UK-based OXIS Solar Centre for Autonomous Research (OSCAR) has launched a new project, termed Project Helios, which will work as a global launch-pad for cheaper commercial solar energy.

OXIS Solar is a customised and specially built demonstration facility which houses OXIS’ entire solar storage technology.

The demonstration for the project includes a 3.8kWp solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) power generation system which comes with integrated 3kWh OXIS Lithium Sulfur battery.

It also features 16 PV panels which are serially connected to generate 600V DC and feeds into the widely used SMA Sunny Boy Inverter to generate a 240V, 50Hz ‘mains’ output.

OXIS Energy CEO Huw Hampson-Jones said: “The significance of this technology is at this stage understated.
“In the continent of Africa for example, this is a breakthrough as profound as the introduction of the mobile phone and allows for the rapid commercialisation of their economies using solar energy storage systems.

“For Europe, this technology brings a safe and cheap source of electricity for its citizens in a manner that allows its economies to lessen their dependency on oil and gas”.

PROINSO Asia Pacific and Storage head Stuart Macfarlane said: “The realisation of the OXIS storage solution is perfectly timed as we continue to move into emerging markets that have a high demand for safe, reliable and cost-effective energy storage solutions.

“Importantly, the technology is robust and easily scalable which is crucial for use across a wide range of applications and in frequently hostile environments.”