The rooftops of commercial warehouses have long seemed the ideal location for solar panels, but adoption has been stubbornly slow. In the UK, there is currently 1.8 GW of solar capacity on commercial rooftops. If all south-facing commercial roofs in the UK had solar panels, this would provide 400 GW of solar capacity - enough energy to power 300 million homes. This suggests only 0.5 per cent of commercial rooftop space is currently being utilised in the UK. 

A lack of structural integrity to support the weight of traditional, glass-faced solar panels has been a major hurdle in utilising this type of roofing. However, the University of Oxford spin-out, OXECO, has developed SEMPRABONDTM, a breakthrough chemical surface treatment, to enable lightweight, flexible solar panels to be used instead.

Alongside Scott Bader's Crestabond® structural adhesive, this joint technology provides a fast and effective way to bond flexible solar panels to roofing structures made from a range of materials without the need for screws or expensive tapes – which was not previously possible. This will enable flexible solar panels to generate green electricity on structures that are currently unutilised. 

"By solving this issue, we have removed a major barrier to the solar energy revolution and can greatly accelerate the move to net zero,” said Vassilis Ragoussis, CEO of OXECO. "Flexible solar panels are 80 per cent lighter than traditional panels and can conform to many different shapes. Therefore, our collaboration with Scott Bader to deliver this combination product means that flexible solar panels can help more people and businesses harness solar energy.” 

OXECO and Scott Bader’s combination technology provides a durable, high-strength bond, significantly reducing the cost and complexity of installing lightweight, flexible solar panels and improving the aesthetic appearance once installed. It has also been proven to withstand wind loads two times higher than a category-five hurricane.

Jonathan Stowell, Scott Bader’s Group Strategy Director, added, “Scott Bader is delighted to be working with OXECO on this technology. It’s a game changer offering a simple and effective way to bond flexible solar panels, for a variety of applications, in many of the markets Scott Bader operates in.”

The partnership has received the support of Professor Chas Bountra, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Innovation at the University of Oxford. Professor Chas Bountra commented, “This is a hugely exciting innovation based on research which originated at the University of Oxford. This partnership will help enable the widespread roll-out of flexible solar panels – an industry that will be vital for achieving a sustainable energy economy.”

OXECO’s technology was born in the University of Oxford’s Department of Chemistry and developed over more than two decades. It is leveraging this technology within product design and manufacturing for the transport and clean technology sectors.