Energy Innovations FAQs

For more information, please contact us

RayTracker Questions
Sunflower Questions
General Questions

Why is Energy Innovations (EI) getting into the tracker business?

Trackers fit our corporate strategy very well. Our focus is on bringing products to market that will maximize the energy captured from the sun. Trackers do this by increasing the energy yield from traditional flat PV panels as well as concentrating PV systems.

Will RayTracker GC be available through any installers or integrators outside of EI Solutions?

Yes. EI is currently working with other integrators who are including RayTracker in bids they are working on. We plan to build relationships with a number of integrators.

What is the price of RayTracker GC?

When compared with conventional tilted PV racks, the value of the annual energy produced is much more than the incremental cost of RayTracker. In addition, RayTracker GC is priced competitively compared to other available trackers.

Is RayTracker GC suitable for residential use?

No. RayTracker GC was designed for larger scale commercial ground- and carport-mount installations.

When will RayTracker GC be available?

RayTracker GC is available now. Order lead time for new orders is approximately 8 weeks.

Is RayTracker part of any current installations?

Yes. RayTracker GC is part of 4 installations currently under construction totaling 2.6MW, and due to be complete this year.

Is RayTracker available outside of the US?

We are interested in working with integrator partners in countries outside of the US, particularly Europe.

How big is a RayTracker?

Each RayTracker unit is approximately 80 feet long (North-South), 6 feet wide (East-West) and 6 feet high, and will accommodate PV panels producing in the region of 6,500W (depending on panel type). RayTracker can also be configured as a half-size unit (40 feet long) for irregularly shaped sites.

What are the maximum and minimum site sizes RayTracker GC can accommodate?

The minimum RayTracker site size is one unit (approximately 6,500W). The smallest economical RayTracker site is 12 units (approximately 78kW) and the largest RayTracker site is unlimited (there is no maximum).

Can I install RayTracker GC on a hillside?

Yes. The RayTracker GC main beam is oriented North-South and must be held level. If the slope is N-S this can be achieved by adjusting the mounting post heights and/or terracing the slope. Since RayTracker units have no mechanical connections to each other, they can be installed readily on E-W slopes without special treatment (other than consideration of shading effects).

What type of maintenance is required over time?

RayTracker GC does not require routine maintenance other than normal inspection and site upkeep.

How long have you been testing the product?

Energy Innovations has years of tracking system experience. RayTracker GC is the most recent product released and has been subjected to rigorous testing since 2007.

What is the energy bump from using RayTracker?

Increase in energy yield will vary depending on the site conditions and location. Using an industry-standard performance prediction tool like PVWATTS from NREL, we see increases of up to 38% for realistic California locations. Our validation processes have shown increases in the 30%+ region over flat PV panels at our Pasadena test location.

How much space does RayTracker use? (MW per acre)

The space required varies depending on the field shape and size and the panel type. If you would like a specific quote, please contact us.

Do you have a permitting package? For what states?

Yes. RayTracker GC currently has a PE stamped documentation package for the following states: California, Nevada, New Jersey and Washington. Please inquire for support in other locales.

Can I mount thin film panels onto the RayTracker GC?

Yes. Please contact us for details of supported panel types.

Can I use the Sunflower on my house? My farm? My off-grid mountain cabin?

For our first round of products, we have decided to concentrate on designing systems for grid-tied, flat-roofed commercial buildings and adjacent ground-mounted applications. As a start-up company, it's imperative that we focus our efforts in order to be successful. These buildings are a perfect match for our systems in that they use the most energy and are charged the most for that energy during the exact same hours that our systems produce the most power. As a result, all of our initial units will go to grid-tied commercial sites.

When will you have a product for homes?

We expect to deliver our systems for commercial rooftops in 2008. After we gain experience in serving these customers as well as get operational data from these installations, we can begin to modify our designs for use in other settings, including homes.

Can I have a Sunflower for use in my classroom?

Unfortunately we do not have any spare systems to lend to schools and colleges at this time.

When are you shipping and what will it cost?

