Project description
An innovative 'sun roof' accommodates lots of cars at once
When you get a little cold but do not want to heat the whole house, you can use a space heater – pull it out of the closet, plug it in and put it away when you are done. The Swiss SME dhp technology has developed a solar folding roof to enable businesses to have nearly the same flexibility when it comes to solar power production. The HORIZON system targets industrial spaces such as wastewater treatment plants and car parks. Its wide column spacings and ample height enable dual use of space with easy movement of goods, people or cars underneath. The EU-funded HORIZON project will help the team roll out the commercialisation plan.
Objective
dhp technology is an award winning start-up in the energy sector which has developed the first and unique feasible application of photovoltaics in wastewater treatment plants (WTPs). HORIZON is a worldwide unparalleled retractable folding solar roof that can be utilised in already commercially exploited spaces such as parking lots, storage and logistics facilities, as it enables the production of solar power through dual usage. The dual usage of spaces preserves resources and allows for the production of solar power where it is needed most. The folding roof automatically avoids poor weather and retracts itself into a central garage, in a aesthetic, lightweight and economical manner. Horizon has been designed with the future in mind as it can be integrated into current and future trends such as IoT, smart mobility and smart grids. Our solution provides a solution to the increasing densification of our living spaces and eases the competition amongst industry, housing, cropland, recreational spaces and energy production. Horizon is a disruptive technology and it has no direct competing solutions which can achieve a similar dual function in the target markets. The two main applications of the folding solar roof are parking-logistics areas and wastewater treatment plants. The customers are municipalities, energy providers or land operators. High self-consumption remains at the centre for both segments, as well as additional benefits such as shade for vehicles, brand image or the compatibility with electro mobility charging stations. There is a technical potential of approximately 70MW on wastewater purification plants and 5GW on parking lots within the Swiss market. In Europe these are approximately 4GW and 300GW respectively in the same segments which corresponds to a market size of over €100 billion. Through the market entry in 7 EU markets, the HORIZON project will reach in in year 2025 revenues of €55’7M, and profit of €9’7M, generating renewable 80 MWp in 157 WTPs.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
7205 ZIZERS
Switzerland
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.