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A&B Smart Materials Receives £20,000 Prize for Novel Cooling Solution for Solar Panels
A&B Smart Materials’ team, comprised of experts in thermal engineering, nanotechnology, and smart materials, has developed a passive cooling technology utilizing innovative hydrogels. The technology has the potential to boost energy generation by up to 5% by absorbing atmospheric water during the night and releasing it via evaporation during the day, thereby cooling the solar panel while it is in operation.
Currently, the initial prototypes of A&B Smart Materials’ novel cooling solution for solar panels are undergoing testing at the Begbroke Science Park of the University of Oxford. Additionally, the company is in the process of filing for a patent and developing partnerships with solar farms worldwide to integrate this technology into their operations.
The founders of A&B Smart Materials, Amaury van Trappen de Buggenoms and Benjamin White, expressed their gratitude for winning the £20,000 prize in the CleanTech Challenge. They stated that the funding will be pivotal in progressing their venture, allowing them to further refine and test their solar cooling gel technology, bringing them closer to market. The founders also expressed their excitement about continuing their journey to revolutionize solar panel efficiency and have a positive impact on the environment.
The CleanTech Challenge is a global business pitch competition that was designed by students for students with promising and innovative clean technology ideas. Co-hosted by University College London (UCL) and the London Business School (LBS), the competition aims to assist students in developing their clean technology concepts into successful business ventures.
Sami Walter, the President of the CleanTech Challenge, described the opportunity to organize the competition as a remarkable experience that allowed for connections to be made within the European cleantech entrepreneurship ecosystem. The CleanTech Challenge is open to all current university students worldwide who are pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral degrees at recognized higher education institutions.
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