S4, E5: Ukushisa kwe-Decarbonising kunye noDkt Alex Mellor weNaked Energy

Ushicilelo oluveliswe ngeDijithali

[00:00:00] UJackie De Burca: Molo emva kwemini, lo nguJackie De Burca waMazwi akhayo. Ndikunye noGqr. Alex Mellor onguMlawuli wezobuNjineli kwiNaked Energy. Ngoku ulandele ukuthanda kwakhe ubomi bakhe bonke ngamandla elanga. Ubhale amalungelo awodwa omenzi wechiza amabini kunye namaphepha angama-21 apapashiweyo kwitekhnoloji ye-PVT, ukusebenza kakuhle kwe-PV, iisistim zegridi zasemaphandleni kunye ne-PV yamandla asemajukujukwini, kunye nencwadi yeeseli zelanga zequantum. Ngoku ndiyakwazi. Phambi kokuba ndinamkele, ndingathi bendihlala emaphandleni enenkqubo yegridi, ke ndingathanda ukwazi ngakumbi ngaloo nto. Kodwa vele uzazise, ​​Alex, okokuqala, nceda.

[00:00:48] Dr Alex Mellor: Sure. Hi Jackie. Really, really nice to meet you and thanks so much for having me on your on your podcast. My name’s Alex Mellor. I’ve been a lifelong environmentalist and always had a passion for science and technology. Sort of something of an activist, even when I was back at school. And then when I went to university, I realized that if I chose the right course, I had the opportunity to marry my passions for science, technology and environmentalism. So I studied mathematics and physics with a view to going into renewable energy. I chose to have a year in industry as part of my degree course. And if anyone here is thinking of going to university, they offer a year in industry. I’d really recommend it. It’s a really good way to get started, particularly if they let you choo. Where to go. I found a small PV cell research and manufacture facility in Northumberland in the north of England and I went to did my year internship there. It was called NAREC at the time, they’re now called Solar Capture Technologies. I had a really great experience there and I thought I love research, I love, I love PV solar energy. So I found a PhD in Madrid where I could go and work on high efficiency PV cells, looking particularly at really high efficiency concepts. You know, how to get to 50% electrical efficiency using kind of optical light trapping and device physics. Really enjoyed that. I became a research associate. I then went to Imperial College where I was a research fellow looking at other novel concepts in PV cells. And I started getting interested in PVT and particularly optical coatings for pvt. At that time I was lucky enough to meet Naked Energy where I’m working at the moment. They had a joint project with Imperial College. We worked together on that project and I like the company, the company obviously liked me, so I went to work with them. I’ve been at Naked Energy now for six years. I’m now director of Engineering, I didn’t start that way, but I started working on the product development. We went into commercial phase. So I very quickly became part of a fledgling sales team, set up a kind of a customer journey so we could identify the right kinds of users of solar, heat and PVT technology and take them through a journey. They could see if our technology was right for us. We then hired a proper commercial team, which I was glad of, so I could go back into the technical area. And I now work on a development of the product, a development of our design and monitoring software, and also integration of our technology into building. So that’s a, that’s a kind of brief introduction into my career, which is excellent, Alex.

. Ke njengoko siqhubeka, ndicinga ukuba incoko yethu, mhlawumbi uzame ukuyingenisa njengentetho yomntu ophakathi kwezinye zezinto ozithethileyo. Amandla ahamba Naked, ngokucacileyo iyaziwa ngokuba iphambili kwi-solar innovation. Ngaba unokwabelana ngemishini yenkampani, u-Alex, kunye nento ovakalelwa kukuba iyayihlula kumhlaba wamandla ahlaziyekayo?

[00:03:38] Dr Alex Mellor: Absolutely. So we’re really focused on decarbonization of heat. So, you know, when a lot of people think of renewable energy, they’re really thinking of renewable electricity. Yeah. So if you think of wind power, pv, solar power, these are ways of generating electricity from, from the wind and the sun. But actually most of the energy we end up using, we don’t use as electricity, we use it as heat. Electricity and transport, you know, those are the three main ones. And about 50% of primary energy, we end up using it as heat. So that heats to heat, you know, the spaces that we occupy. So at home or at work, it’s to heat the hot water that we, we bathe and shower in and use for sanitation, and it’s to heat industrial processes so, you know, to make the things that we use. So about 50% of primary energy and therefore of greenhouse gas emissions are to generate some sort of heating or cooling. So that’s really what we’re, we’re aimed at. And we do that through our solar products, which generate solar heat and solar electricity. So we’re attacking both the heat and electricity with our solar products. What, what sets us apart? I mean, we, perhaps less usually for a solar heat technology, we really aim at kind of large heat users. So it’s, it’s commercial and industrial buildings rather than individual homes. So, you know, we Felt there was a gap there and something that was really well served by, by solar heat and power. And we, we designed our technology about how to best deliver for those commercial and industrial end users of heat. And we designed a technology with a very high energy density on the roof. So it’s all about, you know, our customers, they have high heat use, high power use, limited space on the roof, and they want to generate as much as they can with the roof space they have. So we really designed the technology, the, you know, the optics, the heat management, the electrical management, so that we could get the maximum amount of useful energy out of that roof space. And that’s what I’d say sets us apart from other, other solar technologies.

[00:05:38] UJackie De Burca: Ngaba ubhekisa kwitekhnoloji yeVirtue, uAlex?

[00:05:41] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe, ichanekile. Ngoko sineentsapho ezimbini zeteknoloji. Omabini abizwa ngokuba sisidima. Ke umntu ubizwa ngokuba yiVirtue Hot, yimveliso yobushushu kuphela. Ngoko ke ivelisa ubushushu belanga ukuya kutsho kwi-120 degrees celcius. Kwaye enye ibizwa ngokuba yiVirtue Pvt, kwaye yiyunithi yomxube. Ngoko ivelisa zombini ubushushu kunye namandla ombane. Ke i-PV yeye-voltaics, uyazi, cinga iiphaneli zePV kwaye i-T yeye-thermal. Ke yi-pvt, i-photovoltaic thermal. Ivelisa zombini umbane kunye nobushushu. Kwaye ke, uyazi, uninzi lwezakhiwo zifuna zombini iindidi zamandla, ngoko ke zifaneleke kakhulu kuzo.

