Self-installable 1kg balcony solar module

German start-up We Do Solar will deliver its first balcony solar modules to customers in the next three weeks.

pv magazine interviewed one of the company's founders at Intersolar 2022 to learn more. The interview talks about the 1.6kg flexible solar modules that users can install themselves, and three innovative business models.

These solar modules can be clipped to balcony railings, or anywhere there is sunlight and an electrical outlet.

We Do Solar, a Berlin-based company co-founded by Karolina Attspodina and Qian Qin, will deliver the first solar modules for the balcony to customers within the next three weeks. pv magazine had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Qin at this year's Intersolar Europe to learn about the innovation behind the startup.

Weighing just 1.6kg, these black glossy solar modules can be clipped onto balcony railings or anywhere there is sunlight and an electrical outlet. The kit is designed with a plug-and-play concept, allowing anyone to install it themselves without the need for an electrician or engineer.

Overall it consists of eight 90 cm x 54 cm x 2 mm 640Wp Chinese-made solar panels, each containing 99 monocrystalline silicon shingled solar cells with an efficiency of 21.33%, using ETFE (ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer) Object) backplane, also with a 600W MPPT photovoltaic inverter. Kits are certified and come with a 25-year performance guarantee.

The company claims the kits can reduce annual electricity bills by 25 percent and also reduce carbon footprints. There is also an app to track real-time data to see how much green electricity is being produced and how much carbon dioxide is being reduced.

innovative model

The company currently offers three business models:

Buy the kit outright for €1,299

Electric car owners in Germany can redeem kits for free with CO2 certificates

Employers can take advantage of subsidies from employee benefit programs

The third model is particularly appealing given the recent shift to home office by many people around the world, rising energy prices, and the growing topic of corporate sustainability.

Employers can build virtual power plants with employees, rent the kits on a monthly basis and distribute them to employees with balconies. The company produces clean electricity and has a CO2 certificate; at the same time, employees save on electricity bills.

Karolina Attspodina and Qian Qin met in Berlin at 1.5 Degrees Ventures, an entrepreneurial aid that drives startups to rapidly reduce carbon emissions through their products and/or services. As Qin told pv magazine, the idea is to improve upon existing products on the market – it would take too long to develop an entirely new product – for rapid widespread adoption.

Balcony solar panels offer the perfect opportunity to enable many people to produce their own clean electricity, Qin said. Plus, they're easy to install and remove, so you can take them with you when you move.

Improvements to existing balcony assemblies include weight reduction; redesign of internal connections with only one cable sticking out of the assembly, allowing for self-installation and removal of the system; easy installation with a clip feature; and the inclusion of insurance in the kit, Protection against fire and other accidents.

Because these components are lightweight and can be shipped by courier, they have a smaller carbon footprint than conventional-weight components that are shipped by logistics, Qin said. It also enables faster delivery times. Instead of plastic, the company wraps the components in paper.

"There is no reason to refuse," Qin said.

We Do Solar was established in September 2021. Although Qin did not disclose the specific investment situation of the company, he said that there are indeed several angel investments, and they will look for more investors for further development.

The company initially targeted the German market, which has the highest electricity prices, but intends to expand further to the European market in the near future.