Solum, a Spanish startup, was founded in 2019. It was set up by three engineers with the idea of using the available spaces in the cities to generate renewable energy. This helps in bringing the generated energy closer to consumption points.
It took them two years of Research and Development to invent solar flooring developed from photovoltaic technology. This helps in generating cleaner fuels that won’t affect the beauty of the urban environment and also help in providing sustainable ways of maintaining cities.
Solum has been awarded by the University of Berkeley and the European Institute of Technology. In fact, in 2021 the company got its first one-million-euro investment cycle which helped it reach the international market, working with eight countries.
All the products are made in Spain and even majority of the suppliers are local. This helps in creating employment opportunities for local citizens as an additional workforce for the company and reducing the carbon footprints of the raw materials.
One Sun, many uses
With many companies coming together to slow down global warming and the extinction of fossil fuels, Solar energy had come to a lot of use recently than it was before. Solar Roadways are one example as the photovoltaic energy used is as powerful as hydropower. Then there is another new technological concept known as Solar Pavement. Very few companies globally have this technology and Solum is one of them.
The company has its own versions of Solar Pavement technology. This technology fits well with the smart city concept. These pavements store energy so that it can be used to cover various electrical needs of the city like buildings, street lights, electronic vehicles, and more.
Solum also uses Arena, a floor covering which works like a solar panel and generates an equal amount of solar energy. It has photovoltaic cells integrated into its tiles which are responsible for all the work. It is designed specifically so that it can be used by pedestrians and can take any form of surface damage. They are designed in a way that they can be used and removed within a day without requiring any form of construction so that it doesn’t disturb the original design of the sidewalk.
The Valencia solar pavement is one example of Solum’s Solar Pavement project which even charges electric vehicles. The company has installed this technology at various places, like in education centers, business centers and many more.
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