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[00:06:22] Dr Alex Mellor: Certainly, so it’s Virtue PVT and Virtue Hot. So the Virtue pvt, you have a string of PV cells, you know, they’ll convert sunlight to electricity with about 23% efficiency, which is a standard conversion rate for a PV cell or a PV panel. So if you think of a normal PV panel, it will convert about 20 to 25% of sunlight to electricity. So you’ve got another 75% there. And what’s happening to it? So a small amount is reflected, but most of it is just heating up the panel. So the normal PV panel, most of the sunlight actually just heats the panel and then that heat is lost to the environment and you just have a loss of that useful sun’s energy. What we do in our PVT units is we have a string of 12 PV cells and we run a heating. We have a heat exchanger behind the cells with a fluid channel. So we’re taking the heat off of the cells that was a byproduct of the electricity generation. We’re taking the heat off of the cells and Then putting that down into the building for, you know, useful heat uses. So the things I mentioned earlier, space heating, hot water heating or industrial process heat, uniquely we have the PV cells and the heat exchanger inside an evacuated tube and that’s to keep all of the heat in. So we don’t want to lose any heat to the environment. We want it all going into that fluid channel that’s then taken into the building. And that’s what allows us to operate at temperatures up to around 75C in terms of the PVT, which means we can do, you know, sanitary hot water, low temperature, industrial process heat, which, which makes up a very large part of global heat use. So it’s allows to get a good market penetration and really attack real applications of heat in the virtue hot product, that’s a thermal only product. So instead of the PV cells we have what’s called a selective absorber coating. And that’s very absorptive to sunlight, but it doesn’t emit very much radiation. So you have, as well as reducing the convective loss, evacuated tube, you’re also reducing the radiative loss through that. So that’s heat only, but it generates it in higher quantity and at higher temperatures. That one goes up to 120 Celsius. And both of the products have a very unique geometry using an integrated reflector, which means we maximize the energy density on, on, on an industrial commercial flat roof in particular.

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[00:08:47] UGqr Alex Mellor: Enkosi. Ngoko kukho inani lezinto kuyo. Olunye luyilo kwaye ngokukodwa uyilo lokukhanya.

Ngoko uyazi, unokuba nelanga elingenalo uhlobo lwezibuko okanye ukubonakalisa okanye ukugxininiswa, kwaye unokuba nelanga elinomfanekiso kunye nogxininiso kwaye lifuna ukuba uhambe kwaye ulandele ilanga.

Ngoku sasingafuni ukuba namalungu ashukumayo, ngoko sasifuna ukuba singabi namkhondo, hayi, singalandeli ilanga, simile ngokupheleleyo. Kwaye isizathu saloo nto kukuba neendleko eziphantsi kunye nokuthembeka okulungileyo. Ke sizibuze umbuzo, ungakufumana njani awona mandla axineneyo kwitekhnoloji yelanga engatshintshiyo? Kwaye kungolu yilo lwe-optical esathi saphela sikwitekhnoloji yoxinaniso lwamandla aphezulu kakhulu. Yayinye ke leyo. Kwaye eminye imingeni, uninzi lwento eyenza i-sauce eyimfihlo? Konke kumalunga nendlela yokujongana ne-vacuum kunye nokutya ngokusebenzisa iivektha zamandla ezahlukeneyo ngaphakathi nangaphandle kwendawo yakho yokufunxa. Ke une-thermal kunye nemveliso yombane ngaphakathi kwevacuum. Kufuneka ukhuphe ubushushu nombane. Uyenza njani loo nto ngelixa ugcina itywina lokucoca elilungileyo kodwa usebenzisa izinto ezinexabiso eliphantsi kunye namaqhinga obunjineli akrelekrele? Ke ndingathi kwinqanaba lobuchwephesha yayiyeyona mingeni mibini iphambili.

[00:09:59] Jackie De Burca: That’s a really excellent explanation. TUV certification. Alex Virtue pvt is the first evacuated tube collector to receive this. Can you explain the significance of this certification within the industry and how it enhances the credibility of your own technology?

[00:10:19] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ngokuqinisekileyo. Isiqinisekiso, konke kwenziwa malunga nohlobo lovavanyo ukuya kwinani lemigangatho yoshishino eyaziwayo. Ke uyazi, iimveliso ze-thermal zelanga zii-Virtue hots ziyimveliso yobushushu belanga. Ngoko ke loo nto ineseti yemigangatho. I-PVT zombini i-thermal yelanga kunye nemveliso ye-PV, ngoko ke kufuneka ibambelele kuzo zombini iiseti zemigangatho. Ngoko ke idlula kumgaqo wovavanyo oluqatha. Kulungile, ke iimvavanyo, uyazi, zininzi, zininzi, zininzi iimvavanyo edlula kuzo, kodwa zingena ngaphezulu okanye ngaphantsi kumaqela amathathu. Ke ijikeleze ukhuseleko, ubomi obude kunye nokusebenza. Kulungile, ngoko ngokubhekiselele kukhuseleko, baya kuvavanya ukuqinisekisa ukuba i-retardant yomlilo, ukuba ifakwe ngokufanelekileyo ngombane zombini kwindawo eyomileyo nakwimanzi, ukuba inokujongana nokunyuka kombane kunye nokunye, ukuqinisekisa ukuba ikhuselekile phezu kophahla kwaye ayidali umngcipheko kuye nabani na kwisakhiwo. Ngokubhekiselele kubomi obude, into eyenziwa luvavanyo lujolise ekulinganiseni iminyaka engama-25 yobomi ebaleni kwiiveki nje ezimbalwa zovavanyo. Kwaye ikwenza oko isebenzisa igumbi lokusingqongileyo apho iveza iiyunithi zethu ze-PVT kwiimeko ezigqithisileyo, ngokugqithisileyo kunokuba unokubona ebaleni, kunye nokuhamba ngebhayisikile ngokukhawuleza okujolise kwiiveki ezimbalwa ukuvelisa kwakhona okwenzekayo, kwiminyaka engama-25. Ke uyazi, kukuhamba ngebhayisekile ubushushu ukusuka ku-40 ukuya kwi-85 Celsius, luvavanyo lokukhenkcela kokufuma, luvavanyo olugqithisileyo lwe-UV, luvavanyo lobushushu obumanzi. Kwaye bona, bayenza ngokulandelelana okuthe ngqo ukuba, ulandelelwano abalwaziyo lubangela ukuba itekhnoloji ebuthathaka ingaphumeleli. Kunene. Ngoko ke yakhiwe ngendlela yokwenza ukuba usilele ngaphandle kokuba imveliso ilunge kakhulu. Ngoku sikuphela kwetekhnoloji ye-PVT yetyhubhu ekhutshiweyo ephumelele eso satifikethi. Ngoko linyathelo elikhulu kuthi. Kukho iqela lesithathu elisebenza.

