welcome to sundownloader
Sundownloader is an exciting new patented invention: a fixed mirror that always reflects light downwards. It has no need for lenses, moving parts, motors, wires, power, or controls. It is just a mirror, and it is always on when the sun is on.
The mirror’s curved face is precisely engineered to follow the curved path of the sun as it passes through the sky, and the patented curvature takes into account the differences between the short days of winter and the long mornings and evenings of summer.
Low maintenance
No moving parts. No wires. No motors or controls. It is stationary, and it is always on.
UNIQUE DESIGN
No matter where the sun is in the sky, a sundownloader always reflects sunlight downwards. Any time, any day, any season
modular
The mirror's curved face follows the curved path of the sun across the sky, and takes into account latitude, season and time
patented
Australian Patent No. 2015376131. Further patent applications pending in many locations including Europe, USA, Canada, Russia, India, NZ & China. Priority date 09/01/15 WO 2016/110669
A Sundownloader directs sunlight to where it can be most useful. It moves where the sun shines from one place to another, reducing waste and improving efficiency, continuously at a running cost of zero
There is no net increase in solar energy absorbed by the earth and no net warming effect: the energy is simply moved to where you need it.
Our latest project
domestic residential courtyard, vancouver
A domestic block in Vancouver, which has minimal sunlight in the courtyard. Our virtual modelling has identified the optimum size and location for the Sundownloader to be positioned in order to achieve additional sunlight illuminating the courtyard.
The Sundownloader's curved face follows the curved path of the sun across the sky, and takes into account latitude,
season and time
Sundownloader Applications
Public & private buildings
A Sundownloader brings an entirely new perspective on how light can be managed and directed effectively and efficiently. Architects continually look to include natural light in their designs. Light brings warmth and heat, which must be managed, and the sky also brings other kinds of weather, which must be controlled. Natural sunlight is often the casualty when these concerns conflict. Sundownloader resolves these conflicts
Commercial Horticulture
Greenhouses are usually orientated along a North-South axis, presenting their long sides to East and West. Industrial-scale greenhouses are built in blocks, and low-level light in the centre houses is obscured by plants in the outside houses
Sundownloaders could add a precious couple of hours of sunlight a day. If artificial lighting is used to enhance sunlight, then substantial savings might be possible
Domestic Retail
- Sundownloader enables growing of fruit, flowers and vegetables in dark corners or shadowed garden areas or courtyards
- Sundownloader can bring much needed sunlight to lighten dark basement apartments, extending sunlight intensity and lengthening available sunlight hours in the day
Alleys, courtyards, sunken gardens can all be enhanced by simple, inexpensive static sundownloaders
the future is HERE
The world needs greener sources of light and energy for a sustainable future. It needs cost effective methods to feed the ever increasing populations.
With Sundownloader, the future is here!
Professor Tom Boyde – Inventor & Director, Sundownloader Ltd
Professor Boyde is the inventor of Sundownloader, and sole Director of Sundownloader Ltd which holds the patents for the invention, He is a highly qualified academic BSc,MD, FRCPath, in the fields of Biochemistry & Medicine and grantee of dozens of patents, author of hundreds of scientific papers and a long career of teaching and research in Medicine, Chemistry and Biochemistry. An experienced administrator, he has managed research and hospital laboratories, research groups, university departments, and presently a clinic and a pathology laboratory, and was a scientific programme manager at the Wellcome Trust.
Julie Cleijne – Marketing & Operations Manager
Julie is a highly experienced Senior Management Consultant and Programme Manager, with 20+ years of successfully managing complex business change programmes in large global organisations, spanning Energy & Financial Services sectors in England, Scotland and Australia, including Deloitte Consulting, Barclays, Westpac Bank, RBS, HSBC & American Express.
Julie also has strong credentials, interest and network in the fields of Agriculture, Sustainability and Sustainable Diets. She is founder of a successful consultancy for the food sector – Sustainable Kitchen Consultants, is a IEMA Practitioner, with a Certificate in Environmental Management, and a Nutrition trained Naturopathic Chef. She is a regular speaker in the UK Food sector, on the topics of Sustainable Diets & conscious consumer behaviour. She actively works with UK Farms as a Sustainability & Soil Health consultant, and is currently undertaking an MBA at RAU in Innovation in Sustainable Food & Agriculture, where she will leverage her relationship with the University for further testing & research for the Sundownloader invention. Julie also has several other Farms she works with who have Commercial Greenhouses, where a Sundownloader prototype can be tested in a live environment. Her passion is to support businesses to produce food in a low cost, low carbon way, promoting biodiversity, and for maximum nutrient density, to achieve – Healthy People & Healthy Planet.
Nic Boyde – Commercial Strategy
Nic is a highly experienced Commercial banker and Project Manager, with a scientific background and BSc (Hons) from London University. He has a long history working with the manufacturing industry, having both financed factories and purchased from factories world-wide in the course of his 30 year career, spanning 20 different countries. Nic is based in Vancouver, Canada, and will have input to the Commercial exploitation of the Sundownloader in the Canadian and American markets
Greg Cleijne – Commercial Design
Greg is a highly experienced Architect, with 20+ years’ experience of Account Management in the Australian Commercial hardware industry, covering product design & sales, and an extensive network with Australian & UK manufacturers and distributors. Greg is based in Melbourne Australia, and his work involves Commercial exploitation of the Sundownloader in the Australian market.
Arthur Mamou-Mani is a AA dipl, ARB/RIBA FRSA architect, and Managing Director of the award-winning architecture practice Mamou-Mani, specialising in “Eco-Parametric” architectural practice. In 2020 Architects Journal named Mamou-Mani one of it’s 100 ‘Disruptor’ practices challenging traditional architecture practice in their drive to bring about sustainable alternatives.
AFun is a Master’s graduate from the AA in London, graduating with a distinction in 2019. Her interests include solving multi-scalar parametric design problems and optimising fabrication processes. She obtained a joint bachelor degree in Computer Science and Creative Media, and her interactive installation work has been exhibited in the International Festival of Intermedia 2017 in HK. Fun provides expertise to the Sundownloader Project via virtual testing, using software to create virtual models for online scenario testing prior to Prototype build
Giovanni Panìco is a 3D artist from the fabrication world with a degree in Biotechnology, and a specialist in illustration and 3D sculpting. Giovanni is the lead for the 3D printing, laser cutting and prototype modelling phase, and will provide input into specific fabrication and structural components of the Sundownloader prototype.
If you would like to learn more about Sundownloader, or would like to collaborate, invest or become a licensee you can get in touch with us directly.
We continue to invest in research and development of new applications for this exciting invention, and in the short term are open to collaboration with architects, engineers, light manufacturers, commercial growers, glasshouse designers and manufacturers and horticultural researchers