In past years, the high cost of booth space at solar trade shows has prohibited start-ups and small companies from exhibiting. And if they could afford the expense, they would get lost in a mix of more recognizable names. That changed this year at Solar Power International. which debuted Start-Up Alley.

Start-Up Alley offered a chance for 19 early-stage companies to present their business and proposals. While the area was at the back of McCormick Place, a large overhead banner brought a steady stream of visitors to the fledging companies.

At so many major events, finding the start-up companies with the innovative ideas is like looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack, said Mike Dershowitz, President and Founder of ModSolar. and the driving force behind the program. Start-Up Alley puts all the needles in one place.

One of the exhibitors, GreenLancer.com. won first place in the “Start-Up Alley Challenge,” a program that put the companies ideas head-to-head.

Michigan-based GreenLancer.com lets contractors order the entire spectrum of documents needed to take a project from feasibility through construction. In effect, the company can serve as a back office operation for contractors seeking to add solar energy expertise to their services.

“All start-ups face the same challenge of getting attention from investors, industry insiders and customers,” says GreenLancer.com CEO Michael Sharber. “Through our recent success in these competitions, we’ve made huge inroads with current and potential customers.”

But many of the other companies exhibiting at Start-Up Alley had great ideas, too. Here’s a little about each:

Aeos is named after the mythical beast that pulls the chariot of Apollo across the night sky. This is a rendering of the companys tracker system.

Aeos Technology : Led by John Ciasulli and Yelena Shkolnik, Aeos is developing a module-agnostic solar tracker.

Altium Energy

Divya Energy : The DIVYA team is made up of solar developers and software engineers who were fed up with how hard it is to find the right solar solution. The staff members have years of experience with solar installers across the country, and are using the experience to make it easier to shop for solar. DIVYA lets consumers compare quality solar installers in real-time.

Faze 1: Faze1 is a resource for optimizing sales and marketing funnels. The tools are designed with the goal of enhancing any marketing strategy, from door-to-door to telemarketing and direct mail. Our data-driven insights allow your organization to uncover leads and revenue potential.

GreenLancer.com : GreenLancer’s online platform is providing the next generation of alternative energy engineering services and significantly reducing the soft costs associated with developing alternative energy projects. Their standardized processes and systematic workflows have resulted in virtual assembly lines that disrupt engineering the same way Henry Ford’s assembly line forever changed the world of manufacturing.

kWh Analytics : kWh Analytics is a provider of data analytics for the solar financing community. The firm analyzes energy and credit data from industry stakeholders to generate insight into the performance of the solar asset class. kWh Analytics was founded to help the solar industry realize the value of an under-used resource: Data.

Lighting For Learning : Lighting For Learning mitigates poverty in developing economies by providing students with a well-lit place to study. The lighting systems used are cost effective, innovative, and solar powered. They are installed in schools, libraries and community centers.

LimeLight Solar aims to establish itself in the Austin, Texas, solar community.

LimeLight Solar : The goal at LimeLight Solar is simple. The company wants to be the best Austin solar panel company there is. The company has put a lot of thought into how it can best make customers feel comfortable throughout the contract and installation process.

QuickSolar : QuickSolar lets professionals quickly and easily design a solar energy system on their customers or clients rooftops. With minimal user input, users can drag and drop solar panels directly onto almost any roof using Google Maps imagery. As users add and remove panels from a design, QuickSolar performs all the necessary calculations to show how much solar energy will be produced, how much will be saved, the amount consumers can expect to invest, as well as the amount that can be saved through tax credits, rebates, and other local incentives.

renewz sustainable solutions : From corporations to universities, Renewz designs and delivers solar carport electric vehicle charging stations. Renewz has selected leading partners from around the world to help create and promote unique solar carport projects.

Skysun : Skysun is developing a new method of solar concentration that will substantially decrease system complexity and installation costs by using mirrors to focus the suns heat to a tower using ganged heliostat arrays. Scalability and cost implications are now being determined.

Solar Exchange : Solar Exchange uses online business-to-business auctions and request for quote capabilities to facilitate sales and procurement activities. These capabilities create a direct connection between qualified solar businesses, large and small, along the entire solar value chain.

Solar Site Design works on

smartphones and tablets that operate on the iOS and Android systems.

Solar Site Design : Roofers and electrical contractors are the solar installers of the future. By tapping into an existing database of hundreds (in many cases, thousands) of customers, they can significantly reduce the pain point of the solar industry soft costs. Capturing important information while already on the job site is necessary to begin the estimating and design process. This is where Solar Site Design comes in. By downloading Solar Site Design, contractors have access to:

• A complimentary solar feasibility drawing
• Complete, full-service engineering and permitting quotes customized for a specific solar project
• Competitive solar equipment quotes direct from the manufacturer and/or supplier
• Financial plan customized with a companys logo

SolarCast : SolarCasts mission is to provide high-quality, cost-effective renewable energy power products and services to customers that are interested in reducing energy costs and carbon footprint. Its goal is to be a leader in renewable energy portable power products by marketing these products initially in the United States, Canada and Mexico with future expansion into strategic global markets.

SolarZentrum North America : The companys combined Heat and Power (CHP) solar module is capable of producing up to 30% more electricity and up to 4 times more total combined energy output than a conventional solar panel. SolarZentrums goal is to be environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and future-oriented at the same time. SolarZentrum North America (SZNA) is responsible for the manufacturing and final assembly of WIOSUN PV-Therm modules sold in the United States and Canada.

Sun Synchrony : Sun Synchrony develops innovative concentrating photovoltaic solar panels to provide clean, safe, and reliable energy using a fraction of the space of conventional silicon products, while lowering materials and energy inputs to manufacturing. The companys products combine the exceptional efficiency of state-of-the-art broad-spectrum multi-junction photovoltaic cells with the compact profile and ease of installation of fixed panels using the SunSynchronous sun-tracking and focusing technology. By eliminating bulky and expensive external trackers, the ArcSol Panel will bring high-efficiency concentrated solar power to space-constrained markets that have been poorly served by conventional PV panels.

Tangerine+ : Tangerine+ specializes in web-based presentations displaying real-time alternative energy data in a compelling and interactive experience. The initial product is a kiosk display, designed to showcase a company’s brand and commitment to alternative energy and the environment.

Ultrasolar Technology : Ultrasolar Technology increases the baseline energy output by boosting power density for residential, commercial and utility solar arrays. This results in an improved return on investment and reduced cost of ownership. By harvesting heat and maximizing the energy output of each individual module, UST’s revolutionary solution addresses a growing need to generate maximum KWH with todays solar installations.