Saudi Arabia’s growers recently installed foldable solar panels in their retractable sun screens. Thanks to the newly launched flexible photovoltaic technology, blocked sunlight can be converted into electricity. The developer Mirai Solar provided this screen as a direct substitute for the traditional sun screen.
Foldable, flexible and modular
Mirai Screen was developed by Mirai Solar, a company separated from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Their patented technology – foldable, flexible and modular solar panels is specially developed for greenhouses. One of the hallmarks of the photovoltaic Mirai screen is its scalability, which is similar to the traditional sunshade, thanks to its lightweight and foldable design. Mirai Solar was recently awarded the Solar Energy Award by the US Department of Energy, and plans to launch Mirai Screen in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Mirai Screen was developed by Mirai Solar, a company separated from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia. Their patented technology – foldable, flexible and modular solar panels is specially developed for greenhouses. One of the hallmarks of the photovoltaic Mirai screen is its scalability, which is similar to the traditional sunshade, thanks to its lightweight and foldable design. Mirai Solar was recently awarded the Solar Energy Award by the US Department of Energy, and plans to launch Mirai Screen in the fourth quarter of 2023.
CEO Michael Salvador pointed out that the photovoltaic sunshade is based on the most advanced photovoltaic technology. “Mirai screen” is a photovoltaic solar panel with variable shading and output power. Some of the light is absorbed in the module to generate electricity, while the rest of the light is transmitted. In this way, it alleviates the problem of increasing operating costs of controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) related to the rapid rise in electricity prices “.
Pilot installation
Mirai Solar has carried out several pilot installations in Saudi Arabia, including the sites in Estidamah, Al-Rasheed and Red Sea farms. “Michael said:” The power generation mainly depends on the shadow level of the photovoltaic area on the screen, which can be adjusted according to the needs of relevant crops. The company is now establishing an installation site in California to be installed in early 2023.
Convenient replacement
Mirai Solar provides Mirai sunshade as a landing replacement for traditional sunshade. The sun screen is fully compatible with the standard electric retraction system. Therefore, they can be added to existing greenhouses or used as part of the construction of new greenhouses. The mechanical part of the system is an improved version of the HS2 scalable system, which is a long-term proven solution developed by Novavert, which specializes in sunshade solutions. Niclas Heescher of Novavert said: “We are looking for a solution that can not only create sunshade, but also do more.” Compared with the traditional passive sunshade solution, the Mirai screen uses the blocked sunlight and converts it into useful electricity. “
“The system can also work perfectly as a pull-down or pull-up side screen. Especially in the winter of our latitude, the vertical screen can better capture the sun. We have tested the device outside for half a year, more than 25000 times.
Support energy demand
Niclas added that if we can transform more greenhouses into this way, there is no need to cover them with photovoltaic modules. “Different shading percentages can be achieved, and unlike the emerging photovoltaic technology, this system is based on powerful and durable silicon technology.”