Mission

Striving to improve the human condition through the research, development, and implementation of innovative solar solutions

We believe that through creative applications of solar energy we can help bring solutions to people who would traditionally not have access to better their lives

Our story

The genesis behind SolarX|Works began at a conference about the global food cold chain in 2014. During one meeting, Blake and Donald had a discussion with industry experts about the critical need to expand the cold chain into emerging markets where conventional cold storage solutions simply can’t exist. Having backgrounds in both the solar and cold storage industries, Blake and Donald asked the question, “surely we can come up with a solution to this problem leveraging our expertise.”

From there, SolarX|Works was founded in 2015. The team started by buying a standard insulated 20’ reefer container and retrofitting it with solar panels. Low and behold, the proof of concept worked. The standard refrigeration system was able to be powered by solar. However, the team saw flaws in the system. It was very inefficient in powering the refrigeration system (as there needed to be a conversion from Alternating Current to Direct Current) and the components to convert the power were far too expensive.

This led to the second proof of concept—ripping out all of the AC powered components and replacing them with DC powered components. This was successful and led to a 20% increase in power efficiency as well as reducing costs by removing expensive components. However, the team at SolarX|Works was still not satisfied. This solution worked and was better than the original proof of concept, but the market was asking for a slightly different solution than the large shipping container solution.

Thus, the idea for xCOLD was born. A standalone, mobile, modular solar-powered refrigeration system, the xCOLD concept would provide flexibility in what type of space it could keep cold. The xCOLD could still be used to keep a standard shipping container cold, but it could also be attached to other structures that the market asked for such as tents, walk-in coolers, root cellars, etc. In addition, the xCOLD could be offered at a lower price point than the proof of concepts and further increased efficiency in power usage.

SolarX|Works continues to innovate and refine the xCOLD concept as it works towards bringing refrigeration to places that traditionally would not have access to it. As an applied solar company, SolarX|Works will take its designs and intellectual property and look to apply it to future solutions to solve problems outside of just cold storage.

Core Beliefs

Challenge the status quo

We believe the time has come for solar energy to deliver on its promise. Our focus isn’t like traditional solar companies, placing panels on roofs to sell power back to the grid. Our mission is simple: we look to apply solar to specific use cases and solve specific problems. By engineering our products to solar standards, we can deliver the most efficient solutions that provide social and economic value. We are talking about applied solar solutions designed to improve the quality of life for Earth’s citizens.