2023: Year in Review
2023 marked our first full year of selling product—and another incredible year for PVpallet. We continued to aggressively pursue our mission to eliminate waste streams through innovative, reusable packaging solutions. We grew our product line and service offerings to meet the dynamic needs of our growing industry, proved the sustainability of our pallet system through a life cycle assessment, and continued to build partnerships with global leaders in the industry who share our passion to green up solar.
Here are our 2023 highlights.
Q1 2023
International Press. Named as one of the companies “shaping the future of solar energy through innovative products” by Solar Magazine, the largest solar publication in the Netherlands and Belgium. In the interview, we discussed our mission and goals, including building circularity into the solar industry through reusable packaging. (Read the Full Interview)
Installer Case Study. Completed our case study with Northwest Illinois-based installer, Stateline Solar. After integrating PVpallet Series X into their daily operations, the customer reported a 92% module breakage reduction and over 150 uses in 6-months (Read Full Study). This case study legitimizes the product’s reusability and breakage reduction claims, lending credibility to our customer value proposition.
Sustainability Highlight. Featured as “one of the companies helping the green industry become more sustainable” in an article by Solar Power World, the largest solar magazine in the United States (Read More).
Team Growth. Added three key hires: Chad Hill, Warehouse Operations Manager, Cindy Executive Administrative Assistant, and Brendin Alberts, Warehouse Assembler. These positions are essential for our aggressive growth trajectory and were filled by experienced, enthusiastic individuals who believe in our mission and align with our core values.
Intersolar North America. Showcased our newest products, PVpallet Bulk Bins and Nesting Totes, along with our flagship product Series X at Intersolar North America. PVpallet Series X was also used to manage modules during the Solar Games. Our booth had constant, enthusiastic traffic throughout the show.
Global Expansion. Continued to expand global distribution with sales in Ireland, Norway, Luxembourg, and New Zealand.
Q2 2023
New Zealand Distribution. After months of analysis with their first two units, New Zealand customer Ideal Electrical Suppliers ordered a full container with the intent of integrating the product into their operations country-wide.
Product Development. Finalized and tested our base extension solution, PVpallet Series X.L. Designed to fit larger solar modules, this product offers a much-needed solution to the industry and our customer base. (Read Press Release)
Rooftop Solar Application. Attended ABC Supply’s Solar Show in Vancouver, WA. During the event, ABC Supply showcased how PVpallet Series X is being used for their rooftop solar installations. “It is the best method for job site delivery and storage," explained Jake Wise, Branch Manager at ABC Supply. View the demo here: https://youtu.be/-zcHtWfKvYk
Solar Slayer Review. PVpallet Series X called “clutch for R&Rs and loose mods” by social influencer The Solar Slayer. He went on to say the product is “easy to assemble and break down—a great organizational tool for the warehouse and field." Check out the full video here: https://youtu.be/drz22lexsl8
Industry Education. Continued efforts to educate the industry about reusable packaging solutions including the launch of a reusable packaging newsletter on LinkedIn and publishing a resources page on our website.
Product Modifications. Developed and tested additional modifications to the existing Series X including a fork pocket modification to fit European fork jack sizes (Series EU) and an optional D-rings attachment that allows customers to pull pallets when unloading a semi-truck.
Q3 2023
Heliene Collaboration. Announced our collaboration with Heliene, the first solar panel manufacturer to show an unwavering commitment to sustainability and waste reduction in their packaging options. Customers can now request to have Heliene solar panels placed on PVpallet Series X or Series X.L as a part of the manufacturing process, eliminating the waste and cost often created by traditional wood pallets downstream. (Read Press Release)
Life Cycle Assessment. Finalized a third-party Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental impact of a wood pallet system to a PVpallet system. The assessment determined that a wood pallet system for shipping solar panels has a much greater environmental impact across all impact categories tested; the global warming potential for a wood pallet system was 2-5 times greater than a PVpallet system.
Brand Recognition. Exhibited at RE+ 2023, the largest renewables conference in North America with over 40,000 attendees and 1,300 exhibitors. We had an estimated 500 booth visitors with quality leads including conversations with dozens of manufacturers, EPCs, and developers. There was a noticeable shift in conversations with booth visitors from, “What is this?” to “We’ve been following you for the last year.” In other words, we are moving from novel to known.
Safety Case Study. Completed a case study with Ideal Electrical Suppliers, one of New Zealand’s leading electrical wholesalers. The study took a unique focus: safety. Ideal Electrical tested Series X with key branches and concluded that the product would be integrated into their operations country-wide to improve employee safety. (Read Case Study)
Series EU. Shipped first set of Euro-Fitted Series X (Series EU) units to Luxembourg. This modification alters the forklift pocket spacing to ensure they fit European standards.
Lollapalooza. Overdrive Energy Solutions used PVpallet to set up a solar-powered performance by Billie Eilish at Lollapalooza. “Wonder how we got 136 solar panels loaded in, loaded out, and transported with ease @lollapalooza? Four collapsible, reusable PVpallets helped our team deploy our solar farm in just 4 hrs.” (Watch Video)
Q4 2023
PV Logistics. Continued to build out our PV Logistics program, our turnkey packaging management program which includes reverse logistics and cleaning/refurbishment of the customer’s reusable packaging fleet. This program is currently being piloted with a global leader in the solar industry. Once complete, the customer anticipates scaling the program throughout 2024. (Program Overview)
Microgrid Case Study. Completed a case study with disaster-relief organization Footprint Project. After over 18 months of continuous use, the study focused on how Series X transformed their operations, specifically transporting and storing solar panels. (Read Case Study)
Team Growth. Hired Ryan Francis as Director of Finance. His background in strategic finance and accounting will be critical to our company’s long-term success.
Positive Feedback. Continued to receive positive feedback from customers. Eric Pals, President of TickTock Energy, stated, “PVpallet Series X is an essential product to our operations. The pallets keep excess module inventory clean, neat, and damage free during project transport and warehousing. PVpallet has reduced inventory losses and increased our bottom line.”
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. It’s a roller coaster in the best possible way! Every day brings a new adventure—and we couldn’t do it without you.