Solpod listed in Good Design Awards 2020

The Solpod team are thrilled to see Solpod listed in the 2020 Good Design Awards, as part of the ‘Engineering Design’ category.

The major features of Solpod’s innovation in commercial solar:

• Industrialises the solar installation process on large rooftops;
• Prefabrication of multi-panel solar ‘pods’ in a quality controlled factory environment;
• Craning the solar arrays into position on site, with a fifth of the labour used by standard solar;
• Removable and redeployable;
• Opening up the commercial sector to solar rental.

The design challenge for Solpod was outlined in their Good Design Awards entry as follows:

“The design challenge was to overcome the barriers to businesses adopting rooftop solar:   While rooftop solar is ‘cheaper’ than the grid, this assumes a 15-25 year operating life for the solar system, appropriate for the technology. However this is too large a time commitment for renters or landlords considering redevelopment, who may plan less than 5 years ahead.  Buying solar requires businesses to prioritise capital for a non-core, discretionary, illiquid (i.e. cannot be easily converted back into cash) asset; Or businesses can arrange third party finance, which is either too long (8+ years) or more expensive than the grid.”

In response to the design challenge, Solpod’s entry outlined the following design solution:

“Solpod is a prefabricated 10-panel pod, involving two wings of 5 panels each. The pods are assembled in a quality controlled factory, flat-packed on a pallet, trucked to site, craned into position with the wings unfolding into an A-frame.

Redeployment enables cheaper, shorter term finance than standard solar as the finance contract does not need to fully pay off the system.  Businesses can now choose solar without having to make a long term commitment.

Solpod reduces injury by eliminating labourers lifting heavy panels. Solpod’s non-penetrating, adhesive feet anchor to the roof where standard solar would screw thousands of holes.”

You can view Solpod’s entry on the Good Design Award’s website: https://awards.good-design.org/gallery/mGNXVWjB/VweemNLw?search=b881a0a68bae1853-22

The Good Design Awards ‘recognise and celebrate excellence in cutting edge design and breakthrough innovation.’

Australia’s Good Design Awards is recognised as one of the most prestigious international design awards in the world, operating since 1958.