Working with London South Bank University (LSBU) through the BIG Growth Innovation Programme, the company gained independent evidence showing how long the heatsink takes to save more energy than is used to manufacture it. The findings strengthened the product’s sustainability case and gave the business a clearer foundation for discussions with solar panel manufacturers and investors.

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Reducing heat-related losses in solar panels

Hybrid Energy Solutions manufactures its aluminium heatsinks in Abuja, Nigeria. Solar panels become less efficient as their temperature rises, and prolonged exposure to heat can reduce their lifetime energy output. This is particularly important in hot climates, where panels regularly operate at elevated temperatures.

The company’s heatsink is designed to be affordable, simple to manufacture and durable. Independent studies had suggested that it could improve photovoltaic efficiency by up to 5%, but the business still needed evidence that the energy saved during use would outweigh the energy required to produce the heatsink.

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Proving the product’s environmental value

Hybrid Energy Solutions had a promising technical concept but lacked the independent analysis needed to demonstrate its environmental performance. Without this evidence, the early-stage business could not confidently substantiate its sustainability claims to photovoltaic manufacturers and investors.

The central question was its Energy Payback Time: how long would a photovoltaic panel fitted with the heatsink need to operate before the additional energy saved exceeded the energy invested in manufacturing and transporting the product?

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Mapping energy use across the supply chain

Hybrid Energy Solutions was matched with LSBU’s School of Engineering and Design. Professor Deborah Andrews, an expert in design for sustainability and circularity, led the academic work with Daniele Di Paolo, a research and teaching assistant specialising in product design and prototyping.

Across more than 60 hours of support between June and August 2024, the team mapped the heatsink’s supply chain, covering material sourcing, processing, manufacture and transport. Using Ansys Granta EduPack’s Eco Audit tool, LSBU calculated the energy footprint associated with producing the heatsink.

The academic team combined this analysis with solar irradiance data for Abuja from NASA’s POWER database and published research on photovoltaic performance. The project also compared aluminium with copper as an alternative material and assessed end-of-life scenarios including reuse, recycling and landfill.

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Independent evidence for further development

The research calculated an Energy Payback Time of 9.1 years. This is the point at which the additional energy produced by a solar panel fitted with the heatsink is estimated to exceed the energy used to manufacture and transport the product.

The collaboration produced:

• An Energy Payback Time calculation based on the product’s manufacturing and supply chain

• A full research report covering the methodology, data sources, calculations, results and scenario analysis

• A comparison of aluminium and copper heatsink options

• An assessment of end-of-life scenarios, including reuse, recycling and landfill

• A co-authored academic paper based on the research, submitted to the SAGE journal Energy & Environment

Hybrid Energy Solutions can now use the findings in discussions with prospective manufacturing partners and investors. The company also reported improved knowledge of its local market and a clearer marketing strategy following the collaboration.

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Refining the design and shortening the payback period

Hybrid Energy Solutions plans to build on the findings with a more detailed life cycle assessment as further supply chain data becomes available. This would allow the business to refine the heatsink’s design, investigate further material and manufacturing choices and explore ways to reduce the Energy Payback Time.

The submitted academic paper also provides an opportunity to share the methodology and findings more widely.

“The collaboration between Hybrid Energy Solutions and LSBU gave the heatsink a foundation and feasibility to further develop it as a product. The fact that this research is now submitted for publication is something we are proud of.”
Dr Usman Damo, Founder / CEO, Hybrid Energy Solutions Ltd

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Have an innovation challenge? Get in touch with us.

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About the programme

The BIG Growth Innovation Programme connects South London businesses with academic expertise from London South Bank University and partner universities, delivering tailored collaborative support to help businesses innovate and grow. The programme is funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) by the Greater London Authority. The aim of the UKSPF was to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local businesses, and developing people and skills.