MISSION & VISION

Biosphere Solar works on a world where the circular and fair solar panels are the norm in the PV industry. To this end we are developing new design standards for the PV industry. We envision a world where solar energy and biodiversity regeneration are brought together, and the use of open-source PV module design enables rapid and resilient developments. This vision is guiding us to the development of an open-source, circular, and fair solar module. Our aim is to provide the knowledge and technology necessary to help the solar industry transition towards more sustainable designs and business models.

OUR VALUES

We live in historic times. Never before has one generation had the chance to influence the faith of the earth for millenia to come. The goal of our organisation is to make the largest sustainability impact possible. This means lowering emissions, regenerating biodiversity, keeping materials and components in the loop, and creating efficient; transparent and fair value chains. For us, circularity means more than simply recycling. We are redesigning solar panels in a modular way to enable repair, upgrades, and refurbisment. In addition, we are creating a holistic transition that is equitable for current and future generations. Adressing the human rights shortfalls in the solar supply chain is therefore crucial. As such, we aim to source our materials from fair suppliers as much as possible.

To bring about a change and have large scale impact, we aim to enable a global, smart, and distributed network of solar panel production, remanufacturing and maintenance. By simplifying (re)manufacturing through design we offer a new way to scale solar, and make sure all materials and components stay in the loop. This way, we are bringing about the age of circularity and open-source hardware in the PV industry. However, we believe  groundbreaking sustainable innovation should not be developed behind closed walls. We believe in the power of community and are therefore building a global network of contributors who join us in making solar truly fair, circular and available to everyone. Therefore, anyone can contribute to our design and become part of an ever-growingn community of fair and circular PV pioneers!

With the exponential growth of solar installations comes an exponential growth in solar panel waste. It is estimated that by 2050 humanity will generate more than 500 million tonnes of solar waste. This waste includes incredibly valuable as well as toxic materials, which go into the environment or are downgraded at the end-of-life of solar panels. This has to do with the EVA lamination used in production, which is essentially a glue that encapsulates the components and holds them together. Because of this lamination, separating the components is virtually impossible.  There has been work to develop more recyclable laminations, but we focus on enabling full disassembly through modular design. This ensures that not only humanity can tackle climate change through renewable energy, but this system can be maintained for millenia with materials that stay in the loop.

In every aspect of doing business, we want to be critical of the systems that caused today’s socio-environmental crisis. We want to see where things can be done better while being compatible with existing infrastructures. Therefore, we strive for work to be a deeply rewarding experience, not a drudgy chore. We ask people only to work when they feel a need and passion for it. We reward people by giving them what they need for a good life, not by making them excessively wealthy. Moreover, we foster a team of diverse individuals, who all belong and are valued. We aim to tackle and explicitly acknowledge predjudices throughout our work. Finally, we want work to be a safe space where people can express their needs and feel heard at all times. Together, this makes for a diverse, equitable and inclusive team, ready to tackle the complex challenges at hand.

The challenges that Biosphere Solar aims to tackle far surpass its own capabilities. We have therefore developed a far-reaching network in the industry, academia,  and policy spheres. Only through collaboration can we realise our mission of bringing circular and fair solar panels to the market and industry. If you are interested in collaborating on bringing circular and fair solar energy to the market and industry, please get in touch. 

THE TEAM

CORE TEAM

SIEMEN BRINKSMA
strategy & finance

PERINE FLEURY
network building

TIM KAASJAGER
product development

V0 CONTRIBUTORS

ASLI DEMIR
creative director

MYRTHE COSTER
test & product engineer

KESHAV SHUKLA
test & product engineer

SAM BOERMANS
development kit designer

MARK SHENOUDA
finance & funding

HARSHRASJ GALI
industrial network

MANNES VAN DE WINKEL
sales shark

FULVIA IANOTTA
impact assessment

JUDIT KLOOSTER
community building

PUCK WYNIA
online media

MIHIR MAHAJAN
interconnections

LIAM MCCLAIN
content creation

YOUP KROON
interconnect design

RUTGER RITSMA
mechanical design

FALKO BAATSEN
mechanical design

AITOR WEAN
product design

KUSHAL GORTI
business development

DOMONKOS PLANER
business development

VICTOR BECCARIA
business development

MAITHELI NIKAM
solar engineering

SUJITH REDDY
solar engineering

KARTHIK DEIVAMANI
solar engineering

ISA HUIPEN
community building

RAJU PRUSPANATI
solar engineering

ALICE BUCHNER
research & assessment

SIL DE LEEUW
business development

JOEY NIJNENS
business development

EUNICE KOID
research & validation

OUR STORY

OKT 2022

EIT RAW MATERIALS ACCELERATOR

Admission into the EU-funded EIT Raw Materials Accelerator

AUG 2022

PROTOTYPE V0.4

Release of our fourth prototype, with a focus on aesthetics and efficiency

JUL 2022

REPAIR PROTOTYPE V0.3

We repaired our very first prototype of VO.3

JUN 2022

CIRCULAR VALLEY ACCELERATOR

We started the CV accelerator in Wuppertal, Germany.

MAY 2022

GLOBAL CLEANTECH CHALLENGE

We attend the Global Cleantech Challenge in London, and win 2nd place.

MAY 2022

PROTOTYPE V0.3

The third iteration of our prototype was released, including process improvements, encapsulation improvements and various cell types.

APR 2022

CLEANTECH CHALLENGE

Biosphere Solar wins the Dutch CleanTech Challenge, allowing the team to go to the global finals in May.

MAR 2022

OFFICE & WORKSPACE

A new workspace and office is opened at Staalweg 1, Delft, the Netherlands. This is where prototyping and development is centered

FEB 2022

MAKERSPACE DELFT

Collaboration with the open Makerspace Delft begins, where prototype V0.3 will be developed.

NOV 2021

GREEN VILLAGE PILOT

The Green Village of TU Delft grants Biosphere Solar access to their grounds to allow for a pilot project and field testing of an array of PV modules

AUG 2021

ZUID-HOLLAND PROVINCE FUNDING

The province of Zuid-Holland confirms funding for the testing and development of the Biosphere Solar PV module

JUL 2021

PROTOTYPE V0.2

The second prototype of Biosphere Solar’s circular and fair PV module design is developed as a research project in collaboration with TU Delft

MAR 2021

IMPACT CONTEST 2021

Biosphere Solar joins the 2021 Impact Contest in the ideation category and wins first place, receiving funding and coaching.

NOV 2020

FOUNDING

Biosphere Solar is officially founded in the Netherlands

OCT 2020

V0.1

The first prototype of a repairable, modular solar panel is developed as a proof-of-concept.

CONTRIBUTE>

Help product development by joining the community, submitting design ideas or donating

PRODUCT>

Learn more about our product and its benefits over conventional solar panels

CONTACT>

Get in touch with us for inquiries, partnerships and more

INVEST>

Join us in our mission to bring solar energy to the next level