will be mass produced on an industrial scale.
The HELIOtube is an inflatable solar concentrator made out of plastic films which uses a reflective film to concentrate light from the sun and make it economically usable. The HELIOtube can be installed in solar thermal power stations or be used for photovoltaic applications involving concentration. The invention is protected by patents.
Because of the small amount of material used, the cost-efficient, central production and the simplicity of installation, the HELIOtube has significant cost advantages over its competitors.
The HELIOtube offers a radical departure from conventional parabolic trough reflectors, and therefore has the potential to play a significant role in solar thermal applications and to contribute to further developments in the use of renewable energy.