Ke ngokuqinisekileyo kufuneka sinxibelelane nabathengi bethu ukuba angakanani amandla abazakuwonga ngokusebenzisa itekhnoloji yethu. Kwaye sikwenza oko sisebenzisa idatha yokusebenza yetekhnoloji. Kwaye oko kuvela kuvavanyo lomntu wesithathu eTUV Rheiland njengenxalenye yenkqubo yoqinisekiso. Ke, uyazi, abakholelwa kwidatha yethu bakholelwa kwiqela lesithathu ledatha eqinisekisiweyo yokusebenza kweemveliso zethu. Ke kukhuseleko, ubomi obude kunye nokusebenza.

[00:12:35] UJackie De Burca: Yinkqubo nje engakholelekiyo kwaye inomdla, yonke into, akunjalo?

[00:12:40] Dr Alex Mellor: Yes. It took us a long time to go through it. We really had to engineer the product very carefully, understand the certification, testing, understand the different risks, make sure that the product was hard to it because you know, you have to spend a fair bit of money to do these tests. It takes a fair bit of time. When you’re going to put your products, you know, they’ll take about 40 products off the line at random and put them through various tests for a kind of a six month program. You want to be very sure at the beginning that you’re going to pass at the end. So you try to reproduce a lot of this in your own lab where you think there’s tests that are particularly difficult to pass. You try and reproduce them as best you can, make sure that you’ve engineered your solution so that when you finally send them to be tested, you’re confident that they’ll come out positively at the other end. And I’m thankful to say that we did so for customers. It gives them confidence in the longevity and the performance of the product and the safety.

In certain geographies it’s a legal requirement to have this certification. Not always and everywhere, but in certain instances it is. And it’s almost always a requirement for subsidies where they are available. So, you know, there’s no subsidies at present in the uk, but you know, in Germany we’re on the BAFA list for the German subsidies. In the Netherlands we’re eligible for the SD Fonshaleur. In France and all over Europe where subsidies are available, because we had the certification, we’re eligible for those subsidies. And of course that’s important for the customer as well.

[00:14:15] UJackie De Burca: Kwaye oko kundikhokelela kakuhle, Alex, kumbuzo wam olandelayo, othi, uyazi, esi siqinisekiso kufuneka sivule iingcango ezininzi ngesandi sezinto, ngokuqinisekileyo eYurophu kwaye kunokwenzeka kwihlabathi liphela.

[00:14:28] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe, ngokupheleleyo. Ke ngoku sineeprojekthi ezili-100 kwaye ndicinga amazwe alithoba okanye ali-10 ahlukeneyo. Andinazo izibalo phambi kwam, kodwa ingaphezulu okanye ngaphantsi kulo myalelo. Sine-15,000 yeetyhubhu zethu zelanga ebaleni kwaye siqala ukunyusa isikali seeprojekthi. Ke, uyazi, xa uqala ngetekhnoloji entsha, uqala ukwenza iiprojekthi zeemitha ezimbalwa zesikwere semveliso yakho kuphahla lomntu kwaye emva koko uye kumashumi eemitha zesikweri kwaye emva koko uye kumakhulu ezikwere zeemitha. Iprojekthi yethu enkulu ebaleni ngoku inewaka leetyhubhu zethu kunye namaqweqwe, malunga ne-700 yeemitha zesikwere. Kwaye ngoku sineeprojekthi kwisigaba soyilo eziphinda kabini ubukhulu balo. Kwaye sineeprojekthi ezikude kakhulu kwipayipi eziphindwe ka-10 ubukhulu baloo nto. Ke siqala uhlobo lokuqhubela phambili kokubini kwinani leeprojekthi esikwaziyo ukuzenza kunye neeyunithi ezisasazwayo. Ubungakanani bezo projekthi zomntu ngamnye, obaluleke kakhulu kuba njengoko usiya ukhula, unokubonelela ngexabiso elingcono kumsebenzisi wakho wokugqibela. Kwaye kwakhona ndiyaqikelela udumo lwabathengi esisebenza nabo. Andizukubabiza ngokuthe ngqo, kodwa uninzi lwamatsheyini amakhulu ehotele, umzekelo, basebenza nathi ngoku, ukukhupha iipotfoliyo zabo kunye nemveliso emininzi eyaziwayo kunye nokutya neziselo. Ke lixesha elinomdla ngokwenene lokuba kwiNaked Energy kwaye ubukele oku.

[00:15:48] UJackie De Burca: Eli nqanaba livakala limangalisa. Bendicinga ngokwenyani ukuba kumele ukuba kumnandi kangakanani na. Ngaba ungumntu ophuphayo ngomsebenzi wakho, Alex? Kwinqaku lomntu ngakumbi?

