The problem is well known: If only one twentieth of the surface of a solar panel is in the shade, this leads to the same result as completely covering the module - with serious consequences for the overall system: "The modules of such systems are usually connected in series," explains founder Richard Brace, "so if the current drops in one module, it drops in the entire system, so shading one module leads to a drop in the output of the entire system."

A spin-off from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences has developed an electronic circuit that reduces shading on solar modules, thereby improving the efficiency of the system.

© BRC Ltd.

And this is precisely where the development from BRC Solar (video) comes in with a small, patented circuit: it is only attached to shaded modules and only becomes active when they are shaded, which increases the efficiency of the overall system and reduces the necessary investment outlay.

Although there are technical solutions against shading on the market, "these are either very expensive," says colleague and Managing Director Timm Czarnecki - who, like Brace, studied electrical engineering and information technology - "or they are not particularly efficient."

At the moment, the three founders - the third member of the team is Pascal Ruisinger, a graduate of the Bachelor's degree course in Industrial Engineering and Management, who is responsible for the financial planning and controlling of the young company - are preparing for series production and the market launch of their add-on module, which they hope to bring to market in the first quarter of 2019 for around 35 euros.

They were able to develop the electronics at the university and test them extensively in the laboratories: the performance of solar modules with shading problems can be significantly increased. However, it was not only the close technical and scientific connection to the university that was important for the founders, "we also received a lot of organizational support, for example from the university's start-up laboratory," emphasizes Pascal Ruisinger, "we were able to present our idea to experts and received important information on which funding measures were suitable for us. This is currently helping us a lot in setting up the infrastructure for our small company. For example, the EXIST program is providing us with premises."

Mentor Prof. Dr. Rainer Merz is still at their side today: "Of course, we are very interested in how the company is developing and our students are also following this closely. On the other hand, we are already thinking about further developments - the three founders will therefore remain connected to us and perhaps we can even set up joint research projects in the future, with which we can then inspire subsequent generations of students for such exciting questions in energy generation and also present the path to professional independence using a real example."