A hybrid system that mounts a living algae bioreactor behind a solar panel — producing electricity, growing clean fuel, and absorbing CO₂ from the air, all from the same footprint.
Solar panels waste over half their captured sunlight as heat. Algae love exactly that surplus. We simply put them together.
The sun delivers a full spectrum — ultraviolet, visible light, and infrared heat. Conventional solar panels convert only ~20% of this into electricity and discard the rest as waste heat, raising panel temperature and actually reducing efficiency.
A semi-transparent photovoltaic panel sits at the front. It captures the blue and red wavelengths most efficiently and lets ~20% of light — particularly infrared — pass through to the layer behind it.
A flat-plate photobioreactor filled with Chlorella vulgaris is mounted directly behind the panel. The algae feast on the transmitted infrared and diffused light, pulling CO₂ from pumped-in air and growing into energy-rich biomass. The water acts as a cooling jacket, keeping the solar cell 10–15°C cooler than it would otherwise run.
The battery stores solar electricity. The algae are periodically harvested for biodiesel, biogas, or fertiliser. An ESP32 microcontroller monitors pH, CO₂, temperature, and light — automatically controlling pumps and alerts over WiFi.
Every part of the system has a job. Tap or click below to explore.
Several leading universities and one full-scale commercial building have run real trials. Here is what they found.
Per square metre, the combined system consistently outperforms either technology alone.
This project was designed and built by
Turning sunlight and green life into a cleaner tomorrow.