Solar in a Box: Coming to a warehouse retailer near you?

Pre-assembled, all AC solar electric systems could be the next big thing for warehouse retailers, or at least that’s what Ready Solar is hoping. And the company is already gaining customer traction to prove it.

Founded in 2004, the San Mateo, Calif.-based company is known for its branded Solar in a Box photovoltaic product that CEO Robert Giles says makes installation a snap, with no live electricity. The pre-mounted, pre-wired, grounded solar modules do away with the complexity of installing traditional solar electric systems and cost about the same as the piece parts, he said.

“It’s like making a cake,” he said. “You can buy the eggs, flour … all separately. Most people would just choose to buy the cake.”

See a photograph of an installed Solar in a Box product »

The company also offers primarily webinar-based training to allow for general contractors with roofers, electricians, and homebuilders to get into the solar installation business (see Getting Ready for solar). The product price range to contractors is in the $3.50 to $4 per watt range.

“We are enablers, allowing certain segments of the market to be solar installers,” he said.

Typical solar systems take about three days to install, but Giles said his company’s is “a one-day install,” offering lower labor costs. The kit includes crystalline silicon panels from Canadian Solar and Suntech that have about 16 percent conversion efficiency, Giles said. The product offers high performance due to micro inverters, which have more shade tolerance and eliminate a single point of failure, he said.

The kits are pre-assembled in Shanghai, China, through contract manufacturers at International Organization for Standardization (ISO)-approved facilities.

Ready Solar is currently selling its products in 20 U.S. states, including contractors that work through retailers including Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart. Another customer is electrical distributor Graybar. Giles said he anticipates making additional announcements in the near future about subsequent customers, and eventually taking the Solar in a Box product global.

Ready Solar is currently in 20 Sam’s Club locations, including San Antonio, Austin, and Honolulu. With close to 1,000 installations, Ready Solar has reached break-even, which Giles said makes it perhaps one of the few in the business that can make that claim.

“Nobody is making money in this business,” he said. “You have to have a really lean and mean company to make it.”

The 10-employee company has about 120 outside sales representatives. It is currently seeking about $3 million in Series A funding to build on infrastructure and create more brand awareness. The company has raised about $1 million to date from angel investors.

Ready Solar competes with companies such as Akeena Solar's Andalay solar panels, which also come with built-in wiring, grounding and racking (see Suntech takes the cake at Solar Power 2007). Giles said Akeena's are assembled on the roof whereas Ready Solar’s are lifted using a pulley system or crane.

Ready Solar is one of 15 potential new investment opportunities the Cleantech Group added to its innovation pipeline this week, available exclusively to members of the Cleantech Network. Members can click here to search the database.

Interested in emerging cleantech innovations? Here are two new companies added to the Cleantech Group's database this week also looking for funding:

• Colorado-based Porous Power is seeking a $2 million investment. The company develops a coating for lithium-ion battery cells as an alternative to a film insert.
• Bangalore, India-based Ecologix Knowledge Solutions is currently raising $6 million. The company provides technology related to energy optimization and greenhouse gas management.

Seeking capital, partners or customers? Submit to the Cleantech Group’s innovation pipeline.

Browse past pitches here.