British solar innovator lands on US soil with Nebraska campus installation
● 240 British-made solar collectors to save Omaha’s Creighton University 40 metric tonnes of carbon a year
● The project marks Naked Energy’s US launch - developers of world’s highest energy density solar technology
● Partner ELM Solar is set to deploy the British technology nationwide
10th October 2023, London: ELM Companies has partnered with Naked Energy to install its world-leading solar technology on a university campus in Omaha, Nebraska - marking the British business’s arrival in the United States.
Creighton University’s Graves Hall is the first North American facility to use VirtuHOT HD - a solar heat collector designed and engineered by UK scale-up Naked Energy, developers of the world’s highest energy density solar heat technology.
240 VirtuHot HD collectors are installed on the new residence hall, which will heat water for 400 freshers moving in at the end of the summer.
The installation will have a peak capacity of 69.9 kWp thermal and generate 40 metric tonnes of carbon savings for the dormitory each year.
Naked Energy’s TÜV-certified Virtu technology is estimated to reduce more than three times the greenhouse gases per square metre, compared to traditional solar PV (photovoltaic) panels. It presents an important contribution to the university’s broader Sustainable Creighton Initiative goals, which aim to cut the campus’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2028.
While American colleges broadly outrank their UK counterparts in sustainability targets, dozens of leading US schools still rely heavily on fossil fuels to heat and cool their campuses - with some emitting carbon at higher rates than a typical commercial power plant.
The innovative approach with Virtu to water heating at Creighton University’s newest dorm delivers a clean energy benchmark for campuses across the country.
It also marks an important milestone of Naked Energy’s partnership with ELM Solar, which sees the British technology being deployed on buildings across the country as US demand for onsite solar energy accelerates.
Christophe Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Naked Energy said: “Creighton presented us with an ambitious goal, and the new system at Graves Hall will help the university meet its sustainability goals and control energy costs.
“We’re proud that this is the first North American deployment of VirtuHOT HD, and the project marks a significant milestone in our international expansion. We look forward to working with ELM Solar to expand Virtu’s rollout in North America, and continuing to decarbonise heat and change energy for good.”
ELM Companies Founder and Chairman Lee C. Graves added: “Solar heat technology has enormous potential because it takes the task of heating water, a major energy cost in any building, either off the power or gas grid, resulting in financial and carbon savings for the building owner.
“We’re excited to continue distributing Naked Energy’s innovative solar heat technology across the United States.”
Creighton University President the Rev. Daniel S. Hendrickson, SJ, PhD, said: “To partner with ELM and Naked Energy in bringing this innovative approach to energy conservation to our campus in Omaha is a tremendous opportunity for Creighton University.
“This breakthrough technology aligns seamlessly with our Sustainable Creighton Initiative by putting us in an even stronger position to care for our common home. With the installation of the VirtuHOT HD system, we are creating a cutting-edge campus environment that will help our students and planet thrive into the future.”
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Notes to editor
For Naked Energy enquiries, please contact: nakedenergy@harpswood.com
For ELM enquiries, please contact: collin.yoxall@cookseypr.com
About Naked Energy
Naked Energy is a British design and engineering business, leading the global innovation in solar heat and solar PVT. Naked Energy’s mission is to change energy for good, by decarbonising heat, the largest global energy end use in buildings across the world. Naked Energy’s high energy density solutions are capable of decarbonising heat cost-effectively and with limited space; its solar PVT technology delivers up to 4 times the carbon savings per m2 in comparison to conventional solar PV.
About ELM Companies
Started in 1998, ELM Companies develops innovative and sophisticated solutions for energy and utility services that assure your compliance with regulations, improve your grid reliability, and streamline distribution. Over the past 25 years, ELM has continuously built innovative technology solutions through our direct utilities experience and understanding with:
1100+ fleet servicing over 3,000,000 tickets per year across the U.S. utility industry
MicroGrid energy storage solutions implemented for utility companies, the U.S. Military, and large enterprises.
Precise, cloud-based utility mapping that provides instant access to your infrastructure data.
Technology that offers the world’s highest energy density solar equipment available on the market.
For more details, contact info@elmllc.com
ELM Companies: ELMllc.com | ELM MicroGrid: ELMmicrogrid.com | ELM Solar: ELMsolar.us