Dan Hughes McGrail Artist invetor inventor scultore solar renewable sculpture renewable product developementSolaesthetic a design led eco innovation start-up invention of a solar collector- The Solaesthetic Solar Thermal 1 (ST1). It is a top of the range sculptural solar thermal collector with unique and beautiful applications. Scultpture Solar Sculpture
Sculptor Specializing in solar
Solaesthetic will launch into the market sectors the renewable energy, and sustainability sectors. Specifically, concentrate on solar thermal technology.
markets are currently experiencing exponential expansion, The primary stimuli for this growth are the strong climate change policies fundamental shifts in culture caused by climate change. consensus that stems from a desire to tackle a global problem. solar powered art, Solar sculpture, solar powered sculpture.
ST1, Solaesthetic invent and develop many more renewable energy products. Solaesthetic promote, produce, and install renewable energy products internationally and then use the revenue to support further innovation.
Solaesthetic’s design is a fusion of art, engineering and science. A product’s aesthetic qualities are considered part of it’s utility.
We have a unique patent protected product. established forerunner in Designer renewable energy products. Designer solar collectors
The most attractive solar collectors available
responding to the new environmental necessities (and opportunitie ecologically informed ethos in order to fulfil ecological and environmental goals. We will create beautiful devices that use renewable energy to enhance life. We will develop these ecologically informed products and processes as a ‘best effort’ contribution to sustainable human culture.
Solaesthetic demonstrate that we can make a positive difference to the environment and that it is a highly profitable course to take. Not only that, but it can be done beautifully.
The general objective is to build a business with two distinct but complementary threads of activity.One thread is the development of renewable energy products. Solaesthetic’s activities in this area will include Invention. Prototyping. Patenting and licensing.
The other thread is a renewable energy systems design practice, whose activities will include: Renewable energy systems design service. Supply and installation. Solar thermal consultancy. The two sides of the business will cross-fertilise each other. For example, systems design will promote Solaesthetic products, whilst providing real world stimulus for further innovations. On the other hand, Solaesthetic systems designs will have preferential access to newly patented technologies. vertically mounted solar collector
The ST1 Solaesthetic is a fully functional solar thermal collector, but it is also a sculptural installation. It can be thought of in conjunction with landscape architecture and public sculpture, and is intended to be a permanent installation. It offers a vertical form which overcomes many of the siting limitations associated with panels and extends solar system positioning potential in general. The vertical form gives extra versatility for physical and visual integration. It also offers a dramatic architectural statement.
The ST1 is unusual in that it uses omni-directional, volumetric absorber element. This method of absorption means that the collector’s orientation is not critical to it’s output. This means it can be arranged on a horizontal plane. It is also designed so that it can be mounted in a number of different ways. E.g. On plinths in a garden or courtyard near to a host building. Or it can be mounted on posts high above the ground.
The omni-directional energy pick up opens the potential for using landscape features, groundworks and structures to act as reflectors. And with extraordinary results- in tests, the output of the collectors was boosted by 40% by adding the simplest of ground reflectors.
This is perhaps the most exciting aspect of the invention for garden designers and landscape architects. It allows new creative applications. The use of large sweeping parabolic shapes in groundworks and the potential to build seating that also acts as a light concentrator, are just a couple of possibilities.
Each ST1 collector’s specific size can be altered in the vertical dimension. Giving even more versatility when designing site-specific systems. The output capacity can be finely adjusted by altering the height and quantity of the collector elements.
It is of particular value to people who live in conservation areas and to those who live in buildings of historical interest and/or architectural significance. Another major usage will be pool owners, who have concern for the aesthetics of their pool and want to maximise the ground space around their pool.
One of the motives to start the ST1’s development was the poor visual quality of the solar collectors that are available. It seems that product development cycles have led to designs that pay little or no attention to aesthetic function, but concentrated almost solely on physics and engineering efficiency.
This approach is perfectly suited to items like boilers or car engines. Where the visual qualities are largely irrelevant. However it is not appropriate for items that people must live with for long periods. We wanted to make alternatives that we could happily live with.
But this is not just a matter of personal taste. It is generally wanted in the field. The Solar Energy Lab and Buildings Physics institute in Lausanne conducted a survey of architects and solar engineers about the issues of architectural integration of solar thermal collectors. (See the full document in the appendix.) The authors conclude that, “Optimized technologies and competitive prices are not sufficient to reach the spread of solar thermal technologies [that we] should expect.”
