Anyone who has seen a solar panel is familiar with its repetitive grid of black rectangles and silver wires. This recognizable combination of form and function is the culmination of decades of development, a careful balance in the electrical interaction of ion-doped semiconductors and micron-scale silver traces.
Solar energy is the cheapest source of electricity in history, and a modern solar panel will keep providing reliable, emissions-free power for decades-without any fuel or moving parts, and with minimal maintenance.
However, many people who want those economic and environmental benefits decide not to get them, citing solar’s humdrum appearance as their number-one deal-breaker.
At Asoleyo, we’re taking solar power’s inherent high visibility and changing it from a liability to an asset. We apply the artistic principles of symmetry, rhythm and line to a solar panel’s functional silicon and silver core, transforming its monotonous rectangular grid into a decorative material full of interest and beauty.
Our solar panels aren’t disguised as something else, hidden behind layers of shadow-casting camouflage. They are proudly solar—decorative panels that can complement, or even become the focal point of architecture and landscaping. With consideration for their visual impact at all scales, our designs look great from down the block, across the street or up close. We’re a small startup based in the heart of Data Center Alley. Testing and certification of our first decorative designs are underway at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Lab, with manufacturing under development for our first commercial product to be released next year.
