tenKsolar

About tenKsolar

Founded in 2008 by Dallas Meyer, who also served as President and Chief Technology Officer, tenKsolar was a Minneapolis-based company that designed and manufactured integrated photovoltaic (PV) systems. The company aimed to address the commercial and industrial rooftop solar market by developing a system with higher energy density and reliability compared to conventional solar arrays.

The core of tenKsolar's offering was the RAIS (Redundant Array of Integrated Solar) Wave system. This product combined PV modules, power electronics, racking, and reflectors into a single, integrated unit. A key feature was its low-voltage, parallel architecture, which eliminated single points of failure common in traditional serial-connected solar systems. This design meant that issues with a single cell or module would not significantly impact the output of the entire system. The company's proprietary cell matrix configuration and integrated electronics also made the system tolerant to shade. The use of reflective film, supplied through a partnership with 3M, helped to increase light concentration and boost energy production per square foot.

The business model focused on selling these pre-packaged systems for flat-roof and ground-mount applications. Revenue was generated through the sale of these complete solar solutions. The company began shipping its first products in 2010 and initially saw promising growth, raising over $60 million in funding from investors including Goldman Sachs, Oaktree Capital Management, and Hanwha Corp. Manufacturing was carried out partially in China and completed at its facility in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Despite its technology, tenKsolar faced significant challenges. In 2017, the company ceased operations. Reports at the time cited widespread field failures of third-party inverters, which led to mounting warranty and repair claims. The company itself pointed to significant price pressures in the PV module market as a primary reason for its decision to discontinue operations. In 2019, the intellectual property of tenKsolar was acquired by a new company, Global RAIS, formed by former contractor Greg Cox and his business partner Todd Broome, with the aim of reviving the technology.