Grant: Idea to Innovation

The proposed project aims to commercialize our enterprise solutions for bifacial utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants. In SUNLAB at the University of Ottawa, we have been developing a physically representative PV simulation software for the past seven years. This engine, known as DUET (Dual-sided Energy Tracer), applies detailed simulations to fixed-tilt and solar-tracking systems to accurately determine critical performance criteria such as energy yield and bifacial gain. Bifacial modules are capable of absorbing light incident on both their front and rear faces, and currently make up over 80% of new deployments for utility-scale plants (systems with >5 MW capacity). Modelling and field data comparisons have already shown DUET to be at the top of its field for simulation accuracy and capability, further enforced by over $50,000 in contracts with industry companies. We have transferred DUET's intellectual property from the University of Ottawa to our newly incorporated SUNLAB spin-out company, Enurgen Inc. It is now imperative to transfer our existing desktop application to a cloud-compute digital twin. Our target market is utility-scale solar plants, which make up over 50% of PV installations. Last year the world reached 1 TW of cumulative installed PV. Within five years, this will happen annually. At that point, the utility market will be ~USD 700Bn/year. By 2035, this market will provide an estimated USD 11.2 Bn annual recurring revenue opportunity. With the increasing focus on 100% green electricity and energy security, this market will continue to grow exponentially. Our company has designed an enterprise platform B2B SaaS business model to solve our target market pain points of missed performance metrics where lost revenue is now on the order of millions. We have three plans starting with our minimum viable product DUET Designer, based on simple subscription model ($/yr). DUET Sentinel and DUET Prescient are our enterprise versions and are priced based on capacity under management ($/MW-year). This I2I application is critical to succeed in our aggressive market and commercialization strategies by enabling the initiation of our products directly to major market growth opportunities.