Smartflower aims to infuse beauty into the solar energy industry with practical solar images that follow the sun like sunflowers and appear all over the world.
Large and mechanical, the company's futuristic factories are intended to "make a statement about the sun" and offer attractive alternatives to traditional rooftop solar panels.
Smart Flower is packed with comprehensive high-tech features that make it easy to use and maintain. The company says setup is quick and painless, and each system comes with an app that lets you monitor the power your phone generates.
Each flower uses "intelligent tracking": the leaves on the solar panels slowly follow the sun during the day and move to absorb maximum solar energy. According to Smartflower, this allows the system to collect up to 40% more energy than traditional fixed solar panels.
Other less visible features include "Smart Safety", where the compartment closes automatically in strong winds, and "Smart Cleaning", where the installation brushes clean themselves before folding.
Smartflower currently offers three different solar panel models: Smartflower Base; Smartflower EV, which includes an electric vehicle charging socket; And Smart Flower+ Plus comes with a battery for backup energy storage.
Smart flowers are available for both commercial and residential establishments. The company's website tells business owners that the flowers help them "demonstrate an organizational commitment to clean energy with a beautiful, highly visible solar solution." Plantations are found in public parks, squares and resorts, providing valuable green energy and sparking conversations about sustainability.
What if you installed one in your garden?
Smartflower claims that unlike roof-mounted systems, these solar flowers can be easily installed in rental homes. That said, each flower needs more than 16 feet tall and weighs 1,690 pounds, so you may want to check with the homeowner before planting a solar garden.
The average Smartflower appears to cost around $27,000, though the website doesn't directly answer these questions, so you'll have to contact Smartflower for a quote.
EnergySage and Solar.com, two solar auction marketplaces, estimate that blooms will cost about $6.50 per watt. You can compare this to an average rooftop system at $3.50 per watt. Both sites cite the short warranty on the Smartflowers system as a concern, but acknowledge that ease of installation is a plus for the solar solution.
Buyers will have to decide whether the impressive features, sleek design, and bragging rights are worth the extra cost.
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