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25/10/2011
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A set of equipment that packs into a shipping container, and germinates and grows up to 20,000 plant seedlings every five days, has been declared British Invention of the Year.
 The SG1 (Solar Grow 1) was conceived by serial inventor Alex Bushell as a forward base military salads and vegetables plant factory system. It is also able to advance and diversify crop production, even on waste land, and to get crop growing restarted quickly, after major disasters.
The award was made at the dinner associated with this years' British Invention Show, in London last Friday (21 October 2011).
Its ingenuity lies in the plant's integration and packaging of systems, which include solar power, re-usable seedling pots and a fully equipped test laboratory.
Bushell, who is technical director of developers, Boundless Horizons, says: "SG1 can be up and running within two hours of delivery."
Once in operation, the system is up to 94% water efficient. If water supply is a problem, the system can use its modular rain collection system, which includes 'plug and go' deep well pumps and salt water desalinisation units.
The company that produces it is based on the Kent Science Park at Sittingbourne and the sale price of a complete system is £25,000.
Other notable developments include: a self priming siphon system for removing flood water or bilge water from boats developed in Dorset, and 'Fireballs', fire extinguishers that can be thrown onto a fire and turn themselves up the right way before initiating, developed by Wafa Thawad, a young lady from Saudi Arabia.
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Author
Tom Shelley
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