[00:15:58] Dr Alex Mellor: Yes, absolutely. It’s been, I mean, on a personal level, it’s been kind of interesting journey for me. So, you know, starting out in academic R and D, you work on technology that has what’s called very low technology readiness level. So it’s kind of more blue skies, far reaching, but it’s quite early in its journey. And of all the different technologies people work on in that type of an environment, you know, perhaps 1 in 10 of them or less, you know, actually ends up on a roof generating energy. And that’s a really exciting space to work in. It’s very stimulating. In an intellectual level, it’s a great environment. But if you really want to see your work and innovation on roofs in a shorter space of time. There came a time in my life where it became more exciting to work for a startup company like Naked Energy, where we’re working products that aren’t the future in 20, 30 years, they’re the future in six months to a year. And then actually seeing our innovations on roofs and making a contribution to solving the climate crisis in real time is really, really satisfying. So it kind of, it marries up the mission of addressing an environmental challenge with the kind of intellectual stimulation of being able to work on exciting technology and solve difficult technical problems with the personal satisfaction of being able to work with really excellent people both at Naked Energy on the technical, commercial, marketing and software side. But also the customers we work with are really exciting. They have Their missions that they’re increasingly bought into. Really keen to carbonise their operations and addressing the challenge of how to do that. And if we’re able to offer them part of that solution, it’s extremely satisfying on all sides.

[00:17:48] UJackie De Burca: Lixesha lembali elinje. Ewe, okwangoku, Alex, kwaye ndiyaqikelela ukuba sinokungena kwamanye amagama ongawabizanga, kodwa makhe singene kwelinye eliza kwaziwa kakhulu, ubuncinci eGreat Britain okanye e-UK. Iprojekthi yeThala leencwadi laseBritane, ngokucacileyo, ngokokwazi kwam kuphando, yeyona projekthi inkulu yelanga e-UK ngoku. Ngaba ichanekile loo nto?

[00:18:13] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe, ndiyathetha, ngokuqinisekileyo kukuqonda kwethu oko kwaye isikhundla sethu siyakuhlala siyithetha de umntu asibonise enkulu.

[00:18:21] UJackie De Burca: Ulunge kakhulu.

[00:18:22] UGqr Alex Mellor: Kulungile, kuphando, masingene kulo.

[00:18:27] UJackie De Burca: Alex, yeyiphi imiceli mngeni yolungiselelo kunye nobugcisa bokuphumeza iprojekthi yesikali esinje?

[00:18:33] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe, ngokupheleleyo. Ke okokuqala kukuchonga ukuba yintoni ukusetyenziswa kobushushu kunye nokuba uza kudibanisa njani kubo. Ngoko ithala leencwadi linomdla ngokwenene.

They have a reasonably high hot water demand as a large building, but they have a high summer demand for heat as well because they have a heat driven humidity control system as well as providing kind of space heating for people in the building. They need to control the humidity because of course they have all the important books and manuscripts, scripts there, of course, and they do that using a heat driven desiccant system. So firstly, understanding that and how we would integrate into it was a challenge.

Bekukho imingeni enomdla ngenene malunga nokucwangcisa. Eso sisakhiwo esidweliswe kwibanga lokuqala. Ewe. Kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo into esiyenzayo kukwakha uluhlu lwelanga eluphahleni nangaphandle. Ngoku loo nto ineempembelelo kucwangciso. Ucwangciso alwenziwanga nje ngebhunga lendawo, konke oko kwenziwa nakwiLifa leMveli laseNgilani kuba liyindawo edwelisiweyo yebakala lokuqala. Ke kakhulu, izithintelo ezingqongqo kakhulu kwinto onokuyenza apho. Yintoni into entle ngetekhnoloji yethu ineprofayile ephantsi kakhulu, ke ihlala i-26cm ukusuka eluphahleni kwaye iyibeka phantsi komphakamo weparapet, okuthetha ukuba ayinakubonwa ukusuka esitratweni. Ngoko ayibonakali ukuba uhamba ujikeleze ithala leencwadi. Kwaye yiloo nto kanye eyayithetha ukuba kuvunyelwe ukufakwa apho, kunikwa iwonga lelifa leso sakhiwo. Ngoko yayilucelomngeni olo.

Ukuphakamisa nje yonke imathiriyeli ukuya eluphahleni, uyazi, ngeplaza esetyenziswa kakhulu luluntu kwaye inokuvalwa kuphela ixesha elifutshane ukwenza loo msebenzi. Oko kwakulucelomngeni kakhulu. Kwaye ke eyokugqibela yindlela, indlela yokutsala ubushushu yonke indlela kwisakhiwo. Ke, uyazi, sinazo, abaqokeleli eluphahleni bevelisa ubushushu, abaqokeleli bethu belanga abalungileyo. Kwaye emva koko malunga nama-200 eemitha ukuhla nokusuka ecaleni, unegumbi lezityalo apho kufuneka unikeze obo bushushu. Yiyo, yinto elolo hlobo. Ngoko ke ukufumana umsebenzi wombhobho kuyo yonke loo migangatho yahlukeneyo nangaphaya kwalo mgama kunye nokungena kwi-venous, uyazi, yayingumngeni omkhulu lowo.

Kukho into entsha apho. Le iya kuba yeyokugqibela, ndiyathembisa. Ke sinayo, sihlala sifaka isichasi sobushushu njengenxalenye yeenkqubo zethu. Ke ngamaxesha apho kukho imfuno encinci yobushushu, ukuba abaqokeleli bavelisa ubushushu, unendawo yokuyibeka. Ukuba ayinakufakwa kwisakhiwo. Sihlala sijonge ukusebenzisa loo nto ngokungaqhelekanga kuba yinto nje yokusilela. Uyazi, ukuba wonke umntu uya eholideyini iveki okanye into enjalo kwaye akasebenzisi ubushushu, kodwa kufuneka ube nayo. Kwaye ngenxa yewonga lelifa, sasingavumelekanga ukuba silibeke ngaphandle kwesakhiwo. Ke ngokwenyani ingaphakathi kwaye iyala ubushushu kwenye yeflue yangaphakathi kunye ne-smakestacks enyukayo ngesakhiwo. Ke eso yayisisisombululo esisodwa kwingxaki enomdla.

