Morgan Solar: Looking on the bright side

 

Toronto-based Morgan Solar Inc. was founded in 2007 to develop next generation solar power technologies. The result was the Sun Simba: a highly efficient, low cost solar module. This is Morgan Solar’s story.

Inspiration

Working with a Doctors Without Borders team in Africa inspired John Paul Morgan to improve the circumstances of the entire developing world—he just wasn’t sure where to start.

He turned to his father for advice.  A CEO at three different organizations, Eric Morgan was no stranger to taking risks. He advised his son to “think of the hardest and most valuable thing you can do, and just do it.”

John Paul reflected on his frustration with generating electricity in remote villages.  He had witnessed first-hand how a lack of power made simple tasks needlessly difficult. He decided that the hardest, most valuable thing he could do would be to devise a cheap, practical energy solution for the developing world. With a MASc specializing in optics, condensed matter and medical imaging from the University of Toronto already under his belt, John Paul instinctively turned to solar technology.

Doubt

John Paul quickly realized the arrogance and near-irrationality of his belief: creating a more efficient, cheaper technology in a highly competitive, congested industry was a tall order. With mental and monetary support from his father, John Paul founded Morgan Solar Inc. and set out to create a new kind a solar panel. With his rural customers in mind, he limited himself to using materials and machines that were cheap and widely available.

Discovery

After technical setbacks, prototype failures and several redesigns, Morgan Solar’s Sun Simba was born. Comprised of a thin optical structure of acrylic, glass and aluminum, the Sun Simba broke away from traditional, silicon intensive panels.

It was also manufactured through injection molding, a widely used technique that allowed Sun Simba to be produced in the same factories as televisions or cars parts. Where building a traditional solar panel factory might cost $200 million, a Sun Simba’s facility might cost $25 million.

Beating benchmarks, knocking on doors

Leveraging the latest multi-junction photovoltaic cells, the Sun Simba operates at 26% to 30% efficiency—well above the industry standard of 21%. John Paul Morgan had prototyped a more practical solar solution! However, this was only the beginning of a very long road.

Commercialization

With computer models Sun Simba, John Paul enlisted the help of his brother Nicholas Morgan to move the company forward.  In need of significant capital investment, the brothers sought the counsel of MaRS’ cleantech advisors.  Despite institutional reluctance to make a big-capital bet during a recession, MaRS helped Morgan Solar tap into established networks and find influential, strategic investors—leading to USD $8.2 million in Series A funding. Morgan Solar now had the resources it needed for field testing and growth.

Restructuring

In 2009, Morgan Solar partnered with University of Ottawa’s SUNlab to field-test the Sun Simba.  Successful tests and promising results attracted several heavy hitters from the industry—including Asif Ansari, a solar tycoon who had carried out the commercialization of over 20 cleantech products.

Impressed with Sun Simba and Morgan Solar’s leadership, Asif agreed to become CEO on October 12, 2010.  John Paul subsequently took on the role of Chief Technology Officer.

Growth

Under Asif’s leadership, Morgan Solar recently closed Series B funding for USD $16.5 million.  The company is currently completing stress testing and is poised to launch production as early as 2011.

Morgan Solar overcame indirection, doubt and a lack of resources to establishing one of Canada’s most promising cleantech companies.  Morgan Solar is now poised to give impoverished and isolated communities across the world reliable and affordable access to energy.

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Tags: cleantech, energy, morgan solar, solar, start-up story, tom rand