TTP, SOLshare Partner to Develop Next Gen Solar Energy Trading Platform

TTP, an independent technology & product development company, has entered into a partnership with Bangladeshi firm ME SOLshare Ltd (‘SOLshare’), a company working on affordable solar power across peer-to-peer micro-grids.

This collaboration has aimed to increase the supply of sustainable electricity to communities in developing countries by making improvements in the SOLshare’s SOLbox trading platform.

SOLshare manages smart peer-to-peer micro-grid systems in rural communities across Bangladesh, which enable the real-time trading of electricity generated through solar power—this allows users to earn a direct income selling excess electricity to their neighbours.

The two companies aim to deliver a 10-fold rise in the amount of electricity that can be shared across these grids via designing a higher-efficiency, isolated and bidirectional DC-to-DC power converter, from the current limit of 100W to 1kW per unit. Thus, more households can use or sell electricity at higher power.

Under the partnership, TTP will deploy its power electronics expertise in the joint development of the bi-directional power converter and will develop, for mass-production, the electronic PCBAs which are inside the SOLbox, including the electronics which constitute the metering, wireless communications, safety, power conversion and user interface functions.

Moreover, the two companies are expected to complete the prototype of the new system during the spring of 2020.

Commenting on the development, Dr David Smith, Head of Industrial Technology at TTP plc, said that “we are really pleased to be involved in such a rewarding project, one that has the potential to transform the lives of people in some of the world’s poorest communities. This project is just one example of how technology can be leveraged as a powerful force for real social change and economic development.”

SOLshare has installed more than 28 micro-grids across Bangladesh, as well as in India, which are allowing businesses to run more smoothly, and more children to study after dark.

“TTP has the engineering and product development expertise to dramatically improve the capabilities of our SOLbox platform and with that, our service offering to low-income communities in hard to reach areas across the globe. This collaboration enables us to leapfrog in our technology development and improve lives,” commented Dr Sebastian Groh, Managing Director of ME SOLshare Ltd.