Solar Polar

What Solar Polar does

Solar Polar is a UK-based private limited company headquartered in Peterborough that develops solar thermal-driven cooling and heating products for off-grid and high-temperature applications. The company was founded by engineers Dr Robert Edwards and Michael Reid, with the foundational patent on its modular solar-thermal Diffusion Absorption Refrigeration (DAR) system granted in 2015. Its stated mission is to deliver fuel-free, emissions-free, affordable heating and cooling, beginning with refrigeration and outdoor heating and extending to cooking.

The company's technology platform centres on a patented solar concentrator that uses a printed micro-mirror laminate to focus sunlight on a collector tube, reaching temperatures above 250°C, combined with an ammonia-water absorption refrigeration cycle with no moving parts and no electricity requirement. Product lines include the Solar Concentrator (also offered as a standalone industrial heat source), the Solar Pergola (Cosy Table) for hospitality outdoor heating, and solutions in development — Cool Box for sustainable cooling, Med Box for vaccine and medicine refrigeration in developing countries, Hot Box for high-temperature solar heat collection under overcast skies, and Solar Flower, described as the world's first zero-carbon patio heater. The core DAR module is described as the only modular solar DAR system globally.

Solar Polar generates revenue through hardware sales of its solar thermal products, licensing of its patented technology, and grant funding from programmes including Horizon 2020, the Energy Entrepreneurs Fund, Innovate UK, and Engineers Without Borders, supplemented by angel investment. Go-to-market is direct sales via a website contact form, with active demonstration projects across the UK, Mediterranean rim countries, USA, Africa (Kenya, Egypt), and India, targeting hospitality venues, agricultural pre-cooling (in partnership with Mamata Group), vaccine cold chain, underground mine cooling, and zero-carbon residential housing. The company operates with 1–10 employees and is founder-led, with leadership comprising a Chairman, Finance Director, Non-Executive Director, and Commercial Advisor in addition to the two co-founders.

Name

Solar Polar

Legal name

Solar-Polar Limited

Website

https://solar-polar.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Solar Polar is a UK-based private company that develops patented solar thermal cooling and heating products based on Diffusion Absorption Refrigeration and micro-mirror concentrator technology, serving hospitality, agriculture, healthcare, mining, and residential customers in off-grid and high-temperature markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Thermal Heating and Cooling Equipment

NAICS

Steam and Air-Conditioning Supply (221330), Power Boiler and Heat Exchanger Manufacturing (33241)

SIC

Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580), Heating Equip, Except Elec & Warm Air; & Plumbing Fixtures (3430), Heating Equipment, Except Electric & Warm Air Furnaces (3433)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Thermal & CSP Systems (Collectors, Receivers, Thermal Storage, CSP EPC) (EUAMABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

CSP Thermal Energy Storage & Heat Transfer Systems (Molten Salt, HTF, Receivers) (EUACAGAF), Concentrated Solar & Solar Fuels R&D (CSP Innovations, Thermochemical, Solar-to-Hydrogen) (EUAMAOAE)

Keywords

• Solar thermal technology
• Solar cooling systems
• Solar refrigeration
• Solar heating products
• Solar concentrators

Headquarters

HQ city

Peterborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Solar Thermal Products Sales: Sale of solar thermal heating and cooling products including Solar Concentrator, Solar Pergola, and modules (Cool Box, Med Box, Hot Box, Solar Flower). Products can be sold as separate units or integrated into existing systems.
2. Patent Licensing: Licensing of patented solar thermal cooling technology to third parties. The collector is available as a separate product ideal for industry heating for creation of steam or cooling in conjunction with absorption chillers.
3. Grant Funding: Government and institutional grants for R&D and demonstration projects including Horizon 2020, Energy Entrepreneurs Fund, and Innovate UK.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Solar Polar develops and manufactures solar thermal products for sustainable heating and cooling, built on a patented modular solar Diffusion Absorption Refrigeration (DAR) system combined with a high-temperature solar concentrator using micro-mirror technology. Current offerings include a solar concentrator and the Solar Pergola (Cosy Table) outdoor heater for hospitality venues, with a refrigeration and air-conditioning module in market launch.

