FTL Solar has created a lightweight tensile fabric with integrated thin film solar panels that is capable of shading your deck while powering your home. Originally designed as easily deployable canopies for military applications, FTL’s solar products are now available now for solar parking lot shades, rooftop building installations, and small and large solar tent structures. The solar fabric could even act as a shading for your sunny deck, and since it’s a fabric it’s easy to install without any heavy duty mounting hardware.
FTL has two main solar products – the Powermod 285 and the Powermod 1200, which are rated at 285 W and 1200 W, respectively. Each version of the solar fabric can be utilized in a number of situations — as a sun shade in your backyard, on top of a pop-up festival tent, or they can even be strung together for an even larger shade for parking lots and other large spaces. The fabric can basically be installed in the same ways you would utilize a tarp. The Powermod 285 can easily produce enough power to run phones, computers, fans, power tools, lights, signs, projectors, gadgets, appliances, and back-lit signage, and the Powermod 1200 can generate about 4.5 kWh a day.
The benefits of this type of solar installation are numerous. They are lightweight, flexible, easily deployed, portable, movable, can be hooked up to battery storage, they don’t require heavy or complicated mountings, and you certainly don’t need a permit to install one. Now if only they could develop a “plug and play” installation so individuals could do it themselves, these could easily be on the shelves of Walmart or Ikea and selling like hotcakes.
+ FTL Solar
Via Michelle Kaufmann Studio
Nevada would love to see an option like this available to campers, and hunters. We get 360 days of bright sunny days. Having a powered camp would be an asset we would readily pay for. How much is it? Is it ready to ship?
I am guessing this is still out of the consumer market, it will be interesting when this goes to local markets like Scheels and Cabelas.
What a lucrative idea. Here in Nevada, we only see clouds a few days in the winter. A solar fabric would be an excellent seller to us. There are many people who enjoy camping and hunting, and this would be a very excellent option for those that want to have a powered camp.
I am curious why after nearly
FTL is MIA. A few interestign comments on potential product back in 2010 now nothing.
What is up FTL is it available?
Nicely designed products, but where are they? They’ve never made it to market with anything. This company showed high promise a few years ago, but it appears they do nothing but try to market themselves, and can never deliver anything.
Im Dass from Tamilnadu. Im doing B.tech Textile technology. I want to know about the solar fabric is woven or knitted fabric?. Did you give any coating over the surface of the fabric to produce the solar fabric?
[...] couldn’t think of a better place for a solar awning than perpetually sunny Los Angeles. The videos depict a mythical mermaid who, upon observing the [...]
Direct COntact:
TSaxton@Ftlsolar.com – CEO
RLearner@FTLSolar.com – Founder
TDalland@FTLSolar.com – Founder
MBrozgul@FTLSolar.com – Admin.
Ditto w/Beau in Africa. How can I get in touch with someone at FTL? Many attempts via phone/email – no response…very frustrating. Is there a distributor outside the company? Is there any other way to connect?
I live in Africa and have not been able to contact FTL solar company through the contact number and email supplied on their website. No body is responding to my calls or emails. Please help me with a direct number or any other alternative to get intouch with some one at FTL Solar. Thanks,
Beau.
FTL Solar products are actually extremely durable and designed to withstand heavy rain, strong wind gusts and military battlefields for years. Their off grid products are military tested which is actually a much more intensive testing process than UL. The company\’s grid tied products are all UL approved, and I highly recommend all of them for durability, mobility and efficiency.
Just one problem: FTL’s products stop function just months after the first rain falls on them. That is why their products are not UL approved.