Tue, 19 March, 2024
We are proud to announce that we have recently completed work to help Mat Zero create two demonstrators of an inflatable, heated mat for use in disaster areas, refugee camps and informal settlements.
TWI also assisted with material selection, welding trials and testing/validation in the process of producing the two full-scale welded demonstrators.
Mat Zero’s safe and sustainable heating system has the potential to make a real difference in the everyday lives of the 103 million refugees around the world, of whom 33 million need life-sustaining heat each winter.
Many of the existing heating methods that are being used by the millions of people displaced by war, natural disasters and other causes are often hazardous; produce toxic fumes, cause accidental fires and damage the environment.
Mat Zero’s environmentally-friendly solution could save millions in winterisation funding by the UN and aid organisations, while reducing the amount of cold-related illnesses and deaths for the 6.3 million households that need a safer and greener heating solution.
The heated mat uses carbon fibre heating technology that is safe to use in any type of shelter and is one part of a three-part modular system that also includes an energy hub and solar panels.
Mat Zero's modular solar panel, energy hub and mat system
The solar panels are able to provide power to the energy hub that allows for up to 8 hours of heating. As well as containing the battery, the energy hub includes USB charging points for mobile phones and a collapsible lamp. It can support other household electrical items such as a fan, radio or wi-fi router, through a 12V port in addition to its main function of powering the heated mat. As well as working with the solar panels, the energy hub (like the mat) can be powered through the mains or using other off-grid solutions, such as wind power.
The mat offers an energy-efficient solution through the concept of heating the person and not the space, with a control unit that offers a heating capacity of up to 40°C without any CO2 emissions.
TWI is pleased to be involved in this project to deliver a solution with the potential to make a real difference to the lives of millions of people around the globe.
You can find out more about the modular system created by Mat Zero as well as their goals, here.