SolarSub, a solar technology company founded by two University of Edinburgh engineering graduates, has completed a £1.34 million funding round to accelerate the development and commercialisation of its passive cooling technology for solar panels.
The round was led by Sustainable Ventures, with participation from Zinc VC, Scottish Enterprise, Old College Capital, the University of Edinburgh’s venture investment fund, SFC Capital and the British Business Bank. It was also supported by Innovate UK’s Investor Partnership programme.
Solar panels generate less electricity and degrade more quickly as they heat up. SolarSub’s technology is designed to keep modules closer to their optimal operating temperature without pumps or moving parts. The company says this increases energy generation, reduces temperature-driven degradation and improves the long-term economics of solar projects.
In previous trials at the University of Edinburgh’s FloWave ocean energy research facility, the technology recorded an energy uplift of up to 17.5%. Outdoor testing at Heriot-Watt University’s Dubai campus recorded peak gains of up to 19%.
The new funding will support further product development, independent testing and deployments with research, utility and industry partners. Over the coming months, the company will carry out trials in several international locations as it works towards commercial-scale deployment.
SolarSub is initially targeting floating solar, where direct access to water provides a strong environment for passive thermal management, before expanding into the wider utility-scale solar market. The funding will also support the expansion of its engineering capability as it develops the technology for manufacture, certification and commercial deployment.
Sebastiaan Schalkwijk, chief executive and co-founder of SolarSub, said: “It’s been great to see the technology progress from the early days of research at the University of Edinburgh to the point where we’re now preparing for larger-scale trials and commercial deployment.”
James Taylor, co-founder and chief operating officer, said: “This investment allows us to move from successful technical validation into the next stage of real-world deployment. Our focus will now shift to demonstrating the technology at increasing scale and building out our commercial adoption with industry partners.”
Joshua Armistead-Wood, investor at Sustainable Ventures, said: “The solution the SolarSub team is developing stood out to us because, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, they are focused on one simple root of inefficiency within existing solar systems: excess heat.”
Derek Shaw, director of company funding and investment at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Our investment in SolarSub Ltd underscores our commitment to creating an internationally competitive energy transition industry in Scotland.”
