Renovagen Solar energy — Solar power is easier to install than ever before thanks to the latest innovation: the Roll-Array. John Hingley and his team at the renewable energy company Renovagen designed a high power PV array that rolls out like a carpet. This flexible and easy-to-transport instant microgrid has the capacity to bring alternative energy to places we never thought possible. Check out the video below to see it in action.
The Roll-Array is easily towable by a standard 4×4 vehicle such as a Land Rover. When connected to the back of the car, the flexible solar panels are pulled out of a spool and create ground cover in a matter of minutes. On their website, Renovagen claims the panels will be able generate up to 100kWp – 10 times more power than other transportable solar panels on the market today.
According to Renovagen, a standard rigid solar field takes 22 hours of man-power to install, while the thin, flexible sheets roll out in just 2 minutes. Once spread onto the ground, the panels can be bolted or staked to withstand winds of over 80 mph. After just five minutes of installation by two people, the panels are ready to generate solar power. Batteries and inverters are attached to the base of the panels.
Key benefits include:
- Save fuel costs – ability to replace diesel gensets in the 1kVA – 30 kVA range
- High power spool-deployable arrays up to 100kWp – 10 times more power than existing transportable solar products
- Fast deployment – in just a few minutes via vehicle tow
Key features include:
- Embedded power cabling, pre-wired and pre-connected to the solar modules so that no additional manual connection effort is required upon deployment.
- Innovative manufacturing process creates a rollable structure which protects the solar modules from tensile strains normally caused by rolling.
- Structurally supporting tension-bearing layer which protects the array structure from wind loading and deployment loads.
- Modular array structure which is resilient to damage and shading
- Motorised spool for easy stowing and deployment
