Edinburgh-based SolarisKit Ltd, creator of the world’s first flat-packable solar thermal collector, has secured around £250,000 of funding from Innovate UK (through the Energy Catalyst Programme).

The money will boost further development of its solar technology and fund pilot trials in Rwanda, where solar thermal collectors can be used to create a hot-water system designed to reduce household energy costs and carbon emissions.

A spin-out from the Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University, SolarisKit had already secured £20,000 cash and £9,000 of in-kind support by winning the Converge Impact Challenge last year.

The company is now on a mission to provide affordable clean heat to millions of people living in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as parts of Asia and Latin America.

Founder and CEO Faisal Ghani (www.solariskit.com) said: “Heating currently accounts for around 40% of the world’s energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and it has reached the point where carbon emissions from developing countries exceed those from their modern counterparts.

"By focusing on the development of low-cost high-value solar technology, our goal is to reduce global carbon emissions while helping to improve the lives of millions of people in the developing world.

“For example, in Kigali — the capital of Rwanda — up to 40% of a household’s income might be spent on energy, 70% of which is used just to heat water.

“This is a significant cost to poor households and a strain on grids that are struggling to meet demand in many parts of Africa.

“By the end of this trial project, we aim to have installed up to 100 of our collectors in Rwanda to demonstrate both the environmental and socio-economic impact achieved from the supply of affordable clean energy.”