Rocking Solar
FOCUS: Net Zero Carbon and Energy, Sustainable Infrastructure
OVERVIEW: Brings utility-grade single-axis tracking to commercial rooftops, increasing solar efficiency by 45%.
Rocking Solar is a commercial and industrial rooftop solar tracker that increases solar efficiency by up 45% over fixed tilt solutions which results in 30% fewer panels and less associated electrical equipment for the same energy produced. Rocking Solar brings utility-grade single-axis tracking to commercial rooftops, eliminating heavy components and boosting wind resistance to deliver lower-cost energy—up to 22% lower capital cost per kWh and 10% more energy per roof than fixed tilt solar. Single axis trackers are the most efficient solution for utility solar...now available for commercial rooftops.
Our typical customers are EPC's, contractors, building owners, or third party owned solar companies. We have installations in California, Indiana, and Kansas with additional orders for Illinois and India making up over 1MW of solar installations. Improved ROI of solar trackers for the C&I market will increase solar adoption and help companies achieve zero energy with less equipment.
While Solar in the US has grown about 20%, Commercial Solar only makes up 5% of those installs. Why all the empty rooftops? The economics are not attractive enough for commercial businesses. Rocking Solar improves panel efficiency by up to 45% over fixed tilt solutions. This efficiency means fewer panels, less wiring, fewer inverters bringing a 22% project cost reduction for the same energy production.
The benefits don’t stop there. Rocking Solar requires few if any roof penetrations. 30% fewer panels and associated electrical equipment reduces weight and maintenance. Spacing between rows provides access for roof repairs/inspections. Benefits have been validated through 3rd party testing by GSA, RWDI, Sandia, and Intertek/UL testing. With 1MW in installs/orders we are looking to expand our commercialization through EPC and key influencers. Our goal is to give commercial solar the same efficiency benefits as utility solar and see 100 MW before 2028.
WEBSITE: Rocking Solar
Rocking Solar is Promising for California
Title 24 / Commercial Solar Mandate (The Immediate Market) The 2022 Energy Code update, effective 2023, mandates solar and energy storage installation in new commercial buildings, with the CEC estimating this will result in an additional 280 MW of solar deployments per year. Every one of those new commercial installs is a potential Rocking Solar customer. Their 22% lower capital cost per kWh and 44% higher yield directly improves project economics for the EPCs executing these mandated installs.
SB 100 — 100% Renewable Electricity by 2045 SB 100 requires that all retail electricity sold in California must come from renewable resources and zero-carbon resources by 2045, and requires at least 60% of the state's electricity to come from renewables by 2030. Commercial rooftops are a massive untapped resource in that equation. As Rocking Solar's own market page notes, commercial buildings drive 36% of US energy use but capture only 5% of yearly solar installs. Therefore, closing that gap is essential to California hitting its targets.
The Empty Rooftop Problem at Scale California has an enormous inventory of large flat commercial rooftops such as warehouses, distribution centers, retail big-box, industrial etc., exactly the >100,000 sq ft, flat, low-slope buildings Rocking Solar identifies as ideal. Rocking Solar's 17% deadload reduction over fixed tilt and minimal penetration requirement makes it viable on older or weight-constrained roofs that currently can't host solar at all, expanding the addressable market beyond what fixed-tilt can reach.
Capped Landfills & Non-Penetration Applications Their markets page calls out capped landfills as an additional use case. California has hundreds of capped municipal landfills that are ideal solar sites but can't accept ground penetrations. Rocking Solar's design requires few or no roof/ground penetrations, making it uniquely suited for this application and potentially unlocking state-owned land for solar deployment.
Schools & Campuses Rocking Solar lists Schools & Campuses as a target sector. California law already mandates that all new small and mid-sized construction be solar-ready, with 15% of the roof designated as a certified solar zone. School districts across California face budget pressure and with Rocking Solar's 36% better ROI (24% vs. 18% in their head-to-head comparison on the website) and lower upfront cost, it makes the financial case easier to close with cost-conscious public institutions