A team of University of Malta researchers are collaborating with Maltese company EMPAV Engineering Ltd on the design and development of an innovative solar panel specifically designed for flat rooftops, like the ones found in Malta.
This €195,000 investment from MCST (The FUSION Programme) will see the project, called MedSolar, make a valid contribution towards clean, sustainable energy.
Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation, Hon. Owen Bonnici, visited the premises of the University's Institute of Sustainable Energy in Marsaxlokk, where work on MedSolar is currently taking place.
Minister Bonnici praised this collaboration because it does not only have potential for international commercialisation, but it can also help bring our country closer to its sustainable energy targets.
"Smaller, more efficient solar panels would mean that clean energy will be accessible to people who do not have the space for the traditional bulkier ones", he continued.
The Director for the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Prof. Luciano Mule' Stagno explained that photovoltaic installations in Malta have been there for a long time, but only became popular in the last eight years. As one might imagine, the industry adapted what was going on in other parts of the world, mostly Northern Europe, and applied it to the local rooftop.
“What we are proposing is a photovoltaic system that, rather than being adopted from overseas, is designed specifically for our buildings – a solution which will not only provide the same benefit at a similar cost to current systems, but will be easier to install and provide energy saving benefits. Such a solution would be perfectly suited not only to Maltese homes, but also anywhere with similar construction such as the southern Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa," he said.​