‘Solar Ivy’ Photovoltaic Leaves Climb to New Heights

Solar Ivy is a solar energy delivery device that draws inspiration from ivy growing on a building. 

Solar Ivy has evolved to meet the energy needs of individuals, businesses, and communities while adhering to the values of sustainable design and environmental stewardship. Combining photovoltaic technology and piezoelectrics, Solar Ivy's unique, patent–pending system continues to grow and to challenge our notions of what solar power can and can't do.

Solar Ivy and its parent company, SMIT, utilize recycled and reclaimed materials and life–cycle analysis to ensure that the system and its component parts can be recycled and reclaimed.

Customize

Solar Ivy's modularity allows for customization on a number of levels, including:

Color: Each leaf of Solar Ivy can be colored to order to meet aesthetic purposes or to "paint" your organizations name or logo.

Spacing: Density of Solar Ivy leaves can be increased or reduced depending on goals for energy gain, visibility requirements, or architectural needs.

Photovoltaic Type: Solar Ivy can be produced with one of several types of photovoltaic material depending on your energy production and environmental objectives.

Orientation: At any given geographical location there is are a range of pitch orientations available to Solar Ivy's leaf shape. In designing a Solar Ivy solution we can take into account architectural and aesthetic priorities by adjusting the leaves to have more or less pitch, or angle at different places.

Grow Anywhere

The stainless steel mesh that roots Solar Ivy to a building or sub-structure is flexible enough to stretch, bend, and curve to hug the contours of almost any surface, including building facades. Spread leaf concentrations thinner over windowed areas of a facade to enhance views. The modular design also allows for updating Solar Ivy as new photovoltaic technology becomes available.

Produce Renewable Energy

Through analysis of a site's sun exposure and geographical location, Solar Ivy's leaf arrangement and density are designed to meet optimal performance specifications. Each installation of Solar Ivy results in a unique product whose appearance, dimensions and energy capacity harness the maximum potential wattage for the location. With its unique flexiblity and modularity, Solar Ivy can be used independently, or complementing traditional solar systems in places they can't go (like facades and over windows), so you produce more energy.

Provide Shade

Just like its natural counterpart, Solar Ivy provides shade while collecting and converting sunlight into usable energy. A home or business utilizing Solar Ivy enjoys substantial savings from having to run air conditioning and HVAC units less.

Residential Applications 

Use Solar Ivy on the roof or walls of your home or garage. Shade a deck or patio with Solar Ivy. Solar Ivy can be installed on nearly all building types using standard electrical hardware that will allow easy integration with existing power service or for on–site battery storage.

Commercial & Architectural Applications 

Solar Ivy is a flexible system that can adapt to different building typologies, programmatic demands, and regional climates. From collaborating with architects and builders to harness sustainable energy sources in new buildings to retrofitting existing structures, Solar Ivy meets the needs and sustainability goals of business and property owners.

Advertising Applications

Solar Ivy's customization feature allows business and institutions to display logos or images as a solar "painting." By adjusting variables like density and pitch, and by coloring individual leaves, we can accurately reproduce corporate names, logos, or identifying images with Solar Ivy.