Since the mid-seventies, at the height of the "energy crisis," Klaus has been working in solar thermal systems engineering. He co-founded Alten Corporation, a San Francisco Bay Area solar engineering and hardware manufacturing firm.

The Alten solar collectors are based on an economically priced copper-tube, aluminum-fin design for which Klaus holds a patent. Alten Corporation produced some $10 Mill. worth of solar collectors for third-party financed installations (i.e., the solar energy actually collected and metered was purchased by the customers' sites, and the proceeds were turned over to the investors). These installations continue to "produce" solar energy, preserving hundreds of gallons of crude oil each day for more important purposes.

Klaus was involved in various highly visible solar system designs, including commercial solar air conditioning systems and a solar photovoltaic/cogen system at a CalTrans maintenance station in Northern California. He also taught several solar engineering classes at local colleges and Stanford University.

Publications

"Design and Construction of a Pilot Solar Space Heating and Air Conditioning System Using Flat Plate Collectors and an Absorption Chiller," in "Solar Technol. for Buildings," Proceed. 1st Int. Conf. Solar Bldg. Technol., London, 1977, Vol.II, p. 476, RIBA Publ. Ltd., Costis Stambolis, Edit. (1979)

Klaus Heinemann authored a textbook on solar engineering "Thermal Applications of Solar Energy" (no longer in print) and wrote/licensed a number of computer simulation programs for solar engineering applications:

These comprehensive solar/building system performance simulation programs were validated during many years of actual data collection with Alten solar installations and represent, to this day unparalleled, inexpensive and reliable tools for virtually any kind of solar thermal energy application.

If you have considered acquiring a solar domestic water heating system, installing solar collectors to heat your (indoor or outdoor) swimming pool, or investing in a solar space heating or even air conditioning system, contact Klaus to do a design and performance/financial analysis. He will also be glad to evaluate your building design with respect to passive solar heating in detail not normally available elsewhere, with particular emphasis on thermal capacity impacted daily and seasonal inside temperature swings and auxiliary (conventional) heating demands.