A Cornish graduate who has developed a portable renewable power system has secured "business angel" funding to sell the innovative device to aid agencies and the military across the world.

Jonah Kinross, 29, came up with the idea for a portable energy device that was powered by the wind and sun while studying for his BSc in renewable energy at the Camborne School of Mines, part of the University of Exeter, at Tremough.

For his final year dissertation, he chose the brief of developing a portable power source for use in powering art installations.

But he soon recognised that such a system had scope for wider applications.

The idea is that the device could provide an easy, cheap, effective way of supplying power to remote areas with damaged or restricted infrastructure.

"When I had chosen the project and got my head around what I was doing, I saw that the applications were bigger than an art installation," he said.

After setting his business, Kraft Maus, Mr Kinross was introduced to Buckinghamshire-based business angel Colin Sworder by the Gatsby Trust business advisor Mark Scibor-Rylski, who is based at Tremough.

Mr Sworder has since invested in the business and has taken a hands on role in its marketing and development.

"The demand for power is very, very substantial. Making power available by traditional means through fossil fuels means that the generator is burning three quarters of a litre an hour and when you're paying £33 a litre and using it for 200 hours a month, it's expensive. That's how we can say to medium and heavy users 'look at the renewable energy alternative' because they will get the payback in months," he said.

Agriculture and rural businesses were also good potential markets for the device, said Mr Sworder.

"The renewable energy market in the UK is several years behind the market in Germany, Holland and Spain, it's just waking up in England and we believe that we are in the right place at the right time," he said.

"Cornwall is probably the most active region of the UK in this area. There is a lot going on and there are significant tax subsidies which are being invested in Cornwall to regenerate the economy of the South West."

Kraft Maus has developed three models which generate varying degrees of power.

The smallest model, the 170watts, could be used to generate enough power to recharge batteries or other basic functions as a country tried to restart its economy following a major disaster.

The next model, the 1KVA, generates enough power to use communications equipment, medical refrigeration units, air compressors and power tools.

And the largest model, the 3KVA, can be networked to provide power for an entire refugee camp or eco-tourism resort.

Kraft Maus is currently working on an even larger model, the 5KVA, after discussions with the MoD's internal procurement team.

The business has been working with St Austell manufacturer Teddington Electronics to develop a production-ready model.

It has already won small-scale contracts and is hoping to win a much larger order from aid agencies or the military.

And to generate revenue in the mean time, the business has also undertaken consultancy work around the logistics and supply of photo voltaic cells.

Visit the company's website at www.kraftmaus.com