Solar panels from Armageddon Energy

Rooftop solar panel installation is often a time-consuming and complicated process, but Armageddon Energy’s new prefab panels are practically roof-ready when they come out of the box.

A solar “clover”–enough to provide 400 watts of power–is made up of three 10 to 12 pound silicon hexagonal panels, a triangular frame and a micro-inverter. The panels can be easily connected with a series of uncomplicated tab and slots. Then all that’s left is for a professional, or mechanically-inclined homeowner, to secure the clovers to the roof, angle them towards the sun, and plug them into the home power system. According to Armageddon, the process only takes a few minutes.

Armageddon’s solar panels are significantly lighter than traditional 40-pound silicon-panels, mainly because the solar cells are coated in Teflon instead of glass. At $6 per watt, the panels produce power cheaply, too–that’s $1 per watt less than conventional systems.

Armageddon recently completed solar panel prototypes and is currently working on a beta round. The company expects commercial production to begin in about a year. But by the time Armageddon’s panels make it to market, they’ll have some competition in the prefab arena. Veranda Solar is working on a panel design that requires only a screwdriver and a standard home outlet. Can IKEA-branded DIY panels be far behind?

Via Fast Company