Ray of light: Founder Christine Boyle sees great potential for solar solutions in Canada

Northern Ireland’s Senergy Innovations is harnessing the sun to keep energy costs from going through the roof.

The average Canadian household runs through 75 litres of hot water every day. And it takes a lot of energy to heat that all up: Water heaters can be a huge drain on hydro bills, accounting for close to 20 percent of a home’s energy use. That’s something founder Christine Boyle is hoping to fix with the scale-up of her company’s innovative solar solution.

Senergy Innovations’ solar roofing panels connect directly to a water heater, reducing a home’s reliance on the electrical grid, saving on both emissions and costs. As Boyle says, “it’s just common sense to build solar into a building.”

Having watched architects and roofers argue over the aesthetics and placement of solar panels with her family’s roofing company, the Belfast-based entrepreneur knows the pain points of the construction industry all too well. She realized there could be a lighter, easier and more affordable option that could help homeowners reduce their energy bills. Now, after years of fine-tuning the technology, she’s gearing up to bring her solution to the Canadian market.

Seeing a market need

For Boyle, it wasn’t a direct route into entrepreneurship. She worked in finance for 12 years before her father asked her to take over as managing director of the family business. Boyle spent the next decade and a half at the helm of Lawell Asphalt Co., navigating the roofing company through various economic downturns and market challenges. Seeing the need for a better product, she launched Senergy Innovations in 2014 to develop a promising advanced material.

After nearly eight years of research at Queen’s University Belfast and testing at Ulster University, the team developed a method for creating thermally-conductive polymers for solar panels that are lighter and cheaper than traditional materials, such as copper, aluminum and glass. Resembling a skylight, the panels can be installed flush with a roof and can be integrated into a smart heating system that feeds into a heat pump and/or hot water tank, reducing demand on the electrical grid. The product effectively turn a home’s hot water tank into a thermal battery, storing up energy for when Senergy’s solar panels aren’t in direct sunlight. “The sun doesn’t shine at night,” says Boyle. “So it’s making what does work — when it does work — as cost effective as possible.”

Savings can be monitored from an app that details how much energy is being captured, stored and delivered. For homeowners, these panels can help “shave up to 60 percent off yearly water heating costs,” says Boyle.

Finding success

Feedback from industry players has been overwhelmingly positive, and according to Boyle, the company has secured more than $4.5 million in grants. That kind of capital “was unknown in Northern Ireland,” she says. “It was a real confidence boost that this industry believes in what I’m doing.” Senergy launched its integrated solar panels in the spring of 2025, winning an award for best renewable product from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.

Taking the solution global

Part of a special program run by MaRS and Invest Northern Ireland, Senergy Innovations is tapping into capital, market data, advisory and workshops to help establish footholds on this side of the Atlantic. With initiatives like the Canada Greener Homes Initiative supporting clean energy retrofits and upgrades, Canada is the ideal place for expansion for Senergy.

Boyle points out her company’s technology can also be used “anywhere water needs to be warmed,” including farms, food processing facilities, breweries and wineries, as well as pools and spas. “We can potentially do very large projects, whether it be commercial buildings or residential developments,” she says, adding that partnerships are the most valuable asset she’s hoping to secure in this cohort. The company recently landed a pilot project at Stony Brook University’s Center for Integrated Electric Energy Systems in Long Island, N.Y., and is actively pursuing other opportunities.

For Boyle, pushing cleantech solutions forward means staying focused on what’s possible. “It’s a huge journey trying to change an industry that hasn’t changed in a long time, and there’s still a long way to go,” she says. “I know it can be possible, it’s just a matter of getting it done.”

Learn how MaRS and Invest Northern Ireland are bringing new breakthroughs to Canada.

Photo courtesy of Senergy