Top 5 clean tech trailblazers of the summer

The Rushlight Summer Showcase, sponsored by Innovate UK and BEIS, brings together entrepreneurs and start-ups with investors and interested parties.

We spoke with the majority of attendees and off the back of many inspiring conversations, we picked our five favourites.

1) Polysolar

We have been keenly tracking the progress of solar windows, long touted as the way buildings may become power stations. Polysolar offer solar glazing solutions that can be tailored from opaque to 50% transparency, turning conventional glass panes into energy generators. We would like to see every office block fitted with Polysolar panels and every business carbon negative.

2) Cumulus Energy Storage 

We were struck by the scale of Cumulus Energy Storage’s ambition. Its patented copper / zinc batteries offer the lowest levelised cost of energy storage globally as well as being 98% recyclable at end of life, a major benefit when looking ahead to the mid-century. Deep decarbonisation will depend on sustainable battery storage solutions and Cumulus are one of the front runners.

3) Tokamak Energy

Did you know that a tokamak is a device that uses a powerful magnetic field to confine a hot plasma in the shape of a torus? Tokamak Energy are developing a scalable fusion solution that could offer the world a new clean base-load power source. We loved their time-lapse video of lab trials. Tokamak Energy is hive of activity, pioneering the future of the energy system.

4) Highview Power

When air is warmed in ambient conditions from -196°C its volume increases 700 times. Huge expansion of this kind can drive turbines. This is how Highview Power stores and releases energy at a fraction of the cost of other battery storage solutions. The launch of their world-first liquid air energy storage system this month created waves, we look forward to the next one.

5) Naked Energy 

You often hear about PV (photovoltaics) but less often about PVT (photovoltaic thermal). Naked Energy’s PVT product Virtu® creates both electricity and heat. According to Imperial College London, this solar product “produces unprecedented power output and is a step change in solar technology”. Could we combine this with the solar panels that generate electricity from rain that are being developed in China? It seems to be that the sky is the limit when it comes to solar.

Greenhouse and clean tech

At Greenhouse we pride ourselves on working at the cutting edge of clean technology and renewable energy innovation. We work with Pivot Power, Moixa, BSR Group and Northern Powergrid among many others in order to drive decarbonisation in the UK and abroad.

Recently, we launched Pivot Power’s ambitious plans to disrupt and innovate the energy network by installing the world’s biggest network grid-scale batteries and rapid electric vehicle charging stations across the UK

We reached over 5 million people through coverage in 60+ national and trade titles which generated enquiries from investors, as well as requests for meetings from the UK Home Secretary and the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.

If you’re working to create positive change and need help telling your story, please get in touch with the team on 0330 223 0645 or email info@greenhousepr.co.uk.