We also used their existing pipework and heating system as additional thermal storage, which is interesting. So as well as having a large thermal store, about 15 cubic meters, because they’re running a low temperature hot water distribution system. If you allow that to heat above its set point, you’re also storing energy in that system, which is really interesting because it means you get that storage for free without having to install extra equipment. That was a really nice idea of the designer there. So, yeah, we delivered that project together with PBR and Convert Energy doing the, the install and KJ Tate with the lead designer, we supplied the equipment and did the initial concept for the project. It was a really nice collaboration between some very good companies and some excellent engineers. So, yeah, really, really proud to be a part of it.

[00:22:26] Jackie De Burca: So one of the things that comes to mind obviously sounds really, really fascinating and very intelligently done, but with the challenges that you’ve mentioned, obviously, Alex, but one of the things that comes to mind is how has this advanced the British Library’s sustainability goals and what lessons can other institutions learn from this?

[00:22:49] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ke baye bakwazi ukunciphisa ikhabhoni yabo NGENXA efana ne-15%, ndiyakholwa.

Andinayo idata phambi kwam. Ke yinxalenye yedrive ye-decarbonization ebanzi. Njengesigaba sokuqala bafakele itekhnoloji yethu kwaye benza iprojekthi yokufowuna simahla ecaleni kwayo kwaye ndicinga ukuba bazakuba nesicwangciso sokufaka umbane intsalela yabo, ke, yintoni ngoku ukusebenzisa kwabo irhasi kule minyaka izayo. Ke ewe, thina, sinikezela ngabasebenzisi bokugqibela, uyazi, inxalenye yesisombululo esipheleleyo. Ke itekhnoloji yethu iya kungena ecaleni kobunye ubuchwephesha. Ke uyazi, unokusebenzisana kunye nempompo yobushushu, usebenze kunye, uyazi, iibhoyila zabo zegesi ezikhoyo ukunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kwezo boilers. Rhoqo, umsebenzisi wokugqibela uya kuba nohlobo lwenkqubo yokufudumeza eqhutywa ngerhasi abaya kufuna ukuyifakela umbane kwixesha elizayo. Baza kufuna mhlawumbi ukunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kwebhoyila namhlanje ngokufaka itekhnoloji yethu kwaye emva koko xa bethatha indawo ekugqibeleni iibhoyila zabo zegesi ngombane okanye impompo yobushushu, itekhnoloji yethu isebenza ecaleni kwentsha, uyazi, impompo entsha yobushushu ukunciphisa ukusetyenziswa kombane kwempompo yobushushu. Ke intle kakhulu kwaye ikuvumela ukuba, ubambe uhambo lwakho lwe-decarbonization, eyona nto inomdla kakhulu kubasebenzisi abaninzi beminyhadala kuba ewe kufuneka balinganise iimfuno zabo kwi-decarbonization kunye nesidingo sabo sokuphumelela kwezoqoqosho unyaka nonyaka. Kwaye ngamanye amaxesha indlela yokwenza ngezigaba yindlela yokwenza oko.

[00:24:13] UJackie De Burca: Ngaba kukho nawuphi na kubasebenzi uhlobo lwezimvo ngolu hlobo lukrelekrele ngokwenene okanye lwahlukile okanye nantoni na? Ngaba ungafumana naluphi na uhlobo lwempendulo kwiqela lalapho?

[00:24:21] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe, ewe. Ndithetha xa sasinonxibelelwano nethala leencwadi lalapho. Bachulumancile kakhulu yiprojekthi. Siyakwazi ukubabonelela ngeqonga elihle lokubeka iliso kwaye oko kuthetha ukuba bafumana uhlobo lokubona kwizikrini zabo zekhompyuter ukuba zivelisa ntoni kwaye kwenzeka ntoni. Eyona nto intle kakhulu kuba ibenza basondele ngakumbi kwiprojekthi.

Ubona i-asethi phezu kwendlu kwaye uzibuze ukuba yenza ntoni? Kodwa ngenxa yokuba sinokuzibonisa ngexesha lokwenyani, ezi ziikilowatts, ezi zii-kilowatt iiyure. Nantsi into eyenzekayo ngenkqubo yakho okwangoku. Iyenza ibe yinyani ngakumbi kubo. Ke ewe, yayilinqaku elihle elongeziweyo. Kodwa ewe, ngokubanzi wonke umntu endikhe ndathetha naye kwithala leencwadi kwaye amaqabane ethu ebevuya ngokwenene.

[00:25:01] Jackie De Burca: Fantastic. Now going back to the obviously the overarching topic of the decarbonisation of heat. Heat accounts for 50% of global energy emissions and 75% of that is coming from fossil fuels. How does Naked Energies technology contribute to, to Addressing this critical issue, Alex?

[00:25:23] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe. Ngoko igalelo njengenxalenye yomxube omtsha wamandla.

Ke, uyazi, i-heat decarbonization iya kuba yindibaniselwano yezinto ezahlukeneyo. Ngokuyinxenye iya kuba ziimpompo zobushushu, uyazi, ukusebenza, ukuvelisa amanzi ashushu kunye nomphunga. Iya kuba yihydrogen kwezinye iindawo kunye nenani leminye imithombo kwaye iya kuba bubushushu belanga.

Kwaye apho ubushushu belanga bulungile ngokwenene ekufakeni igalelo kulapho unabasebenzisi bobushushu abanemfuno yobushushu ehlotyeni. Ke nokuba ngabasebenzisi borhwebo abanamanzi amaninzi ashushu, ngakumbi apho bahlala khona abantu, ke iihotele, iibhloko zezindlu, amakhaya okukhathalela, iindawo zokuhlala, izinto ezinjalo. Kwaye ke kwakhona ubushushu benkqubo yakho esezantsi yobushushu kuba basebenzisa ubushushu unyaka wonke. Ke naphi na apho kusetyenziswa ubushushu unyaka wonke sisicelo esihle kakhulu. Isicelo sobushushu belanga apho inokusebenza ecaleni nokuba yeyabo, uyazi, amafutha efosili ekhoyo okanye ecaleni kwempompo yobushushu okanye zombini.

