Full disclosure. My client is SunFleur LLC, a startup company with a great idea to utilize their solar technology for agriculture.
SunFleur’s patented solar panel system has shown a dramatic increase in solar retention over standard solar panel placement. How and why is the subject of another article (plus it’s patented and proprietary so they aren’t just going to tell you…)! What this article is about is the re-envisioning of solar panel placement in new applications.
One such application is installing the SunFleur system above crops in agricultural fields where the system can optimize the balance of solar power with the photosynthesis and moisture needs of the crops below. Also, given the increased growth of indoor cultivation, SunFleur’s systems for indoor grow farms can provide the needed power to migrate away from electricity, propane or natural gas to sustainably increase CO2 without significantly adding to a facility’s carbon footprint.
Bamboo Frame. SunFleur’s mandate is to develop and deploy in an environmentally sustainable manner. They are researching the use of different materials, such as bamboo, for parts of the structural frame which would also reduce manufacturing costs. Bamboo is a readily available natural, non- endangered, plant that is strong, flexible, and disease resilient with the added benefit of being hollow allowing for ease of cabling (see below). In all instances, the product is made to be quickly and inexpensively deployed.
SunFleur is partnering with nureal.ai to monitor and optimize the generation of solar power by using its IoT / AI enabled control system to ensure that louvered panels are always perpendicular to the sun as it crosses the sky. This holds true for all four seasons in which the sun’s angle on the horizon changes from summer to winter due to the earth’s pitch and rotation around the sun.
If you are interested in innovation, just contact me.
About the author
Gary Sumihiro is the founder of Sumihiro Investments, LLC a global strategic consulting firm. Learn more at www.sumihiroinvestmentsllc.com.
About SunFleur
World’s first IoT enabled solar panel and smart glass technology company. Learn more at www.sunfleursolar.com.
About nureal.ai
Leading the democratization of artificial intelligence by offering a marketplace of affordable AI programs. Learn more at www.nureal.ai.