Since the inception of Solar AI, we’ve seen significant progress in both our business and product offerings, all in pursuit of the most efficient way to don solar panels on Singapore’s rooftops. As we approached our current solution of zero upfront solar offers, we recognized the need for our brand identity to evolve in parallel.
To fully grasp our transformation and plans to rebrand, let’s take a trip down memory lane to explore our origins as a business.
Our Humble Beginnings
Solar AI Technologies was born in uncertain and tumultuous times – the COVID-19 period.
Our co-founder, Bolong hopped on board at ENGIE as a venture builder, and from there, embarked on the journey of Solar AI. Solar AI initially kicked things off as a data science company, primarily to aggregate roof data across Singapore and complement ENGIE’s solar implementation efforts.
This database was used to create a premium “Google-style” service tailored for solar panel companies. This service included a data assessment tool, allowing companies to refine their search criteria for roofs, specifying aspects like type and size.
However, this venture faced limited interest from companies, with just a single taker.
Upon contemplating this setback, Bolong came to the realization that simply offering data was insufficient to expedite solar adoption. While the tool was undeniably valuable for identifying suitable solar rooftops, it didn’t address the primary challenge faced by solar companies. What was preventing most customers from embracing solar energy was their lack of understanding regarding potential savings and the overall benefits of solar power.
The Genesis Of The Solar Simulator: A Customer Driven Approach
It was at this juncture that Bolong and Gerald, co-founder and CTO of Solar AI, made the strategic decision to create a user-friendly solar assessment tool available to all Singaporeans. Their vision was clear: a tool designed with the customer at its core. This innovative solution would provide users with an instant understanding of their potential savings through the straightforward act of sketching their rooftops on their devices, making the benefits of solar power readily transparent.
Meanwhile, Bolong embarked on writing informative blog posts driven by his passion for solar energy. To their surprise, these posts began attracting a substantial amount of traffic, particularly towards the solar assessment tool. The tool also started generating significant attention by media outlets such as Mothership, which boosted the popularity of the tool and its usage.
This led to a significant revelation – there was an unmet demand for a straightforward cost estimation for homeowners’ solar installation needs before proceeding further.
It eventually became clear that the market needed someone to step in to make solar simple for them.
The Pivot To A More Customer Oriented Business
Since then, our team has been driving innovation to empower individuals in Singapore to harness the power of solar. Solar AI’s journey began with the Quotes Comparison service, allowing users to easily receive preliminary price estimates and effortlessly connect with solar installers for detailed quotes.
Through customer interactions and firsthand experiences on the ground, we came to the realization that there was an improved approach to catering to their customers and making solar adoption even more simple. This revelation led to the introduction of the Rent-To-Own model.
The Rent-To-Own model, a concept that offers immediate electricity bill savings without any initial investment, along with the added benefit of complimentary system maintenance and servicing, successfully addressed the concerns of many customers. It effectively removed the barriers that had previously held them back, specifically the worries surrounding uncertain maintenance expenses and high upfront fees.
The Golden Question: Why Rebrand?
While there was a significant shift in business model, the brand’s name remained unchanged from its early days, a vestige of its origins as a data aggregator and provider. This legacy name no longer fully encapsulated the business’ new mission and services, and that is why we decided we needed a change – specifically, we needed a rebrand.
What Can You Expect?
In addition to updating our vision and mission to better reflect our unwavering commitment to customer service, we’re diving into a complete visual overhaul to match our renewed commitment to customer service. Just like that vibrant new coat of paint on a freshly renovated house, our refreshed look is bound to invigorate and excite you. (In the next few days, we will be showing you sneak peeks of how our new look will be to keep you in the loop, so do keep your eyes peeled!)
Also, do remember to mark your calendars on October 30th! We will personally walk you through the rationale behind our rebranding decision and provide a sneak peek into our upcoming business endeavors.
Save the date, and make sure you don’t miss out on this exciting event!
