Cambridge-based solar company Polysolar will pilot its solar glazing technology at Canary Wharf, following victory in the Canary Wharf Group’s Smart Cities accelerator competition.
The thin-film PV company was selected as the winner of the sustainable buildings stream of the 12-week accelerator programme and, as such, wins £50,000 in prize money and the opportunity to pilot its transparent PV glazing in the Canary Wharf district.
Polysolar’s PV offering is a transparent, thin-film solar PV glass panel which can be integrated into a building’s external structure or retrofitted into existing builds. The company claims that its technology has already been used in a number of commercial developments including supermarkets and the Future Business Centre in Cambridge.
Dan Byles, founding chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities praised Canary Wharf Group’s competition, stating: “It is fantastic to see innovative companies like these breaking new ground in the fields of sustainable buildings and integrated transportation. If we want a sustainable planet we need sustainable cities.” Byles added that the UK has the capability and expertise to “lead the world in smart city thinking and implementation”.
Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) remain a relatively niche segment of the global PV market, however, British companies are viewed at the vanguard of the sector’s expansion. A recent study by Mintel revealed that 78% of Brits would support a move by the government to make solar installs on all new-build properties mandatory where viable.
Polysolar states that it will now liaise with key Canary Wharf specialists to facilitate the deployment of its BIPV pilot project.