Ngokuchasene nenkolelo eqhelekileyo, iyasebenza ngokupheleleyo kwiindawo ezisemantla.

Ngoko ukuba ujonga apho ehlabathini basebenzisa ubushushu belanga ngaphezu kwayo nayiphi na enye indawo, ngokwenene amazwe afana neAustria kunye neDenmark, emangalisa abantu ngenxa yokuba abantu abaninzi bacinga, oh, oku kunokusebenza kuphela, kumazantsi eYurophu naseAfrika kunye, kunye neGEC njalo njalo. Iyasebenza ngokwenene, kwimozulu esemantla kakhulu nakumazantsi kakhulu. Ngoko ifanelekile ngokugqibeleleyo kumantla eYurophu, umzekelo, kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo e-uk. Ke, ewe, ndicinga ukuba inendima enkulu kakhulu ekufuneka iyidlalile kwaye ndiyacinga ukuba sityhala ngamandla kuhlobo lwezicelo zemizi-mveliso, ndicinga ukuba sinetekhnoloji elungileyo kunye nendima elungileyo ekufuneka siyidlalile.

[00:27:06] UJackie De Burca: Ngokucacileyo, imida yeegridi ekufakeni umbane unikezelo lobushushu lwase-UK lwenza itekhnoloji efana ne-solar thermal iyimfuneko. Ubona njani ukulunga okuhambelana neempompo zobushushu kwisicwangciso esibanzi sokukhupha ubushushu?

[00:27:22] Dr Alex Mellor: Yep. So it can happen at a number of levels, so it can happen on the individual building level. So integrating solar heat with a heat pump works really well and there’s enough as a number of different kind of integration methods you can use. And we have a number of projects in the field where they have a completely off gas system that uses a combination of our solar technology and a heat pump. So that can work really well. You can do it at utility level. So I’ve just come out of a meeting talking about applications for heat networks. You know, they’re building a heat network now in my local town in Worthing, and solar heat can contribute there really well. So it’s reasonable heat network to do maybe, you know, in a climate like the UK, you can do perhaps 20% of the requirement with solar Heat and then balance that with a heat pump or something else. If you’re in Southern Europe, it could be more like 50%.

Ngoko unokudibanisa kumanqanaba ahlukeneyo. Ingaba kumgangatho wokwakha, unokuba ngumgangatho oluncedo, unokuba kumakhaya ngabanye, unokuba kwizakhiwo ezinkulu zorhwebo zorhwebo. Kukho ukhetho oluninzi olwahlukeneyo lokuhlanganisa.

[00:28:33] UJackie De Burca: Ngoku Amandla aNze ayakhula kwihlabathi jikelele. UAlex, zeziphi iimarike ogxile kuzo kwaye uhlengahlengisa njani itekhnoloji kwimimandla eyahlukeneyo kunye nemozulu?

[00:28:44] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe.

So we’re particularly focused on northern and Southern Europe and North America at the moment. So most of our installs to date, I’d say maybe 80% is the UK and the Netherlands, but we’re starting to have good traction in Germany, in Spain and also in North America. So there’s a manufacturing line starting in the US and a distribution partner there. We’ve had our first project at Creighton University, which is really nice. And I hope we’re moving to Canada as well, because as I mentioned, there is a really good opportunity in northern climate. Our. The fact that we’re an evacuated tube technology means we can operate in those northern climbs, which is really good. And we’re also very hard to high radiation and temperature, so we can also operate in very southern climates. Yeah, so sorry. And I kind of talk with a northern hemisphere bent here. I mean, I mean, I mean, closer to the pole and closer to the equator are both applicable. We have slightly different mounting solutions depending on the latitude. Just because the sun angles are different. Yeah. So we essentially have. We have two types of mountain frame, one from sort of polar latitudes, you know, so either very north or very south. So northern Europe would be an example, or Canada or the northern U.S.

kwaye sinesinye isakhelo sobubanzi obungaphezulu be-ikhweyitha ekwakuvumela ukuba ujikelezise iityhubhu kwi-engile eyiyeyona. Ke phakathi kwezi ntlobo zimbini zinyukayo, siyakwazi ukugquma nantoni na ukusuka kwi-ikhweyitha ukuya, uyazi, i-60 degrees yesibanzi, kulapho ama-99% abantu behlabathi bahlala khona. Ke, injalo, injalo, iyasebenza kuzo zonke iimozulu.

[00:30:38] UJackie De Burca: Intle kakhulu. Ngoku, ngaba kukho naziphi na izinto ezintsha ezizayo okanye iiprojekthi kwiNaked Energy oyonwabele ngakumbi?

[00:30:47] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe. Ke kwinqanaba leprojekthi, sele siza kwenza iprojekthi entsha kakhulu. Indawo yemizi-mveliso kwingingqi yaseMidlands e-UK sidibanisa ne-absorption chiller ukuze sikwazi ukunika ukupholisa kwelanga ngemveliso yethu yokufudumeza ilanga. Ilungile ngokwenene loo nto. Oko kwisigaba sokuqala. Kwaye ke kwisigaba sesibini nesesithathu saloo projekthi, siya kuba Ukusebenzisa into ebizwa ngokuba yi-inter seasonal ukugcinwa kobushushu, okusivumela ukuba sivelise ubushushu belanga ehlotyeni kwaye sibusebenzise kwisakhiwo ekwindla nasebusika ngokugcina inxalenye yobo bushushu kumatanki amakhulu kakhulu kunye nenye inxalenye yobo bushushu kwimingxuma engaphantsi komhlaba.

Intle ngokumangalisayo, iprojekthi entsha kwaye ijongana nengxaki, uyazi, ungayilungisa njani imfuno yakho yokufudumeza indawo yasebusika? Ukusebenzisa ubushushu belanga, obuvelisa kakhulu ehlotyeni kunasebusika. Oko kuvuyisa ngokwenene.