We will be shipping our first commercial units in 2008. We have yet to determine final pricing.

How do I become a dealer for your products?

Please click here to fill out a short form for more information on reselling the Sunflower, and to have an Energy Innovations sales person contact you directly.

I would like to help distribute your products in overseas, off-grid settings.

Please click here to fill out a short form for more information on reselling the Sunflower, and to have an Energy Innovations sales person contact you directly.

Have you really abandoned the Stirling engine in favor of concentrated PV?

For the moment, we have determined that we can deliver a product to the market more quickly by partnering with one of the companies involved in developing photovoltaic cells that work effectively under concentration.

What about the version with all the mirrors?

The heliostat version of the Sunflower was successfully installed at test facilities in California, and these systems are still churning out electricity. We have always known, however, that we would need to move to high concentration systems in order to meet our target market pricing. With the current high demand for rooftop solar systems in California, combined with the worldwide shortage of traditional PV modules, we decided the time was right to accelerate development of the high-x Sunflower and bring it to market as soon as possible. All of the learning from the heliostat project is not lost, however. Our sister company, eSolar (www.esolar.com) is using this technology to develop utility-scale solar projects.

Can you use the Sunflower to generate hydrogen?

Theoretically any source of electricity can be used to generate hydrogen from water, and certainly solar would be far more environmentally friendly than coal or natural gas (either as the source of electricity or the source of the hydrogen). We have no immediate plans to use the Sunflower system for hydrogen production, but it's a possibility down the road.

Can the Sunflower be used as a lighting device?

There are hybrid solar lighting devices starting to come into the market. Instead of converting light to electricity with a PV cell and then back into light with a bulb, they use fiber optics to take light directly from the focal point of a concentrator and channel it directly to the lighting system. While this is a promising technology, it is not the focus of our efforts.

Will I be able to integrate your system into my existing PV system?

It's possible depending on the configuration of your existing system. Once we finalize our design and certify specific inverters for use with the Sunflower, EI Solutions will be able to determine how tightly they can be integrated.

What about storing the electricity in some sort of battery system for later use?

Battery storage is very definitely an alternative for systems designed to ensure uninterrupted power during a blackout or in off-grid settings. While we are not producing these systems ourselves, EI Solutions can easily integrate batteries or other storage devices according to a customer's needs.

What about combining your systems with a wind farm?

Some of the settings that are ideal for a wind farm might also be viable for solar, and integrating the two would be relatively easy.

Can it withstand being hit by hailstones?

All devices of this type must pass the "hail test," among others, before being certified for commercial use.

How much electrical power is produced in full sun?

We are still determining the final specifications for the product and will release them at the point of commercial availability.

Where will the system be useful? What about rainy locations like Seattle or British Columbia?

Solar electric systems can be used any place where there is sun, which pretty much means everywhere. Whether it's cost-effective to install a system, however, is another matter. Clearly some areas of the world get more insolation (amount of solar radiation per unit of surface area) than others and would therefore generate more electricity using the Sunflower. See our Is It Right For You page for further information.

Where can I read more about the technical aspects of your system?

Much of the technical detail of our designs is proprietary. However, you will find additional information on each of the aspects of our system throughout this web site.

Where can I go to see the RayTracker or Sunflower in action?

At the moment, all of our prototypes are installed at our test facility, which is closed to the public.

How do I get a job/internship at EI?

Please see the Jobs section of this site at www.energyinnovations.com/contact_us to learn more about available positions and how to apply.

Can you help me locate someone to assist me with my alternative energy project?

There are a variety of sources available to you to assist with your solar or other alternative energy needs. A good place to start is the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at www.eere.energy.gov. You might also check with the Solar Energy Industries Association, a trade association of companies involved in solar products and services, at www.seia.org. Go to the section "State SEIAs" for a list of contacts in your state.

How do I invest? When is your IPO?

At the moment we are well funded and have no plans for a public offering of our stock.

Who can I contact for more information?

You will find contact information at www.energyinnovations.com/contact_us.