Since May, Solar Prize finalists have been working on advancing their award-winning solar solutions in the hopes of winning $500,000 at Go! Demo Day next month. Today, we’re spotlighting finalists EmpowerSun Solutions and Pavilion Solar.
Through the Solar Prize, EmpowerSun Solutions is developing a platform to help farmers, tribal entities, and other disadvantaged landowners effectively leverage their land for solar development. In addition to being a Round 7 finalist, EmpowerSun Solutions was named a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Contest winner for their focus on advancing solar in underserved communities.
High costs and a complex project development process are key barriers for many landowners to pursue solar development. To address these issues, EmpowerSun Solutions created a user-friendly web application that provides customized solar planning resources and connects landowners with pre-certified partners who can provide comprehensive project support. Learn more about EmpowerSun Solutions’ innovation.
Have you ever wondered how to increase resident solar adoption in hurricane-prone areas? Round 7 finalist Pavilion Solar is tackling this problem through the Solar Prize by developing hurricane-ready solar carports. Their product, called EnPods, is designed for homes that are unable to install rooftop solar panels.
Currently in the U.S., half of all homes are ineligible for rooftop solar, and 32 million homes are at risk of hurricane damage. Many of these communities lack feasible, affordable solar alternatives, such as solar carports, that also comply with hurricane building codes. Pavilion Solar’s hurricane-rated, modular EnPods address this challenge by providing a structurally stable product that can endure storms while remaining accessible and cost-effective. Learn more about Pavilion Solar's solution.
Stay tuned to find out if either of these teams become grand prize winners at Go! Demo Day in September!
