Retractable 1.2 kW solar awning for RVs begins commercial production

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Xponent Power announced it reached commercial scale production of its Xpanse product, a retractable awning for recreational vehicles (RV).

The solar awning comes in 1.2 kW, 1 kW and 800 W designs. When fully extended, it measures roughly 16 feet long by 7 feet wide. Xponent Power said the 1.2 kW awning can generate up to 6 kWh per day.

Xponent said it delivered the first systems to its initial customers, beginning to fulfill its $3 million in presales and pipeline. The company secured $13 million in initial funding.

The company also announced it secured dealer partnerships with RV dealerships in Arizona, California and Texas.

Rather than covering the roof of the RV, which is limited in space, the awning folds out from the side of the vehicle. This prevents numerous roof penetrations and allows easy access to the roof for repairs and maintenance.

“We’ve had growing demand from customers asking how to get more solar without sacrificing roof space, and Xpanse directly answers that need,” said Leah Nelson, controller, Sun City RV, one of Xponent Power’s dealership partners located in Arizona.

Xpanse uses bifacial solar panels that generate electricity both from sunlight above and reflective light from below. Bypass diodes are integrated with each module, meaning that if one module is shaded, it will not affect the performance of the rest.

Rather than being closely ratcheted to the roof, which can cause heat management and performance problems, the array is exposed to open air for effective cooling and optimized power generation. Xponent Power tested the awning arm for 2,000 open and closed cycles with additional weight added to the array to confirm its durability.

The awning includes a five-year warranty on the solar awning and one-year warranty on labor.

Fremont, California-based Xponent Power announced that it received the German Innovation Award for the solar awning in 2022.

Customer video of the retractable awning:

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