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The Future Business Centre is a new purpose built business innovation centre in Cambridge aimed at supporting the growth of environmental and community enterprises. Unlike the multitude of business incubation centres popping up around the country, the Future Business Centre is a noticeably different kind of enterprise hub.

The building is specifically designed to support social and environmental enterprises, and as a result has unique financing in the form of charitable bonds. These secure bonds were administered by Allia, a charitable organisation that creates opportunities for people to invest for the social benefit while still receiving a return on their capital. In accordance with its remit as a social and environmental innovation centre, the building also sought to attain a high environmental rating, targeting and being awarded BREEAM Excellent.

Polysolar, a local Cleantech company, was invited to supply its unique solar PV glazing to the project to help meet stringent environmental targets. Polysolar installed the solar PV glass façade to the front of the building, which acts as both an attractive landmark and addresses the performance requirements of the building. The installation included both a curtain wall in the stairwell, using Polysolar’s double glazed amber tinted PV glass, and an opaque rainscreen cladding system to supplement the roof top solar array. The vertical double glazed solar glass façade is one of the very first of its kind in the UK and is forecast to produce some 3500 kWh of renewable electricity per year from approximately 68 m2 of PV glass.

The PV glass is incorporated into a standard aluminium curtain walling system from Dortech Architectural systems Ltd, which is used throughout the building, along with bonded rainscreen cladding from Nvelope.

Hamish Watson, Polysolar’s founder, explains that "the installed cost per square metre of PV glazing is only marginally higher than the conventional glazing on the building, but offers the multiple added advantages of reduced heat gain, improved insulation and renewable carbon free electricity," adding that "while its Building Integrated PV (BIPV) glass is a ‘no brainer' for many new and retrofit projects, it did take vision and determination by the client to see the project to fruition."

He explained that in the construction industry, innovation is seen as an added risk and resistance was only overcome by close collaboration with suppliers and contractors to deliver what was a seamless build.

Polysolar's solar PV glass has been used in a wide variety of applications from petrol station canopies and building facades to greenhouses and walkways. Their solutions deliver a cost effective, multifunctional, environmental building material specifically designed to meet stringent building regulations whilst providing a significant Return On Investment. Polysolar hopes to become one of the early tenants of the Future Business Centre to house its new product development activities and join other like- minded Cleantech enterprises.

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