Sistine Solar, Inc. — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 16e

Description

As of 2016, solar was already cheaper than conventional power in at least 20 states in the US; yet, only about 2 million homes around the country had gone solar as of 2019, representing a market adoption of less than 2%. One of the barriers solar faces in achieving mainstream adoption is its perceived poor aesthetics. An NREL survey of potential adopters found that approximately 30% of people stopped considering solar installations due to concerns about aesthetics or the impact on the home’s resale value. The only mainstream attempt in the industry has been the use of what are known as “all-black panels” – solar panels that have a uniform black color. While this works well on black roofs, it results in a harsh color clash on every other roof type, thus proving inadequate in addressing the average homeowner’s desire for curb appeal. Sistine Solar, Inc.’s patented SolarSkin technology – a custom overlay that camouflages the panels with the homeowner’s roof, no matter what color or style – has the potential to solve this pain point. The goals under this project are to explore ways to improve the lifetime efficiency and affordability of SolarSkin. The project will aim to increase the yield efficiency to at least 95% (i.e. achieving high quality aesthetics while preserving at least 95% of the solar panel’s power production) and decrease the cost premium over traditional solar to less than 10%, while ensuring that the technological improvements meet industry-standard durability criteria. Simultaneously, the project will aim to obtain market buy-in in the form of binding letters of intent and pilots with solar installers to deploy the technology. Achieving the Phase I goals will help SolarSkin, and by extension the solar industry, become competitive in the estimated 25 million homes that are part of homeowner associations (HOAs) where aesthetics is often a barrier to solar adoption. The Phase I goals include developing approaches to extend the lifetime yield of traditional PV modules, an area that will be further fully investigated in Phase II through extended durability testing. Since SolarSkin is a platform technology that is compatible with all panel brands and technologies, proving lifetime yield gains will help secure the buy-in of Tier 1 module manufacturers and open up licensing opportunities to multiply the scale and reach of the technology in the market.