Harnessing the power of the sun

Innovative, affordable Solar Water heating technology

Our Story

SolaForm are working with various partners on projects such as CE-SEA, SolaFin2Go and SolaNetwork. Links to these projects can be accessed from the main menu. SolaForm Ltd. is an Ulster University spinout company established in 2014. The company has secured significant funding to support trial, demonstration, monitoring and accreditation activities for their solar water heating technologies. The fundamental business objective of SolaForm Ltd. is to develop new market ready, customer focussed innovative solar based technologies and through a process of licensing and technology transfer, manage and support a ‘licensing out’ business model. The research and development and generation of near market innovative solar thermal technologies is central to the company’s business strategy. The SolaCatcher, based around the patented solar thermal diode technology, is SolaForm’s first commercial domestic solar water heating technology. SolaCatcher units have been deployed and trialled in a Northern Ireland community housing scheme and in Botswana in an off-grid solution as part of an Innovate UK funded research project in an rural village integrated solar thermal/electrification scheme.

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Our Team

Dominic McLarnon
Director
Dominic McLarnon is an experienced energy research engineer, start-up developer and research programme facilitator and project manager with strong sectoral experience in the energy and renewables industry. Dominic is currently SPIRE 2 (Storage Platform for the Integration of Renewable Energy) Commercialisation Manager with a remit to develop commercial pathways and create the right conditions for market exploitation of the project outputs. He was formerly the Horizon 2020 Northern Ireland Contact Point (NICP) for energy with the responsibility for engagement with H2020 EU energy related research and development programmes in order to maximise Northern Ireland’s opportunities for European funding. Dominic spent his formative years post-graduation on renewable energy research at Ulster University before embarking on a role at Nortel Networks as Design for Environment/Mechanical Design Manager. He is on the board of both International Energy Research Centre (IERC) and Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE).

Mervyn Smyth

Director
Dr Mervyn Smyth obtained a 1st Class BEng (Hons) in Building Services Engineering and PhD for solar energy research both from Ulster University. Dr Smyth has over 25 years’ experience in the HVAC and solar energy industries. Dr Smyth has a particular interest in solar thermal systems and has been involved in the design, development, fabrication and evaluation of various types of solar water heating units. Dr Smyth is a past chair of CIBSE NI and vice chair of the TU1205 EU COST action on Building Integrated Solar Thermal Systems.

Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST)​

The Centre for Sustainable Technologies undertakes multidisciplinary research to design, create, develop, improve, demonstrate and evaluate emerging, existing and alternative sustainable renewable energy, building design, construction materials, transport and environmental modification technologies.

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