Finding solar innovation in apple orchard textile with Magnifield

When we first met BIG, a global leader in a wide range of flooring and material solutions for various applications, our task was to support their team in their “Innovation Days” initiative. During interactive pitching and delivery workshops, our team supported the client’s internal innovators in identifying a possible new usage for one of their successful industrial textiles. This particular fabric, which reflects solar energy much better than common surfaces, is widely used in commercial apple farming to expand the sun’s reach to improve the color, ripeness, and growth efficiency of one of the most popular apples on the market. In fact, this apple is so popular that it’s known internationally by its “rosy” brand name.

Thanks to the Innovation Days initiative, the client team uncovered possible new applications for this textile far beyond agriculture. They recognized that if scoped correctly, their reflective textile product could find new life at a different sort of farm – a solar farm. The risk of not exploring this opportunity meant missing out on entering a booming renewable energy market. That’s where EY stepped in, leveraging our network and expertise to guide the client toward a new application in solar energy.

Our client is an expert in textiles and other materials, but not in solar energy. To successfully pivot their product from agriculture to solar farms, we needed to leverage EY’s global network of solar experts and organize a 12-week project divided into six distinct innovation sprints. Each sprint was structured to focus on critical triggers that would guide the development of the product and its market entry:
 

Sprint 1: business model and value proposition review

We began by evaluating Magnifield’s business model and refining its value proposition. The reflective textile, initially designed for apple farming, needed a new direction for the solar energy market. Our team helped clarify the benefits, such as increasing solar panel efficiency, to ensure a strong market fit.
 

Sprint 2: product and design updates for IP

To align the textile with solar energy applications, we roadmapped necessary product updates and reviewed potential intellectual property (IP) implications. Our team provided recommendations to protect and extend the patentability of the new product, ensuring it could scale globally.
 

Sprint 3: international regulatory landscape

Solar energy projects are subject to complex regulations, especially in sustainable solutions. We investigated the regulatory environment in key markets to navigate any obstacles and optimize the launch strategy. Understanding these regulatory challenges was crucial to ensure the product could be commercially viable.
 

Sprint 4: prototypes and pilot projects

With the business model and regulatory concerns addressed, we launched a series of prototypes and pilot projects in bifacial solar panel applications. This process allowed us to test and fine-tune the product, increasing overall energy yield by 9.5% in solar farms.
 

Sprint 5: assessing product viability

We assessed the final product's viability, both from a technical and commercial standpoint. By validating performance improvements and exploring financial models, we positioned the textile for large-scale deployment.
 

Sprint 6: target market identification and product-market fit

Our experts identified the most promising markets for the product. By examining global solar trends and conducting interviews with solar developers, we pinpointed regions with the highest potential for success. This included identifying partners, investors, and key stakeholders for market entry.
 

The project took place during the winter of 2022, when energy markets were under immense pressure due to rising fossil fuel prices and a global demand for sustainable alternatives. Solar energy was seen as a critical solution, but private consumers would see limited benefits from the reflective textile. Instead, our client needed to move from pilot testing to full-scale commercial deployment, targeting larger solar farm developers. EY’s global network enabled us to connect Magnifield with key partners to accelerate this process.

For those who aren’t solar-fluent, there are two types of solar panels on a solar farm: single and bifacial. Traditional solar panels typically capture sunlight on just one side, limiting their overall energy output and adaptability. Two-sided solar panels, also known as bifacial solar panels, can harvest sunlight from both sides, increasing their efficiency and unlocking numerous applications across different industries and environments. The tricky part? Ensuring sufficient rays hit the “dark side” of the panels.

This is where our client’s innovative solution steps in: the reflective textile allows the second face – the underside of the panel – to receive a significantly greater amount of solar rays (called “diffuse” light) and generate more energy with a recorded 9.5% increase in overall energy yield when compared to ground surfaces. A truly innovative solution, but a difficult one to deploy without energy industry experience to resolve regulatory issues and isolate the best commercial launch market.