Customers increasingly expect their favorite brands to pursue sustainability —
for example, by switching to renewable
energy.
From multinationals to mom-and-pop storefronts, businesses everywhere recognize
solar as an important way to boost business image. Massachusetts-based Sistine Solar is helping
companies turn large and sometimes unsightly commercial solar installations into
a branding value-add.
Sistine’s SolarSkin is a key player in the evolving world of beautifying solar
panels. SolarSkin is a perforated vinyl skin that, when applied to solar panels,
transforms them from blue or black monoliths to custom statement pieces —
transforming solar panels into marketing assets as well as power generators.
SolarSkins can be designed to cover an entire solar array or just a portion, and
add an additional layer of UV protection to solar panels, extending their life.
The robust imagery and UV protection only consume 15 percent of the solar panel
output.
Sistine President Ollie
Parker says this represents
an enticing, multi-purpose option for commercial customers.
“It really has a way of enriching the brand, and that's where we think the
bigger opportunity is,” he told Sustainable Brands®. “[Businesses] are
really excited about being able to put their brand on the panels and make a
statement.”
Most businesses choose solar skins to make an aesthetic statement, build brand
awareness, or advertise. Especially for large organizations installing large
solar arrays, the costs of the solar skins is well worth the cost and slight
loss in energy efficiency.
“Aesthetics is definitely something that’s driving the market,” Parker said.
Designing a solar skin for the long haul was a challenge: It must last the
lifetime of the solar panel — 25-30 years. It can’t crack and fade under the
relentless sun. It must be vibrant and visible but still allow photons to pass
through to the panels beneath. Sistine Solar partnered with a leading vinyl
manufacturer to develop the formula, which is now being printed on an in-house
printer that applies small dots onto vinyl in customer-specified patterns.
Behind each dot is a drop of white ink, allowing even distribution of light
without creating excess heat.
Another benefit of solar skins is that the finishes drastically decrease
reflectivity — which can be useful in cutting distracting sunlight glare near
airports or other light-sensitive areas. And if a brand wants to update its
advertising campaign or aesthetic, or if repairs need to be made on solar
panels, the skins are easily removable.
The two MIT
graduates
who founded SolarSkin in 2014 originally targeted the residential market to make
solar panels blend into the roofing material. Today, residential customers still
represent a fair share of SolarSkin sales; but commercial applications are where
they really shine. The economics alone don’t necessarily make sense for a
residential home: Homeowners have to pay for the panels, the installation, and
the SolarSkins; and they lose 15 percent efficiency to boot. From a marketing
perspective, however, the costs could be negligible — especially considering the
costs of advertising in space-limited scenarios.
Sistine says it is working with several large, household-name brands; but
smaller, nimbler brands including Vermont-based craft distillery
WhistlePig are catching on, too. Founded
in 2007 (young in whiskey years), the 500-acre former dairy farm is now a pig
farm-to-distillery operation with a big focus on
sustainability uncommon to
the industry — which led the distiller to install a large solar array on top of
its barrel barn to help power the farm.
Being a young, innovative whiskey company keeps the female-led team at
WhistlePig on their toes, said Liz
Rhoades — the company’s Director of
Whiskey Operations and R&D.
“That makes us nimble and innovative, and we can create our own path for what
whiskey can be,” she told SB.
The Green Mountain State bans roadside billboards in an effort to preserve its
scenic, natural beauty. So, WhistlePig turned its panels into a brand-building
statement facing a nearby highway — seizing an opportunity for additional
branding exposure intermixed with aesthetics and clean energy production.
“It really is a two-for,” Rhoades said. “We get to convert sunshine into
cocktails; then, also, it’s aesthetically pleasing. We already have the
footprint; we’re already occupying that space. [SolarSkins] blend quite nicely
into the top of our barn; but it also allows us to capitalize on the space for
branding.”
As a working farm-distillery, WhistlePig needs all the space it can get, so it’s
working hard to maximize the utility of every square foot of real estate.
“WhistlePig is really trying to push boundaries in the industry and do things
non-traditionally, and sustainability on a working farm is a big component of
that,” Rhoades said. “[The SolarSkins] increase the opportunity for more brands
to consider creating their business to be a more sustainable business as well.”
Obviously, not every business is as nimble as a young, forward-thinking whiskey
brand; but as Rhoades confidently asserted: “Here at WhistlePig, we are at the
forefront; and we’re exploring a lot of stuff. We’re keeping our values and our
ethos; and I think other people will follow.”
The whiskey world, which banks on quality and standards borne from decades-old
practices, isn’t known for embracing innovation; and while some distillers —
including Maker’s
Mark
and
Tattersall
— are leading the charge on industry sustainability, WhistlePig is also putting
itself forward as a model for what a modern, sustainable distillery can be.
SolarSkins are just one important way WhistlePig is making best use of its
resources and space while improving the bottom line.
“We’re excited to see how other brands adapt and get on the wave as well,”
Rhoades said.
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Christian is a writer, photographer, filmmaker, and outdoor junkie obsessed with the intersectionality between people and planet. He partners with brands and organizations with social and environmental impact at their core, assisting them in telling stories that change the world.
Published Jan 5, 2024 8am EST / 5am PST / 1pm GMT / 2pm CET