A solar panel company has announced it wants to build a presence in emerging renewable energy markets in countries including India, Italy, Greece and China, which could further the demand for solar cells in these regions.

Under plans financed by £2.7 million from the investment arm of the Carbon Trust, Whitfield Solar has said it will first try to ramp up marketing and sales in new EU markets and Australia, before focussing on China and India.

Rather than using hydraulic systems to track the sun's movement, the company uses electric, along with Fresnel lenses, which proves to be more attractive and affordable than solar concentrator systems.

"Our concentrator platform offers a fast track to solar grid parity, allowing more cost-effective deployment of high efficiency cells. Our lightweight platform creates the opportunity for installations where load capacity is a key issue, such as rooftops," said Stephen Bates, chief executive of Whitfield Solar.

The company was started to commercialise three decades of research Dr George Whitfield, from the University of Reading, completed on low-cost solar concentrators.

 

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