They reason, that the options for architects and solar installers are generally poor. In short, too ugly
The survey identified the criteria as most important to architects as:Size and position of collectors. The interface with the building.Absorber colour.
They conclude that architects and installing engineers are happy to trade efficiency for a more visually sympathetic product. The survey conclusions end by calling for solar products that can be easily integrated into design. There is a great desire for multiple functionality, and a particular call for vertical solar collector. For both aesthetic and functional reasons.
It is likely that when the ST1 goes into the public arena it will trigger a host of competitors very quickly. As other people see Solaesthetic installations and become confident enough to develop there own creative solutions. It would be wise to monitor this process and watch out for potential licensees and collaborators.
The bulk of solar thermal installations are currently performed using flat plat (75%), and evacuated tube collector (18%). The rest are generally special purpose or large scale industrial situations. There are a dozen or so small manufacturers in the UK supplying this market, but a large proportion of demand is met by imports from Europe and China. Germany in particular supplies 65% of all the collectors in Europe. At the top of the market are the evacuated tube collectors. None of these are manufactured within the UK. Though some firms like Thermomax, operate factories in Italy and run the business from within the UK. Interestingly the bulk of the growth in the market in the UK is with imported evacuated tubes i.e. the most expensive types. This indicates the top, high spec, end of the market is where the growth is happening in the UK.
The competition for high value solar installations is with firms that already have some market penetration with proven goods. In our favour it is difficult to distinguish their products from one another. And often the only way of evaluating them is by compare output and efficiency charts. The ST1’s major strength as an alternative is that it shines out against the homogeneity of the competition. Which are basically rectangular panels, or racks of evacuated tubes.
There are many circumstances where traditional panels just cannot be used. And there are n competitors for these sites. Obviously these are the ones to focus on at the outset.
There are lots of high quality, excellently designed and engineered solar collectors in existence with the mass market criteria of absorption efficiency per surface area as the design highest priority. The intention being to minimise the physical size of the collectors. There are many reasons for this criteria, but an important one has been a market pressure to minimise the visual impact of collectors on the host architecture. But they are still ugly.
That said, they will still take the majority of the market and the mass growth. But in many ways the multiple niches that the ST1 is aiming for are operating on different rules. It is a prestige market, analogous to the difference between PC computers and Apple computers; Or a Ford car and a Mercedes. They both fulfil the same basic functions, but one is significantly more appealing on aesthetic grounds, which leads to the attribution of kudos. The purchasing decision is not simply based on price per performance. People pay more because they value the beauty of the design and the personal esteem that is associated with it.
The segments of the market that we are entering into currently tend to use evacuated tube systems and there is a tendency to use these in severely compromised ways in order to hide them. This kind of use is mainly due to the lack of an alternative.
However we will be competing with these products that have the ‘known quantity’ factor in their favour. We will have to expend a lot of effort proving and explaining the ST1 to conservative customers. We are helped here inasmuch as the market is still relatively immature and most people have to research solar thermal or buy in specialist advice. It would be a good strategy to target the professionals who give this advise.
The Solaesthetic ST1 is a relatively specialist device. It has two solid niche markets to aim at in the shape of top of the market retrofits and in architectural design sphere. It also has potential for a semi mass market in the pool heating market.
There are two distinct target categories for the ST1. These fall into the new build/development sector and the retro-fit sector. They represent very different audiences with different priorities so it is useful to treat them separately.
Solaesthetic Systems design service. In the early phases of the business, this is the preferred sales route.
ST1 systems will cost significantly more than panels arrays, but the uniqueness and the kudos it confers; the serviceability, and specificity of the design as provide the additional value.
Marketing needs to amplify these value adding factors and our attention needs to concentrate onto the multiple niches that the ST1 can fulfil. An overall visual coherence of marketing material is essential.
Companies who are already in the solar thermal market often provide evidence based arguments and presentations of statistics. They commonly represent the technology in an explanatory way.
There are often quoted “payback times” associated with solar installations. E.g. “It will pay for itself in ‘n’ years” Most of these figures are spurious and use methods that are no good. Figures like efficiency ratings bear little relationship to useful heat in the real world.
The Solar Trade Organisation uses a best practice model which can be condensed into a formula that gives a cost per kW.
The actual Carbon Reduction achieved by the installation is going to become a necessary factor too. So quantifying the carbon output and carbon saving relative to commonly understood alternatives will be essential.
E.g. The Carbon Saving for the ST1 prototype translates to an approximate 90-100kg for each m2 per year.