19 August, 2013

The Need

Instant Solar Ltd. wanted to create a system that, through renewable energy sources, made cost savings while also creating a stable direct current supply for its IT services. In search of a more comprehensive solution to their problem, Instant Solar Ltd. approached CIT to seek access to the technical and research capabilities needed to develop the Instant Solar project further.

The Solution

TEC@Nimbus specialises in all aspects of embedded computing solutions including harvesting and power systems. Their expertise in the field of electronics and efficient conversion of solar energy to stored energy was especially beneficial to the project. CIT provided the company with a full system requirement analysis, specification, design and build, resulting in a functional prototype that was installed onsite at the client’s business premises.

Challenges

Instant Solar Ltd. initially faced a challenge in developing the system, as they did not have the technical capabilities. Once the two parties combined intelligence and resources, this challenge was overcome for Instant Solar Ltd., and the system they originally envisaged, was delivered.

Critical Success Factors

A critical success factor resided in TEC@Nimbus’s ability to remotely install and attend to problems as they arose in the system.

Benefits of the Engagement

The partnership between Instant Solar Ltd. and TEC@Nimbus allowed both parties to share knowledge, capabilities and resources. More specifically, Instant Solar Ltd. was able to access CIT’s expertise in renewable energy both in TEC@Nimbus and the Department of Mechanical Engineering. For TEC@Nimbus, the Instant Solar energy project was part of a portfolio of energy projects on which the Centre is working. It allowed researchers to enhance their skills and expertise in renewable energy in a live business environment.

"This liaison with CIT has underlined the willingness there exists in academia to positively interact not only with industry but a step further again, into the art of business- entrepreneurship.” Pat Grant Instant Solar Ltd.

“Working on this project really helped me develop my project management skills. At any one time, there were 3 engineers working on the project, from various disciplines such as user interaction/experience, software development and hardware development. So all their work had to be tracked and integrated into the final project delivery.” Stephen Martin Nimbus Researcher.

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