On the product level, we’re now starting R and D into our next generation of products. We’re looking at how to get much higher thermal efficiency in the pvt.

Iimvavanyo zokuqala zemveliso ziyenzeka namhlanje. Oko kuvuyisa ngokwenene.

Kwaye kwimveliso ye-thermal kuphela, sijonge ekuphuculeni ukuxinana kwamehlo ngokutshintsha indlela esenza ngayo uyilo lwe-angular yesipili ukuze sibe noxinzelelo oluphezulu kancinane kodwa ngaphandle kwesidingo sokulandela umkhondo. Sekunjalo, oko kuvumela ukufumana ukusebenza kakuhle okuphezulu, ubushushu obuphantsi kunye neendleko eziphantsi.

Ke kukho isibini, kukho ezinye ezimbalwa kwicala lemveliso, kodwa uyazi, ezo, zizinto ezithatha ixesha lam okwangoku.

[00:32:23] UJackie De Burca: Kulungile, amaxesha amnandi, anika umdla. Ngokucacileyo.

Alex, yintoni oyibonayo njengeyona miqobo mikhulu ekwamkelweni okuxhaphakileyo kobugcisa besolar thermal kunye nePVT kwaye zinokoyiswa njani?

[00:32:37] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe.

Ngoko inxalenye yayo yinkcubeko kunye nokuqonda.

Ngoko sasino-Ed Miliband kwiiofisi zethu xa wayenguNobhala we-Shadow kwaye sambonisa igrafu enomdla ngokwenene awayifumene enomdla kakhulu, okuthunyelwa kobushushu belanga kumazwe ahlukeneyo eYurophu.

Kwaye ukuba ukhangele eJamani nase-Austria naseDenmark, ukuthunyelwa ngentloko nganye kuphakathi kwe-10 kunye ne-20 amaxesha angaphezu kwe-UK.

Ukanti ukuba ujonga la mazwe, imozulu iyafana kakhulu. Ke imozulu ayiyongcaciso.

Amazwe abo anenqanaba elifanayo lophuhliso lwezoqoqosho, aneenkcubeko ezifanayo. Ke kukho into eyenzekileyo apho ethetha ukuba iimbono zobushushu belanga e-UK zahluke kakhulu kwiimbono zobushushu belanga eJamani nase-Austria naseDenmark. Ngoko ke, singazitshintsha njani ezo mbono ukuze kumazwe afana neli lethu siqalise ukwenza izinto ezintle eziye zenziwa kwenye indawo.

Kwaye kungokunika abantu itekhnoloji elungileyo, ethembekileyo. Kwaye sathetha ngesiqinisekiso. Imalunga nokubonelela abasebenzisi bokuphela iphakheji efanelekileyo yokubeka iliso ukuze babe nokuzithemba ukuba bavelisa amandla ababethenjisiwe.

Kwaye ngokwenza oko, uqala ukwenza igama elihle lobushushu belanga kwaye, kwaye wenze abantu babone amandla alo. Kwaye ndiyacinga ukuba sinje, sithatha inyathelo elilungileyo kuhambo olusingise ekwenzeni oko. Ngoko kukho ewe, nceda.

[00:34:11] UJackie De Burca: Uxolo, lityala lam. Bendisiba nemincili apho kuba ndinokuthi, uyazi, sele ndiyisebenzisa iminyaka emihlanu okanye emithandathu apha eSpain, akukho nto intle njengokwazi ukuba awenzi nto ngaphandle kokungena, amandla akhoyo akhoyo kuthi.

[00:34:29] Dr Alex Mellor: It’s very satisfying, isn’t it? And it’s the distributed nature of it as well. That’s very nice. It’s not renewable energy that’s being generated hundreds of miles away and then being mixed with all sorts of other types of energy and non renewable and then being kind of wired into you. It’s happening on the roof where you are. It’s very pure and democratic way of generating energy.

[00:34:52] UJackie De Burca: Ngokuqinisekileyo kunjalo. Ke ukuqhubela phambili kwikamva, ubona njani kule minyaka mihlanu izayo ukuya kwelishumi izayo apho iNaked Energy kunye neshishini lamandla ahlaziyekayo liya kuba khona?

[00:35:06] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe. Ke njengoko nditshoyo, ndicinga ukuba, ubushushu ngumceli mngeni omkhulu athe wonke umntu watshintshela kuwo. Ndicinga ukuba, oko kuye kwaqatshelwa kakuhle kumantla eYurophu naseMelika. Ke uyazi, apho besifanele khona, uyazi, xa ndiqala eNaked Energy ndaziva ukuba kufuneka ndifundise wonke umntu malunga nokubaluleka kobushushu obuvuselelekayo. Ngelixa ngoku sinabathengi abaza kuthi besithi kufuneka sikhuphe ubushushu bethu. Ke olo tshintsho kwiparadigm lwenzeka ngesantya esikhawulezayo, esimangalisayo. Kwaye ukujonga nje okwenzekayo esijikelezileyo ngokwemiqathango yezenzo zabathengi bethu, izenzo zamaqabane ethu, ngokwenene ndicinga ukuba ubunezibalo kwaye hayi mna, uJackie, kodwa andikhumbuli ukuba zingaphi iipesenti ozithethileyo malunga nobushushu obuveliswayo, yimithombo engavuselelekiyo. Kwakukwi-80s.

[00:35:56] UJackie De Burca: 50% Ndicinga ukuba yayiyiyo, ndiyacinga.

[00:35:58] UGqr Alex Mellor: I-50% yimali yamandla esiwasebenzisa njengobushushu. Kodwa ndicinga ukuba kulaa 50%, ndiyacinga, ndicinga ukuba phantse ama-90% akhona.

[00:36:05] UJackie De Burca: 75. Uxolo, ewe.

[00:36:06] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ukusuka kumafutha efosili.

[00:36:07] UJackie De Burca: Ewe, yayiyiloo nto.

