Bionics is the science of producing technological innovation inspired by nature. Bionics was once talked about a lot because the adventures of The Six Million Dollar Man and his girlfriend were on TV, then the term went out of fashion. But when we read about ultra-resistant fibres made from the molecules of spider webs, or mobile solar panels that follow the movement of the sun in the sky, we can't help but be reminded of that concept and that way of approaching scientific research, which starts from the assumption that nature's wisdom is greater than man's. Smartflower's engineers must have made the same reasoning because their most innovative product is a photovoltaic system that in design and operation is reminiscent of the sunflower and its property of following the sun on its path from sunrise to sunset.
The technique
The rotary movement of the Smartflower is achieved by a biaxial motor following the instructions of an astronomical algorithmwhich, depending on the set latitude and the day of installation, calculates the best inclination of the panels to optimise the efficiency of the device. The yield of the system ranges from 3,400 to 6,200 kWh/year, depending on the geographical region. The energy efficiency is therefore better than the 40% compared to static systems. Moreover, having a longer operating time span, it has the ability to produce the maximum available energy from the early morning hours until the late afternoon. Thus the system can supply live domestic loads without drawing from the grid for a good part of the day, achieving a self-consumption index of 60%. The device is able to secure itself thanks to an anemometer sensor that by measuring wind intensity can command the Smartflower to retract into a safe position when the wind reaches 54 km/h. In the closed position the structure is 2.65 metres high, in the open position it reaches a maximum of 4.8 metres. The free space around the Smartflower must be 5×5 metres. Installation takes very little time: after having made the concrete base, it is sufficient to one hour for the installation of the structure and initial commissioning. It is available in 3 versions: standard for connection to the grid; with lithium-ion batteries for storing electricity to be reused later; with 22 kW sockets for recharging cars and e-bikes.
The Smartflower design
Designed by the Viennese studio GP DesignPartners, the Smartflower has a particularly pleasant and functional visual impact. It resembles the flowers that children draw: large petals that rotate to close in on themselves, supported by a coloured base. The apparatus is well suited to any environmentfrom the backyard, to the car park of a company, to the terrace of an apartment building. It is no coincidence that the Smartflower won numerous industrial design competitionssuch as Good Design Award 2016, red dot design Award 2016, International SEA Sustainable Entrepreneurship Award 2015, Austrian special award for innovation, Austria's Born Global Champion. Available in 8 colours, it can be customised according to customer requirements. The price of the standard version is around 12 thousand euros.
Source: Smartflower.com
