New award follows $500,000 cooperative agreement with SunShot to accelerate simple residential solar energy

SAN FRANCISCO--SMASHsolar, a leading innovator of residential solar energy solutions, today announced it has won a $1,000,000 award from the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative Incubator Program to accelerate development of its proprietary simple, snap-together solar photovoltaic (PV) mounting system. The SMASH PowerStation is a ready-to-install solar power mounting system that makes solar power a flexible, attractive and affordable option for homeowners.

"We are very excited to continue our partnership with SunShot," explains Troy Tyler, founder and CEO of SMASHsolar. "Our simple, snap-together frameless modules enable 2x faster installation which reduces overall system cost and lowers the skills required for a reliable installation."

"We are designing SMASH products to be elegant alternatives to complex and costly solar power systems on the market today," says Neil Goldberg, co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of SMASHsolar. "We are honored to be selected by the Department of Energy for a second SunShot Initiative award and are excited to bring to market an innovative, attractive and affordable solution that makes solar accessible to everyone."

In a recent study by SolarCity and Clean Edge, 62% of American homeowners say they want solar power (that's over 30 million homes across the U.S.). Yet, less than 500,000 US homeowners have installed solar power. With this new award, SMASHsolar will develop the SMASH PowerStation allowing consumers greater choice in how they buy solar.

In addition to providing value to homeowners, the SMASH PowerStation enables crews to install solar 2x faster (per our initial tests) allowing contractors to significantly reduce costs, increase crew production and offer consumers more affordable solar pricing. The system is designed for electrical, roofing and other residential contractors to install reliably and intuitively with little training, lowering operational costs.

Partnering with the Department of Energy SunShot Initiative Incubator Program team to develop the innovative SMASHsolar platform was the first step for SMASH. In this next phase, SMASHsolar will begin working with new strategic partners, funders, distributors and manufacturers to bring the SMASH PowerStation to market, simplifying solar power options for consumers and contractors.

About SMASHsolar
Driven to give customers control over their power generation, SMASHsolar breaks down barriers to solar through innovative design and a relentless pursuit of customer value. SMASH is a privately held company located in Richmond, California. Contact SMASHsolar at http://smashsolar.com/contact.