While vacationing in Turkey in 1993, Dr. Ahmet Lokurlu experienced the effects of the hot summer sun firsthand. However, the harmless diagnosis – a sunburn – led him to come up with a downright groundbreaking idea: “How”, the budding engineer wondered, “can we use this inexhaustible source of energy for cooling?”

It took a few years until they were finally ready to be brought to the market: the new generation of parabolic trough collectors with which Lokurlu succeeded in converting the sun’s energy into coldness. America’s renowned “Time Magazine” has deemed the pioneer a “Hero of the Environment” for his invention, and Lokurlu has been distinguished with several awards in Germany as well as at international levels. Among others, he has received the European Solar Award, the Energy Globe Award, the Global 100 Eco-Tech Award as well as an award from the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

But how it is possible to convert heat into cold? What at first seems like trying to fit a round peg into a square hole is actually quite simple: first, Lokurlu was able to optimize the geometry of the sun collectors through intense research. He then developed a tracking system, which enables the collectors to follow the sun’s path precisely. This allows virtually all of the obtainable sun’s rays to be channeled to an absorbing tube, which then heats the water it contains to more than 200 degrees Celsius. Such a high temperature is necessary to be able to power the so-called absorption chilling machines. These machines then cool the water to a temperature of a mere six degrees Celsius – low enough to air-condition rooms.

Lokurlu calls his method “solar air conditioning.” This idea, which seems like a paradox at first glance, is sheer ingenious. In addition to an enormous reduction in electricity costs, the Lokurlu solar-based energy supply systems preserve fossil fuels and provide sustainable environmental protection. With the help of Lokurlu’s innovation, entire communities, airports, hospitals and factories may now become more energetically independent.

The success of the first system alone attests to the invention’s abilities: The Lokurlu collectors installed on the roof of a hotel near Turkey’s Aegean coast have supplied the 1000-bed building with electricity since 2004. In the summer, the system is used to keep the hotel rooms at pleasantly cool temperatures; in the winter, it is used to heat both the hotel rooms and the swimming pool. It supplies the kitchen with warm water year-round and additionally generates steam for the laundry.

Three other hotels and public facilities in Turkey already utilize the systems to generate electricity. Moreover, more collectors are currently being installed at a shopping center in Istanbul, a Metro wholesale store in Antalya and a grocery factory in the Turkish city of Tarsus.

This technology is especially beneficial in warm countries, which have an enormous need for air conditioning. So far, only large building complexes have been equipped with the systems, but smaller constructions are in development, which would enable private customers to share in the ecological and economic benefits in the near future.

When Lokurlu came up with his solar idea, he was in the middle of his mechanical engineering studies. In 1988, he left Turkey to enroll in two further study programs in Germany: he earned additional degrees in the fields of energy and process technology and industrial engineering. Subsequently, he completed his doctorate and conducted scientific studies at the Jülich Research Center. With special permission from his boss, he founded his own company – SOLITEM GmbH – while he was still finishing his research thesis. “At first, everyone thought I was crazy,” recalls the inventor, “but with a lot of persistence and passion, I managed to do it.”

Today, his business group employs some 30 staff members in Germany and Turkey. And it was no coincidence that the decision was made to establish the headquarters in North Rhine-Westphalia: “This location is extremely appealing to businesses looking to establish themselves and be successful on the market due to its innovative spirit, its superior infrastructure and its overall strategic orientation”, Lokurlu explains.

The Aachen-based company is now the international market leader in the field of solar cooling – and it is aiming at further expansion. As part of a strategic partnership, MAN Ferrostaal secured a 20.1 percent share of the company, which now has both clients and further investors alike lined up wanting to get involved.

Just recently, the Sultanate of Oman signaled its interest. Sheik Abdullah bin Mohamed Al-Salmi, a high-ranking member of government, made an official offer for a cooperation. Negotiations are currently underway. Lokurlu is confident that they will reach an agreement: “The odds look fairly good.”