Cool Energy, Inc. has announced the completion and operation of its third Stirling Engine platform. The engine, called the SolarHeart Engine converts low temperature heat into electrical power and will be integrated with evacuated tube solar collectors and a storage tank system for homes and buildings to provide both heat and power.

Optimized for users of heating oil or propane in colder climates (northern U.S., Canada and Europe), the system will reduce energy bills by as much as 75%, the company claims.

“We are excited to have achieved this major technology milestone,” said Sam Weaver, CEO and president of Cool Energy. “After our engineers finished assembly of the engine, it ran upon first activation and generated over 600 watts of electrical power. In a short time the engine was producing near 1 kW. Our team will now be using a higher temperature working fluid to simulate a solar application and we expect to generate power in the 1.5 kW range.”