Today, the Solar.com team took a break from our solar designs for a quick trip down to Anaheim for Solar Power International 2018. We donned our light blue T-shirts and hit the expo floor to check out the latest and greatest solar technologies.
The new solar, energy storage and other clean power technologies we saw stoked the flames of our passion for this industry! In no particular order, here are the 8 coolest solar technologies we noticed from the convention:
1. Q CELLS Bifacial Solar Panel Prototype
Being the most popular solar panel choice on Solar.com’s marketplace, we’re always excited to hear about new updates on Q CELLS solar panel tech.
In addition to the Q PEAK DUO panels they’ve recently developed, we got to see a prototype of their bi-facial module. Instead of a white back sheet on this panel, the panel is exposed in the back to produce 15% more power than conventional modules.
We also got to see displays of the solar battery and inverter technologies being developed by the South Korean manufacturer.
2. LG Solar’s Solar Car Roof
LG Solar was also on the floor showing off new solar panel prototypes. The biggest feature of their display was the Solar Car Roof. As the name suggests, 260 watts of solar cells are integrated into the roof of a car.
This could be used to extend the range of an electric vehicle, passively charging the car while parked outside. It could also power the electronics of non-electric vehicles.
Instead of purchasing separate modules that mount onto cars like solar for RVs, these all-black cells are smoothly integrated with the roof of the car itself.
3. SolarEdge’s EV Charging Inverter
SolarEdge appeared to be the busiest booth of the entire show. They are well known for their highly efficient power optimizers, a central feature of their displays was their latest EV Charging Single Phase Inverter.
A few benefits for this EV Charging Inverter:
- You charge up with both solar and grid power, through this new inverter.
- It charges 600% faster than a Level 1 EV Charger.
- It saves space and is easier to install.
- It enables future demand response capabilities
Solar.com’s installers have already started installing this new inverter in customer’s homes.
4. EVgo’s Charging Network
EVgo provides publicly accessible DC fast electric vehicle charging to 66 different metropolitan areas. Having a network of fast chargers helps significantly reduces the overall time of charging, providing 75 miles in half an hour.
5. Toyota’s Mirai Fuel Cell Vehicle
While technically not a clean energy technology, the Toyota Mirai has received a lot of attention as one of the first mass-produced fuel-cell vehicles available to consumers.
The Mirai is powered by hydrogen fuel and emits zero greenhouse gases or air pollutants. It has a range of approximately 312 miles and is California HOV carpool lane accessible.
6. Panasonic’s AC Panels
Panasonic has recently teamed up with leading microinverter manufacturer Enphase to create AC producing panels. Simply put, the microinverters, normally installed separately, are integrated with Panasonics 340 watt HIT panels.
This makes installation easier for the solar provider, and any claiming of warranties easier for the homeowner.
Homeowners will still be able to use Enphase’s Envoy Gateway solar monitoring platform. These panels have only become available to homeowners since May 2018.
Panasonic has also partnered with SolarEdge to provide Smart Panels – modules integrated with SolarEdge’s optimizer technology.
7. Sonnen’s ecoLinx
German energy storage company Sonnen‘s latest advanced solar battery technology features new smart home automation that will enable a homeowner to facilitate how devices and appliances are supplied electricity in their homes.
This “intelligent energy management” will give the homeowner more flexibility to choose which appliances should be backed up by the ecoLinx in the event of a grid outage.
The ecoLinx is also able to automatically store more power during severe weather events, in preparation for the possibility of the need to provide backup power.
The ecoLinx provides 8 kW of power and between 10 and 20 kWh of stored energy.
8. Thor Trucks’ ET-One
Los Angeles’ own Thor Trucks has been working hard to develop a class 8 electric heavy duty truck. Called ET-One, the $150,000+ truck will haul 80,000 pounds up to 300 miles with zero emissions. Just like standard electric vehicles, these trucks will require less maintenance and no gasoline, lowering the Total Cost of Ownership for fleet managers.
While currently only available for demos, Thor trucks are set to be available for online ordering once production begins in 2019.
Thor has also developed class 6 electric trucks for last-mile delivery vehicles (think UPS trucks).
Cover image source: Solar Power International 2018VID_62890930_121134_996
CEO Michael Burz talked extensively about the low-cost and high-energy output synergy that his team has achieved through proprietary zinc-battery technology. 
Features hardware that essentially looks like a detac
Peer-to-peer charging network that aims to be the Airbnb for EV charging. The focus is on leveraging existing charging infrastructure in a non-invasive way, turning private charging options into semi-public service providers. Due to the predictable and time-consuming nature of this service, a built-in reservation function aims to make the service more reliable and seamless to catch the moment of need.
Ampaire envisions fully electric aviation as the long-term roadmap for commercial flight. The first steps for the company involve retrofitting existing aircraft with electric power trains and motors. With the value proposition of significantly reducing fuel and maintenance costs, their first step is to prove the concept for long-term partners that will be able to supply the creation of all-electric fleets.
A peer-to-peer EV sharing platform that aims to offset the cost of ownership by encouraging owners to put up EVs for short-term rentals. The value proposition lies in offering niche services through expertise in electric vehicles, option to cover insurance, and 60% rental revenue from each transaction. The market cap is small at the moment, as the price-point for electric vehicles remains a notch above traditional vehicles.
Uber for intercity travel and multi-hour travel, built similarly to Blablacar in Europe. The focus of this transportation network is on college students, following the Facebook model of using institution credibility to regulate safety on the network. The next step involves optimizing key routes to prioritize which universities to expand to next, then targeting other demographics that won’t compromise the security currently achieved on the platform.
Sensor hardware that can be installed into vehicles occupying about two shoeboxes worth of space. Mobile sensors provide more comprehensive coverage in real time to more accurately identify emissions sources. The biggest challenge seems to be proving if gathering more accurate data justifies current costs to eventually displace current stationary data gathering devices.
Delivers an online marketplace of high-performance sustainable products for the building industry, using data-driven analytics to help with ROI modeling. The multi-layered pricing model charges owners and sellers to use the platform. This all-in-one service model appeals to the biggest buyers would experience significant cost savings in appealing to adopting ecolabel products.
A distributed ledger that uses a token system to transact energy across grid-linked hardware. All the data is gathered and controlled internally to set prices for efficient service delivery to customers. By partnering with utility providers and other industry incumbents, Exergy uses third-party hardware to harvest data from electricity flows. This allows Exergy to be the intermediary between hardware providers and data sources. However, securing credible partnerships will take a while, delaying the optimal value of a decentralized network until the ecosystem is populated with data points.
Remote energy management platform aiming to eliminate the manual transfer switch that taps into the grid and off-grid energy sources. Having a robust way to monitor energy usage allows users to target the best pricing. The market focus is on Nigeria, where a majority of residential and commercial property units rely on multiple power supply sources and have no existing energy management solution. By providing real-time system analytics, Solstice additionally aims to help prevent energy failures and monitor energy misuse.