Product overview

Solar Polar is a ground-breaking innovator in solar thermal technology developing a portfolio of products for sustainable heating and cooling. The core technology is a patented modular solar Diffusion Absorption Refrigeration (DAR) system and high-temperature solar concentrator. The product portfolio includes current products (Solar Concentrator, Solar Pergola/Cosy Table) and solutions in development (Cool Box, Med Box, Hot Box, Solar Flower) all built on the company's core solar thermal technology platform. Products address worldwide energy problems by reducing carbon emissions while generating low-cost solar heating and cooling for applications ranging from vaccine refrigeration in developing countries to outdoor heating for hospitality venues and mine cooling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Solar Pergola: Sustainable heating solution for cafes, pubs, restaurants and outdoor living, also known as Cosy Table.
• Solar Concentrator
• Solar Polar module
• Hot Box
• Cool Box
• Med Box
• Solar Flower

Products and services

• Solar Concentrator

Quantifiable outcome

• Average Mediterranean home saves ~13,000 kWh per year, €3,000 and 7 tonnes of CO2
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Mamata GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Indian partner for agricultural pre-cooling market exploration in India. Working together on market research and targeting crops including cut flowers and dairy products for the Indian agricultural sector.
• London South Bank UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for research and development collaboration in solar thermal technology.
• Imperial College LondonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for solar thermal research and development.
• Swansea UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for solar thermal technology research.
• Engineers Without Borders USAsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian engineering organisation partnership for solar ice making demonstrator project in Egypt.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Soltigua: Italian developer of solar cooling and solar-driven air conditioning using absorption chillers. Direct peer to Solar Polar — both deliver solar-thermal-driven cooling with natural refrigerants for off-grid and Mediterranean applications.
• Coolar: German company building solar-powered cooling units using an absorption process for vaccine and medicine refrigeration in off-grid settings. Closely comparable to Solar Polar's Med Box product line.
• Apricus Solar: Manufacturer of evacuated tube solar thermal collectors used for water heating, space heating, and process heat. Comparable in the high-temperature solar collector market that Solar Polar's micro-mirror concentrator targets.
• Aventa: Norwegian company specializing in solar thermal cooling using absorption technology for commercial and industrial refrigeration. Comparable in using solar heat to drive an absorption refrigeration cycle, though with a different architectural approach.

Emerging players

• Sun King (Greenlight Planet): Large-scale off-grid solar product provider in Africa and South Asia. Competes with Solar Polar in delivering energy access to the same 1.5 billion off-grid population, but primarily via PV+battery products rather than thermal cooling.
• d.light: Off-grid solar energy and appliance provider for emerging markets, with growing presence in solar-powered refrigeration. Comparable in serving off-grid customers but with a PV+battery architecture rather than solar thermal.

Broad incumbents

• Viessmann: Global heating technology incumbent with a substantial solar thermal product line (collectors, heat pumps, combined systems). Competes with Solar Polar's Hot Box in residential and commercial process heat.
• Bosch Thermotechnology: Major HVAC and solar thermal incumbent with collector and heat pump product lines. Competes in the residential and commercial hot water and space heating space that overlaps with Solar Polar's Hot Box and Solar Pergola.
• Solahart: Global solar water heating and solar thermal provider, particularly strong in Australia and sun-belt countries. Comparable to Solar Polar's Hot Box in substituting solar heat for gas/electric water and space heating.
• Kingspan Solar: Established European solar thermal collector manufacturer with broad distribution. Comparable to the Solar Concentrator product line in delivering high-temperature solar heat for residential and commercial applications.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/solar-polar-limited
• Xx.com/SolarPolar

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solar Polar