Been trying to find a supplier for Solara bendable glue-on solar
panels. The SM225m model is a perfect fit on a slightly curved hatch
dodger on my boat, and I need the thinness of the SM series panels
because of clearance and aesthetic issues.

Is Solara a going concern? I've called their headquarters and East
Coast site numbers a dozen times the last few weeks, only get voicemail
with full inboxes so you can't leave a message, a sign of a dead or
dying company. The only place I've seen these things (besides their
glossy website brochures) is on Ocean racing Open class boats, like
Volvo 70s and Ellen Macarthur's boats.

There's a few websites that claim to market them, but I'm not excited
about shipping from England or Germany :-) I'm in San Diego, and would
prefer to examine one before plunking down my $600. I've looked for
similar panels (marine grade, flexible steel backing, no frame, about a
24"x30" form factor) to no avail.

"Mark" wrote in news:1154196147.968142.103460
@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Been trying to find a supplier for Solara bendable glue-on solar
panels. The SM225m model is a perfect fit on a slightly curved hatch
dodger on my boat, and I need the thinness of the SM series panels
because of clearance and aesthetic issues.

Is Solara a going concern? I've called their headquarters and East
Coast site numbers a dozen times the last few weeks, only get voicemail
with full inboxes so you can't leave a message, a sign of a dead or
dying company. The only place I've seen these things (besides their
glossy website brochures) is on Ocean racing Open class boats, like
Volvo 70s and Ellen Macarthur's boats.

There's a few websites that claim to market them, but I'm not excited
about shipping from England or Germany :-) I'm in San Diego, and would
prefer to examine one before plunking down my $600. I've looked for
similar panels (marine grade, flexible steel backing, no frame, about a
24"x30" form factor) to no avail.

The US distributor went out of business. It seems that when the US dollar
got so weak compared to the Euro, that the panels became too expensive.


-- Geoff

"Mark" wrote in news:1154196147.968142.103460
@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Been trying to find a supplier for Solara bendable glue-on solar
panels. The SM225m model is a perfect fit on a slightly curved hatch
dodger on my boat, and I need the thinness of the SM series panels
because of clearance and aesthetic issues.

Is Solara a going concern? I've called their headquarters and East
Coast site numbers a dozen times the last few weeks, only get voicemail
with full inboxes so you can't leave a message, a sign of a dead or
dying company. The only place I've seen these things (besides their
glossy website brochures) is on Ocean racing Open class boats, like
Volvo 70s and Ellen Macarthur's boats.

There's a few websites that claim to market them, but I'm not excited
about shipping from England or Germany :-) I'm in San Diego, and would
prefer to examine one before plunking down my $600. I've looked for
similar panels (marine grade, flexible steel backing, no frame, about a
24"x30" form factor) to no avail.


I forgot to note that I have 2 SM225M panels that failed within a year of
installation...that was 1993. I'm still in the active process of trying to
get them exchanged, Thus my knowledge of the US distributor, etc. The
panels seem to be very well made and Solara is very interested in my failure.
One panel is conpletely dead and the other only outputs when it's cool
(cloudy days, when the sun is just coming up, etc.)

The panels seem to be well built have have great output. My problem is that
they don't have a US distributor anymore and I've had the boat out of the
country since they were installed and they don't have a Central American
distributor. Consider these factors when purchasing.

-- Geoff

Geoff Schultz wrote:
"Mark" wrote in news:1154196147.968142.103460
@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Been trying to find a supplier for Solara bendable glue-on solar
panels. The SM225m model is a perfect fit on a slightly curved hatch
dodger on my boat, and I need the thinness of the SM series panels
because of clearance and aesthetic issues.

Is Solara a going concern? I've called their headquarters and East
Coast site numbers a dozen times the last few weeks, only get voicemail
with full inboxes so you can't leave a message, a sign of a dead or
dying company. The only place I've seen these things (besides their
glossy website brochures) is on Ocean racing Open class boats, like
Volvo 70s and Ellen Macarthur's boats.

There's a few websites that claim to market them, but I'm not excited
about shipping from England or Germany :-) I'm in San Diego, and would
prefer to examine one before plunking down my $600. I've looked for
similar panels (marine grade, flexible steel backing, no frame, about a
24"x30" form factor) to no avail.


I forgot to note that I have 2 SM225M panels that failed within a year of
installation...that was 1993. I'm still in the active process of trying to
get them exchanged, Thus my knowledge of the US distributor, etc. The
panels seem to be very well made and Solara is very interested in my failure.
One panel is conpletely dead and the other only outputs when it's cool
(cloudy days, when the sun is just coming up, etc.)

The panels seem to be well built have have great output. My problem is that
they don't have a US distributor anymore and I've had the boat out of the
country since they were installed and they don't have a Central American
distributor. Consider these factors when purchasing.

-- Geoff

Thanks. Guess I give up.

Mark wrote:
Geoff Schultz wrote:

"Mark" wrote in news:1154196147.968142.103460
:


Been trying to find a supplier for Solara bendable glue-on solar
panels. The SM225m model is a perfect fit on a slightly curved hatch
dodger on my boat, and I need the thinness of the SM series panels
because of clearance and aesthetic issues.

