MOTOR ENTHUSIASTS FLOCK TO BICESTER HERITAGE

Crowds of motoring enthusiasts braved an early start in January to enjoy a Sunday Scramble meet at Bicester Heritage.

The company behind the transformation of RAF Bicester wants the site to become the world’s leading destination for motoring past, present and future.

Founded in 2013, Bicester Heritage is now home to 40 specialist motoring businesses, with a collective turnover of more than £40 million.

The businesses are based at a beautiful 444-acre Second World War former RAF Bomber Training Station.

Daniel Geoghegan, Chief Executive of Bicester Heritage, said: “The Sunday Scramble was the ideal opportunity for us to welcome visitors to the world’s only centre of excellence for historic cars, skills and apprenticeships.

“The relaxed, family atmosphere was a true reflection of the vibrancy and welcoming nature of Bicester Heritage and the classic car world it represents.”

The airfield hosted to a wide selection of car club gatherings, from the Cold War Classic Car Owners Club through to the members of the Lotus 7 Owners Club, many of whom had also driven roof-down to attend, a brave move with temperatures well below double digits for the day.

Bicester Heritage’s insurance partner, Hagerty UK, also returned with its free valuation service for cars attending.

Offering owners an expert opinion on market values, it had proved popular at previous Scrambles and every appointment was booked out in advance of the day.

Stay in the loop with energy-saving assistant

Oxford-based data and technology business Trust Power has launched Loop, an innovative energy-saving assistant that allows households to see and understand their live energy usage, while simplifying the process of switching to a better energy tariff.

Loop allows users to track their energy usage and spend through a user-friendly app and helps them to make changes that could lower their energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment.

One innovation is to help users identify ‘Phantom Loads’ – devices that are left turned on or on standby all the time.

Trust Power founder Roy Bedlow, said: “We wanted to create something that was user-friendly and provides real-time information, so people can immediately see the impact they can make.

“Loop allows users to build an understanding of how they consume, and more importantly, waste energy, whether that’s by leaving things on or on standby unnecessarily, or by simply not being aware how much something costs to run.”

Oxford solar tech business named a 2020 Cleantech 100 company

Oxford PV – The Perovskite Company, a leader in the field of perovskite solar cells, has been selected from thousands of innovators worldwide for a place on the 2020 Global Cleantech 100 list.

The list that features in Cleantech Group’s respected annual report identifies leading companies with sustainable innovations poised to solve the world’s biggest challenges in the next five to 10 years.

Frank Averdung, Chief Executive Officer at Oxford PV, said: “Inclusion on this prestigious list reinforces the confidence in our technology and its ability to make a real difference to the world.

“Solar panels built with Oxford PV’s perovskite-on-silicon solar cells will generate significantly more power than panels with standard silicon cells – making solar energy more affordable, accelerating its adoption, and addressing climate change.”

Oxford PV announced in 2019 it was preparing for volume production of its efficient “plug and play” perovskite-on-silicon solar cells – a direct substitute for conventional silicon solar cells, that will be assembled into industrystandard PV modules.

Manufacturing equipment orders were placed in 2019. The complete production line will commence perovskite-on-silicon solar cell production at the end of 2020.

Oxford PV was established in 2010, as a spin-out from the University of Oxford.