THE GREENHOUSE OF THE FUTURE IS HERE, AND IT'S ECO-FRIENDLY, AUTONOMOUS AND EFFICIENT

A Greek innovative idea for agriculture: The special glass developed by Brite Solar produces clean energy from the sun! No negative impact on agricultural production performance.

?After years of warnings from scientists and experts, the future of the planet is at a critical juncture, faced with challenges such as overpopulation and climate change. According to United Nations projections, the world population is estimated to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, requiring a forced increase in global food production of 70-100% by then, to maintain current levels of nutrition.

The above estimates, combined with the fact that agriculture consumes 14% of energy and 70% of water worldwide today, are enough to immediately realize that there is a problem. Quite simply, the conventional means of cultivation are neither sufficient, nor sustainable, for the required increase in of production in the coming years.

A solution to this problem can be the "traditional" greenhouse, since it is ten times more efficient than conventional crops, consuming 10 times less water. But even in this solution, there is a "cloudy" point - the energy. A greenhouse requires 10 times more energy consumption compared to traditional agriculture, resulting in 25-28% of its operating costs being consumed in energy.

Here, the solution comes from Brite Solar, a Greek company that has distinguished itself at the European level with its technology. Brite Solar has created PanePower, an innovative and patented solar glass technology that uses a combination of nanomaterials with monocrystalline silicon solar cells. Unlike other photovoltaic solutions, PanePower is over 80% transparent solar glass, which produces clean energy, reduces energy costs, and allows light to penetrate without affecting photosynthesis, making it ideal for greenhouse applications. Brite Solar's panels play a crucial role in creating the right microclimate for crops and creating the ideal environment required for quality cultivation and increased production.

?Brite Solar was founded by Dr. Nikos Kanopoulos in 2010 - at the height of the financial crisis - in Greece. Despite the difficulties, she managed to persevere and bring her technology to production, while filing multiple patent applications and winning international accolades. One of the reasons that the company has managed to cope with these difficult times is because of its employees, who are all shareholders at the same time!

The other reason is obviously its technology. Thanks to this, the company managed to secure financings from investors and receive distinctions from international organizations such as Ernst & Young and the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce. It also managed to be selected by the European Innovation Council as the only Greek company to be awarded for a project under the Green Deal program, securing new funding.

Brite Solar collaborates with great Universities worldwide. In particular, it collaborates with Wageningen University (https://www.wur.nl/) , within the framework of a Dutch- subsidized research program, as well as with TNO (https://www.tno.nl/en/) , which is the largest research organization in the Netherlands. This collaboration focuses on the development and demonstration of agro-photovoltaic systems for the needs of Dutch agriculture. It also works closely with Delft University (https://www.tudelft.nl/en/), which helps us demonstrate Brite Solar's electrochromic glass prototypes in real-world conditions. And has supplied panels to universities for their research purposes related to agro-photovoltaics and their applications. Like the University of Jaen (https://www.ujaen.es/en) and the University of Western Ontario (https://www.uwo.ca/index.html).

The company has implemented many applications of its product in areas of Greece, the Netherlands and Germany, with many future projects already scheduled for construction in the new year. According to the company, the results of its applications, to date, are extremely positive in the entire range of applications, both in the types of cultivation (vines, tomatoes, blueberries, pears, strawberries) and in the different regions. The applications of the panels can be done in all possible types of cultivation, in greenhouses as well as open type cultivation (AgriPV).

Alongside this project, Brite Solar has started its own production line and further development of its product, having already secured the funding it needs to move forward. The new factory in Patras is already under construction and is expected to go into production in about a year. Its goal is from increase the "bases" it already has in Greece, the Netherlands and the USA, to manage to "reach" the whole world, promoting its technology and the whole idea of sustainable cultivation and development.

Brite Hellas S.A.

t: +30 2310 321342,?f:?+30 2310 552265

a:? Steliou Kazantzidi 47, Thermi 2 Building, 9th km. Thessaloniki – Thermi, P.O. Box: D 8129, 57001, Thessaloniki, Greece

www.britesolar.com?[email protected]

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