Is Solara a going concern? I've called their headquarters and East
Coast site numbers a dozen times the last few weeks, only get voicemail
with full inboxes so you can't leave a message, a sign of a dead or
dying company. The only place I've seen these things (besides their
glossy website brochures) is on Ocean racing Open class boats, like
Volvo 70s and Ellen Macarthur's boats.

There's a few websites that claim to market them, but I'm not excited
about shipping from England or Germany :-) I'm in San Diego, and would
prefer to examine one before plunking down my $600. I've looked for
similar panels (marine grade, flexible steel backing, no frame, about a
24"x30" form factor) to no avail.


I forgot to note that I have 2 SM225M panels that failed within a year of
installation...that was 1993. I'm still in the active process of trying to
get them exchanged, Thus my knowledge of the US distributor, etc. The
panels seem to be very well made and Solara is very interested in my failure.
One panel is conpletely dead and the other only outputs when it's cool
(cloudy days, when the sun is just coming up, etc.)

The panels seem to be well built have have great output. My problem is that
they don't have a US distributor anymore and I've had the boat out of the
country since they were installed and they don't have a Central American
distributor. Consider these factors when purchasing.

-- Geoff


Thanks. Guess I give up.


Mark, Try this company below.

http://www.spheralsolar.com/

Brian wrote:
Mark, Try this company below.

http://www.spheralsolar.com/

Great find, thanks, but vaporware presently, they should be available
soon(?), after fab plant rampup. The spherical silicon bead technology
has been around for a decade, TI was initially involved, but bailed
out. These things may be *really* flexible compared to the stainless
steel backing designs. Wonder how tightly they roll up, the 75 watt
panel allegedly has a 6x2 foot form factor?

Imagine throwing 300 watts of panels onto the foredeck at anchor, then
rolling them up in their bags and storing them in a cockpit locker
underway. Due to the technology, they might be fairly shade tolerant
and orientation noncritical, too. I'll be following their progress
with interest, and considerable skepticism.

From their parent company annual report:
"SSP is currently in a very important phase of its commercialization
program. Using valuable insights gained from the limited actual
production of the
first fully-functional SSP SuperFlex™ units in early fiscal 2006, the
SSP factory is scheduled to undergo an intense and iterative
optimization program.
Each iteration of the optimization program is expected to provide
meaningful, incremental increases in throughput and efficiency and to
move the
productive output of this first commercial SSP factory towards its
targeted factory nameplate capacity of 20 megawatts per annum. This
process
is intended to demonstrate the expected cost advantages and
manufacturability of SSP products on a commercial scale which is
necessary for
successful commercialization."

The company that is involved in making these units seems very competent -
They are involved in process automation (ATS Automation Tooling Systems -
trades as ATA on Toronto Stock Exchange).

But they do seem to be having problems in commercialising the SperalSolar
units - Here is an excerpt from a recent company report"

"We continue to be positive about the prospects for SSP technology," said
Mr. Jutras. "However, at present, we have been unable to resolve production
issues that have impacted our plans to produce SSP products commercially.
As
we work through the development process, we will take the appropriate steps
to
align SSP's manufacturing resources to reflect this current focus."

GBM

"Mark" wrote
http://www.spheralsolar.com/

Great find, thanks, but vaporware presently, they should be available
soon(?), after fab plant rampup. The spherical silicon bead technology
has been around for a decade, TI was initially involved, but bailed
out. These things may be *really* flexible compared to the stainless
steel backing designs. Wonder how tightly they roll up, the 75 watt
panel allegedly has a 6x2 foot form factor?

GBM wrote:
But they do seem to be having problems in commercialising the SperalSolar
units . . .

No kiddin'!

May 21st, 2006 blog snippet:

"Ouch! is what we could hear ATS Automation shareholders across the
world say when they heard of the over $60million write-down for
investments in the Spheral Solar Technology they bought from OPG a few
years ago. In vastly underestimated the difficulties in putting this
technology into a "profitably reproduceable format".

I can understand ATS Automation thinking that given its long history in
production automation, that it could do what it took to make the
process work. However I suspect that they have been so aggressive with
the writedown because they frankly no longer believe it can work. Down
the tubes goes about $20M of Canadian government funding with this
promised project."

GBM wrote:
But they do seem to be having problems in commercialising the SperalSolar
units . . .

No kiddin'!

May 21st, 2006 blog snippet:

"Ouch! is what we could hear ATS Automation shareholders across the
world say when they heard of the over $60million write-down for
investments in the Spheral Solar Technology they bought from OPG a few
years ago. In vastly underestimated the difficulties in putting this
technology into a "profitably reproduceable format".

I can understand ATS Automation thinking that given its long history in
production automation, that it could do what it took to make the
process work. However I suspect that they have been so aggressive with
the writedown because they frankly no longer believe it can work. Down
the tubes goes about $20M of Canadian government funding with this
promised project."