Joakim Byström, CEO of Absolicon
Joakim’s interest in solar power began at a young age, via a fascination for mathematics. When he learned the equation explaining the shape of a parabola, he was hooked.
“I drew my first solar panel when I was 11, and ever since then it was a model I wanted to build,” he recalls. Eventually he did, joining up with fellow students in physical engineering at Uppsala University and environmentalists he met at study groups to build solar panels and research opportunities and solutions for solar power.
These efforts led to a concentrated solar collection facility that produces electricity, heat and cooling systems for large properties, public buildings, and for global export. The unique design needs just one-tenth of the photovoltaic cells of standard solar panels to generate equivalent electricity. It uses heat four times more effectively, capturing up to 50% of incoming solar radiation.
“There are two units in my home town of Härnösand,” Joakim says. “One’s on the roof of the newly redeveloped hospital and the other’s in a major park owned by the municipal energy company Hemab, and is connected to the district heating network.”
“I see the sun as the only possible energy source to turn to for the majority of the world’s population,” Joakim says, adding with a chuckle, “The sun and that parabolic equation will rule the future!”
■ Solar cell prices have fallen by 50 per cent over the last two years due to rapid growth in demand. The industry has generated 75,000 jobs in Europe, and projections indicate 1.4 million new jobs by 2020.
■ The solar energy that hits the earth’s surface in the course of one hour is sufficient to meet the energy needs of the entire globe for a year.
■ The roof of a standard Swedish home receives about five times more solar energy than the total energy the house uses.
På Svenska
