Filament, a design agency based in Glasgow, has created a modular solar thermal collector system in a flat-pack format. The goal of the development was to increase the accessibility of hot water in communities with limited resources.
The system, named Solaris Kit, is designed to be easily transported, assembled with basic tools, and installed both on roofs and in open areas. After installation, the prism-shaped device silently converts solar energy into hot water, eliminating the need to burn fossil fuels.
Solaris Kit enables shared access to hot water. A prototype of the system was tested under conditions simulating dust, wind, UV exposure, and rough handling, and was also used in rural clinics in Rwanda.
The low profile of the device allows it to blend harmoniously with the local architectural landscape, and the flat-pack design enables communities themselves to participate in the installation and maintenance process. The ambition of Solaris Kit is to make sustainable technologies more meaningful through environmentally responsible design that considers real-world operating, installation, and maintenance conditions by people.
By transforming solar thermal collectors into a modular, repairable, and locally manageable system, this project transforms them into infrastructure for local communities.