Through a close collaboration between the leading UK/Chinese universities and the top Chinese/UK companies, the proposed UK-China collaborative R&I project will develop a novel building integrate-able solar PV/T system for space heating, hot water and power supply. The universities have specific knowledge of the most advanced PV/T and loop heat pipe technologies and also expertise in China-oriented business strategy. The companies have strong R&D and manufacturing capacity in solar PV, thermal, PV/T and heat storage/exchangers. The new PV/T system will achieve around 30% higher overall solar efficiency and 20% cost saving compared to the existing equivalent PV/T systems and will be flexible in component selection to meet different needs in buildings. The innovative technologies include (1) a novel loopheat- pipe (LHP); (2) a novel PV/T panel; (3) a highly efficient heat storage/exchanger, and (4) an internet-based intelligent monitoring and control system. In terms of tasks, the project involves development of (1) a computerised design and optimisation model; (2) an experimental prototype and associated test rig; (3) a pre-production solar PV/T system for real building use; and (4) the economic, environmental and market performance reports and business model specifically tailored for the PV/T system.

Within the Consortium, QMUL will be responsible for development of a business model and completion of a market analysis relating to the innvotive solar PV/T system. These works will help prediction of the market sizes of the new PV/T system in China and development of the appropriate business strategy and action plan. Further, QMUL will head up the dissemination activities including networking, workshops, website etc, thus maximising the impact of the research at a global extent. Based on the established successes in managing the UK-China collaborative projects and knowledge/technology transfers, QMUL will also help with transfer of technologies and development of a joint business among the UK and Chinese partners. Finally, QMUL will involve economic and environmental analyses of the new technology that will enable assessment of feasibility and affordability of the new PV/T system and its potential environmental benefits.

Potential Impact:
The proposed UK-China collaborative project aims to develop a novel high efficiency, low cost, building integrate-able solar PV/T system for space heating, hot water and power supply, which has the potential to open up an enormous commercial market in China and worldwide. Realisation of the project aim will bring about a number of ODA related benefits:
(1) accelerating the economic development and welfare growth of China and the UK by probating two prospective businesses;
(2) promoting China's sustainable development and mitigating its environmental pollution by reducing the fossil fuel consumption and carbon/dust emissions and increasing the use of renewable solar energy in buildings; and
(3) helping reduce poverty in China and enhance the living standard and health condition of Chinese people.

Furthermore, the project will directly benefit the project partners, relevant material/components suppliers and system installers, in terms of the PV/T products sale/installation and knowledge/technology transfer on a global scale. It will also benefit China and UK industries in terms of the enhanced competitiveness, increased sale, and improved employment opportunities. In particular, the project will benefit the UK and China academic partners and personnel by (1) developing the new and lasting research collaborations, and enabling the knowledge transfer/share among them; (2) contributing to improving their research and innovation potentials; (3) promoting transfer of technologies among the academic organisations and between academic organisations and industries; and (4) enhancing the potential and future career perspectives of the participating academia, particularly of those new researchers. QMUL, as the project partner, will be responsible for development of a business model and completion of a market analysis relating to the innovative solar PV/T system.

Innovation China UK (ICUK) at QMUL has a rich business network and strong links with the government agencies, international technology transfer centres, innovation and business incubators, hightech industrial parks as well academic institutes and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the UK representatives in China. The business links ICUK has established already in China will be used to explore the PV/T project outcome and a series of the dissemination activities including networking, workshops, publication of white papers, and a project website for public access, to help with transfer of technologies and development of a joint business between the UK and Chinese partners, and assist in economic and environmental analyses of the PV/T system. ICUK will investigate, in particular, impact of UK-China innovation policy on PV/T and potentially promoting an innovation scope beyond the project partners to nationwide in China. All these works will help establishment of a bridge that can link up the innovations to a China-based business and maximise the impact of the research in China and worldwide. These efforts are necessary steps for developing a cross-national business and completing the technology transfer & conversion, which will clearly contribute to acceleration of the economic development and welfare growth of China, reduction of the carbon and dust emissions and mitigation of the poverty condition of Chinese people. From this point of view, QMUL's works will highly comply with the purposes of the Official Development Assistance (ODA) programme.