From left to right - Carolyn Cadman (Cornwall Wildlife Trust, MC), Jim Williams, Professor Tapas Mallick, Dr Hasan Baig, Tom Mercer (Fluid Branding, Sponsor). Image courtesy of Toby Weller.

A win for Build Solar at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards

Build Solar, an innovative spin-out company from the University of Exeter, lead the way at the Cornwall Sustainability Awards with a win in the "Innovation - Tomorrow's Contribution to Sustainability" category for their impressive new product Solar Squared, a multifunctional glass brick.

The Cornwall Sustainability Awards, held on Friday 30 November in Newquay, is an annual celebration to encourage, reward, and recognise the excellent work organisations are doing to improve their own sustainability while positively growing the natural environment in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

A record number of applications were received this year, making shortlisting a challenging job for the judges, who were blown away by the range and quality of applications. They were particularly impressed by Build Solar’s innovative idea, Solar Squared, which transforms a glass brick into an energy harvesting element. Professor Tapas Mallick, Chief Scientific Advisor and Co-founder of Build Solar says of the win: “We are extremely happy to receive this award, in a very competitive category. The technology will transform the way we use solar energy in our built environment by utilising construction materials as a power generator.”

Standard solar technology is limited by the areas where it can be installed and visual impact. Build Solar want to overcome these limitations by incorporating affordable, efficient and attractive optically- integrated solar technologies as part of the building’s architecture with minimal impact on the environment.

Dr. Hasan Baig, Co-founder of Build Solar who are based at the Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI) on the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus added: “The team are working closely with some renowned architects to conceptualise the idea of using Solar Squared within commercial buildings, whilst also looking to attract private investments to support the team’s growth ambitions and enable us to enter into international markets.”

Professor Juliet Osborne, Director of the ESI says: “The environment and sustainability underpin much of the ethos of the Penryn Campus and we aim to lead by example, so it’s great to see everyone’s efforts being recognised in this way. I’m delighted for Build Solar and their win.”

Date: 7 December 2018