Summary:

Build Solar, a spin­out technology company from the University of Exeter has developed a highly innovative glass brick construction solution – Solar Squared. This patented onsite electricity­generating technology can be seamlessly integrated within buildings and standalone infrastructure.

Solar Squared addresses all three elements of the energy trilemma and is a low cost, secure, safe, efficient, clean energy, building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solution for the energy­intensive built environment. Build Solar is reducing the cost of BIPV energy and installation by seamlessly integrating advanced PV technology within a mass­market construction material and unlocking new vertical spaces within our towns and cities for clean energy production.

The market demanded innovation that delivers greatly improved thermal efficiency and integrated energy harvesting within the confines of existing glass brick manufacturing approaches, disrupting the £200 Million glass brick market and complimenting the ever­growing BIPV market (£10 Billion).

Solar Squared has a <3yr payback and a net positive impact on the 2050 low carbon targets. Commercial progress is substantial, private match funding secured and a high value for money innovation poised to disrupt global markets with the UK derived and secured IP.

The objectives of this project are to:

(i)develop solar squared technology so that maximum power generation will be obtained while maintaining daylighting and achieving an overall heat transfer value of 1.2 W/m2K.

(ii)prototype and manufacture the Solar Squared bricks and predict their performance under a variety of environmental conditions.

(iii)develop a simplified methodology to compute the U­factor and SHGC of Solar Squared bricks and the interface materials between them.

(iii)evaluate the best mechanisms for integration with the building management systems to maximise the thermal and visual comfort.

(iv)develop and study the application of custom antireflection and reflective coatings to be used within these systems to maximise the performance.

(v)perform system assembly and experimentally evaluate the performance of the system under standard and testing conditions.

(vi)carry out business development through customer engagement and typical case studies.

The funding will be used to increase the TRL of our innovation and increase its market adoption. Further, it will be used to support employment for our team and strengthen the Cornish economy.