Dulas R&D engineers (left to right): Matthew Thomas and Ziggy Mancini
Dulas expands Research and Development team
Dulas has always been an ideas company, founded when four engineers from the Centre for Alternative Technology had the idea of developing a solar-powered fridge to help hospitals without electricity. Our Solar Direct Drive (SDD) refrigerators have since been exported to over 80 countries across the world and we have continued to innovate by providing niche solutions for the renewable energy industry. This includes our pioneering AquaShear Coanda screens for hydro optimisation and our data logger for the onshore wind industry. But that’s enough of blowing our own trumpet – we want to introduce our two new R&D engineers to you!
Growing to meet demand
Thanks to recent surges in the renewable energy market, Dulas is busier than ever. We are now expanding our Research and Development team to enable us to continue improving existing services, generate new ideas, develop innovative solutions, and build to order for the renewable energy market. We have increased the size of our workshop at our Machynlleth HQ by 50% and have recently welcomed two new engineers into the team – Matthew Thomas and Ziggy Mancini – to help us achieve our ambitious plans.
Matthew Thomas
Matthew is a graduate of the Centre for Alternative Technology, with an MSc in Renewable Energy Provision. He has worked in engineering roles in both the solar and wind industries and has developed an interest outside his day job in building small off-grid solar applications, including the occasional horse box sauna! He is passionate about getting more renewable energy plugged into the grid, involving local communities wherever possible. He has an excellent understanding of the engineering principles that sit behind wind, solar and hydro technologies, as well as lots of practical experience, which will be invaluable in our R&D workshop.
Ziggy Mancini
Ziggy recently graduated in Mechatronics and Robotics Systems at the University of Liverpool. He has also recently completed an internship in which he helped to automate the manufacturing process of probes. Ziggy enjoys long walks on the beach and in the mountains with his dogs in his spare time and is looking forward to putting his skills into practice at Dulas.
Areas of research
Matthew and Ziggy will be working across the business, carrying forward existing projects and developing new ones. This includes sourcing solutions for areas which are off-grid or grid-constrained – this remains an issue for many of our clients, particularly in Wales. Dulas already has a proven track record developing bespoke remote power and energy storage back-up solutions, including remote railway crossings and wind monitoring locations. Later this year, we will be bringing another commercial product to market – a solar-powered electric vehicle charger for grid-constrained areas.
Our work in the field of international development has also shown us that grid constraints are a very real and life-threatening issue for remote communities who have limited access to healthcare basics such as vaccinations, which require refrigeration. We continue to explore renewable energy solutions that would improve the lives of people in these communities.
There are several other projects, ongoing or in early stages of development, but more on that another time! All in all, it’s a very exciting time to be at Dulas, and we’re delighted to have this additional capacity in our busy R&D team. Welcome to the Dulas family, Matthew and Ziggy!
