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The students—all from the school’s Product Design Course—spent a day at G24i’s facility, learning more about the technology that will be central to their forthcoming designs.
G24i’s Cardiff site claims it will be the first factory to mass produce dye-sensitised solar cells, a technology that combines material science and nanotechnology to generate renewable power in a process similar to photosynthesis. The facility will have an initial 30MW capacity with plans for an extension to 200MW by 2008.
The technology works in ambient and low-light conditions, bringing the full potential of solar energy to new industries and areas of the world. G24i is developing products to power mobile telephones, portable electronics, clothing, tents, and building materials. It also sees a significant role for its technology in addressing energy access in the developing world.
“Who better to design a product that has such potential to positively impact the world, than the young people who will be most affected by that technology,” said Clemens Betzel, president of G24i. “We are thrilled to be partnering with St. Martins on this exciting project.”
Central Saint Martins provides specialist education and research in the fields of fine art, fashion & textiles, film, video and photography, graphics & communication design, three dimensional design, theatre & performance and interdisciplinary art & design.
The competition, involving 45 students from the school, will culminate in an end of the year course degree show where the students present their designs. G24i has agreed to fund the entire project, with prizes awarded to the students that come up with the best designs. The winning design could end up being used by G24i in the marketplace.
G24i is a UK company that manufactures fourth generation solar cells based on a new photovoltaic technology. They claim that solar power technology in use for the last 25 years is fragile, difficult to manufacture and therefore hard to integrate into new products because it is based on the silicon wafer.
G24i claim its technology imitates natures own evolution using a simple dye based system to absorb light and turn it into electricity. The product is light, flexible and robust, so the firm believe it presents many new opportunities to integrate renewable power into many applications
LINKS
G24i
http://www.G24i.co.uk
Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design
http://www.csm.arts.ac.uk/