[00:36:08] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe, ewe, ndiyayibona nyani loo nto isihla kwaye ewe, kunye, ngeNaked Energy ndiyacinga, ndicinga ukuba sidlala indima ekhulayo kuloo nto. Ndithetha ukuba, jonga, uyazi, thina, singomnye weenkampani ezininzi kwaye yenye yetekhnoloji eninzi kwaye wonke umntu wenza igalelo lakhe ekusombululeni loo ngxaki yemozulu. Kodwa ndiya ndibona sisenza into ebalulekileyo.

[00:36:30] UJackie De Burca: Ngokuqinisekileyo. Ngokuqinisekileyo. Ke ewe, ngamaxesha anomdla. Ngokucacileyo ngamanye amaxesha sifumana ntoni ezindabeni. Ewe, iintsuku ezininzi zinokudakumba ukuba asazi malunga nezinye izinto ezintle ezenzekayo. Ukuba unokunika icebiso elinye kubenzi bomgaqo-nkqubo okanye amashishini athandabuzayo ukwamkela itekhnoloji yobushushu obuvuselelekayo, inokuba yintoni?

[00:36:53] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ndingathi ndijonge kwihlabathi liphela kwaye ndibone ukuba yintoni ephumeleleyo kwaye yintoni engazange iphumelele kwaye apho ilizwe likwazile ukwenza impumelelo yokwenyani yetekhnoloji, njengoko kwenzekile, umzekelo, ukushisa kwelanga eDenmark nase-Austria. Zibuze ukuba kutheni kunjalo kwaye uzame kwaye uyivelise kwakhona kwijografi yakho kwaye usebenzise loo mzekelo ukulwa noogxa bakho abathi, oh, uyazi, le teknoloji ayisiyiyo apha.

[00:37:17] UJackie De Burca: Ugqibelele.

Ngoku, iingcamango zokugqibela. Yintoni ekukhuthazayo ngomsebenzi wakho? Ndicinga ukuba sikhe sayichukumisa loo nto. Kodwa, uyazi, into oyenzayo ngeNaked Energy, yintoni ekukhuthaza kakhulu? Yaye ngowuphi umyalezo okanye imiyalezo ongathanda ukuyishiyela abaphulaphuli bethu?

[00:37:34] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ngokuqinisekileyo.

Ke kum, ndikhe ndayichukumisa le nto ekuqaleni. Kukukhuthazwa kobuthunywa kunye nabantu.

Ndiyathetha, oko kumalunga nokusebenza kuloo ndawo. Yiloo nto uphuma kuyo.

Injongo, ukusombulula ingxaki yemozulu, ukuvuselela, ukwenza oko ngokusombulula imingeni enzima yobugcisa. Kwaye ke abantu, uyazi, inkitha yabantu abohlukeneyo abakulo hambo kunye nawe, bobabini abaNaked Energy kunye namaqabane ethu kunye, kunye nabathengi bethu. Yiloo nto eyenza kube yindawo enomdla ngokwenene ukusebenza kunye nendawo enkulu yokusebenza. Lonto indenza ndivuke ekuseni.

[00:38:12] UJackie De Burca: Kwaye ekugqibeleni, ndicinga ukuba kufuneka ndongezele enye ngenxa yomnye umsebenzi ofakwe kwi-bio yakho eza kubandakanywa kwiphepha lenkqubo apha. Unaye unyana, andithi?

[00:38:23] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ewe, injalo.

[00:38:24] UJackie De Burca: Ke loo nto kufuneka ifane kakhulu, uyazi, idityaniswe nayo yonke le ntshukumisa unayo.

[00:38:30] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ndiyathetha, ewe, ngokupheleleyo.

Uyazi, kwafika ixesha ebomini bam kwiminyaka embalwa eyadlulayo apho bendihlala ndixhalabile malunga nokusingqongileyo kunye nengxaki yemozulu. Kodwa ndiyacinga, ndicinga ukuba ndisemncinci yayiluhlobo lwenkxalabo yobukrelekrele. Yinkxalabo eyenzekayo entlokweni yakho.

Kwaye ndicinga ukuba kule minyaka yamva nje, inxalenye yayo iya isiba mdala kwaye inxalenye yayo ibona okwenzekayo ngakuwe, iba yinkxalabo yeemvakalelo kunye ne-visceral njengoko uqala, uqala ukucinga, oh, oku kuya kubachaphazela abantwana bam kunye nosapho lwethu kwaye kuthetha ntoni kubo, kunokuba, oh, le yinto eyenzekileyo. Uyazi, ingcamango yezizukulwana ezizayo, ibonakala ingekho, akunjalo?

Kodwa xa uqala ukucinga ngayo malunga nabantu abakujikelezileyo ekukhuleni kwakho, akufuneki ukuba ibe ngabantwana bakho, nguwe kuphela, abantu abatsha abakujikelezile ebomini bakho, uqala ukuba, ndiyacinga, ngakumbi. Ukuxhalaba ngakumbi kwe-visceral malunga nokuba kuthetha ukuthini ukutshintsha kwemozulu.

Uyazi, iyoyikisa.

[00:39:38] UJackie De Burca: Yeyabantu abaninzi, abaninzi. Kodwa umsebenzi, umsebenzi obandakanyekayo kuwo ubaluleke kakhulu kwaye uyakhuthaza.

[00:39:44] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ngenene, kulungile ukuba yinxalenye yomzabalazo. Kwaye, uyazi, baninzi abantu ngoku abayinxalenye yomzabalazo. Ngoko ke kuhle.

[00:39:52] UJackie De Burca: Yiloo nto. Ke, mamela, ibinomdla kakhulu, inika umdla, kwaye ndiyalibulela ixesha lakho.

[00:40:00] UGqr Alex Mellor: Ndiyabulela kakhulu ngokuba nam. Jackie, bekumnandi ngokwenene ukuthetha nawe.

[00:40:03] UJackie De Burca: Enkosi kakhulu. UAlex uthanda ubulumko. La ngamazwi akhayo.