Many have heard of Solar Roadways, the viral IndieGoGo campaign promising technology that would turn roads into power generators (though the feasibility of such a concept has been debated). The campaign raised $2.2 million dollars, largely off the success of its Solar Freakin’ Roadways video.
Now solar mounting provider Solar SpeedRack hopes to make some crowd-funding magic of its own with a technology called Solar SpeedTile. In essence, the technology consists of one-square-foot, interlocking solar tiles for flat-roof projects. The tiles, which would be flexible and weigh about 4 lbs. each, use plug-and-play technology to make installation easy.
A promotional video says Solar SpeedTile could help installers overcome roof limitations, including weight restrictions and obstructions. The tiles would include features such as rapid shutoff, energy diversion and cell failure indicators, according to the video.
In an email interview, Company CEO Shane Shamloo said the Solar SpeedTile is the product of working with module manufacturers to develop market-competitive mounting systems.
“But we ran into many obstacles such as weight limitations, space limitations, cost competitiveness, wiring, anchoring and ballast,” Shamloo said. “This forced us to look at alternative and innovative ways of doing things, and that’s how we came up with Solar SpeedTile.”
The company has established an IndieGoGo account with a goal of $80,000, which would be enough to bring the concept to a full working prototype for beta testing, Shamloo said. The company would need to raise $250,000 more to bring a production model to market.
“We decided to go with crowdfunding to get the ball rolling and to pique interest,” Shamloo said. “The word needs to get out on this product as it will be a game changer once in the field.”
As is the case with most crowd-funding sites, donors will get something in return for their cash. A $1 donation will get supporters updates about the technology’s progress. Donors of $100 or more would get promotional Solar SpeedTile kits that could be used to generate power for home products, like patio lights or speakers. Shamloo said further incentives are being developed.
Solar SpeedRack currently markets a shared-rail mounting system with integrated grounding. Shamloo said the SpeedTile would be an entirely different product line, standing on its own.
“Solar SpeedRack has a reputation of being a leading innovator in the industry, and this product is another example of the innovative spirit of the company,” Shamloo said.
