Solablock
SolaBlock manufactures patented Solar Masonry Units (SMUs) — building-embedded photovoltaic masonry blocks installed on facades as a Vertical Solar Solution to generate behind-the-meter renewable energy. It targets architects, developers, and municipalities seeking Net Zero and LEED outcomes for commercial, educational, and infrastructure projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersSpringfield, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Solablock does
SolaBlock, Inc. is a Massachusetts-based climatetech and constructiontech company that develops and manufactures Solar Masonry Units (SMUs) — building-embedded photovoltaic masonry blocks available in 8"x16" and 8"x8" form factors. The company's patented Vertical Solar Solution (VSS) deploys these units on building facades to convert passive walls into active, behind-the-meter energy-producing assets, with stated benefits including additional R-value insulation, weather and vandal resistance, and LEED/Net Zero certification support. The target use cases span commercial office buildings, schools/education facilities, municipalities (city halls, DPW infrastructure), parking garages, industrial facilities (data centers, warehouses, grow facilities), and off-grid/remote structures where rooftop solar is impractical.
SolaBlock operates a sales-led go-to-market targeting architects, general contractors, and developers primarily in the Northeast US (Massachusetts, New York), with channel partnerships extending into Israel (Eran Harish) and Europe (Matthew Batey MOU). Revenue is generated through hardware sales of SMUs and installation/professional services, with pricing quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company holds UL 61730 Photovoltaic Module Safety Testing certification and holds patents on its core SMU and VSS technologies. Manufacturing is planned in Pittsfield, MA (at the Berkshire Innovation Center), with the firm currently raising capital to fund its first assembly facility and national expansion.
The company was founded by Patrick Quinlan (Co-Founder & Senior Scientist, 40+ years renewable energy experience including NREL and Southern California Edison) and Jason Laverty (Co-Founder & Chief Construction Officer, veteran R&D mason and union instructor). Key strategic relationships include Fort Miller Precast (photovoltaic precast wall panels and solar-embedded highway sound barriers), cove.tool (AI building design platform integration), SunWize (solar module collaboration), CESMII (smart manufacturing), and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (research and workforce development). To date, the company has raised approximately $5.4M across seed, institutional, and grant funding rounds, and benefits from a Massachusetts Sustainable Manufacturing grant.
Solablock firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solablock
- Legal name
- SolaBlock, Inc.
- Website
- https://solablock.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SolaBlock manufactures patented Solar Masonry Units (SMUs) — building-embedded photovoltaic masonry blocks installed on facades as a Vertical Solar Solution to generate behind-the-meter renewable energy. It targets architects, developers, and municipalities seeking Net Zero and LEED outcomes for commercial, educational, and infrastructure projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solablock industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Building-Integrated Photovoltaics
- NAICS
- Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)
- SIC
- Asphalt Paving & Roofing Materials (2950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Solar Plant Components Supply & Manufacturing (Modules, Cells, Wafers, Mirrors, Heliostats) (EUACAGAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Solar Mounting, Racking & Trackers (Fixed-Tilt, Single/Dual-Axis, Rooftop Mounts) (EUAMABAF), Solar Roofing & Roof-Mounted PV Systems (IMADAFAO), Solar EPC & Construction (Utility-Scale, Rooftop, Balance of System) (EUAMABAB)
Keywords
Where Solablock is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Springfield
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Solablock business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Solar Masonry Unit (SMU) Sales: Sale of Solar Masonry Units - proprietary building-embedded solar panels that function as both construction material and energy-generating assets. The SMUs are sold as physical products for installation in new construction or retrofitting projects.
- Installation Services: Installation and integration of SMUs into building facades, working with general contractors and architects to implement the Vertical Solar Solution.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Solablock product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SolaBlock manufactures and sells Solar Masonry Units (SMUs), which are building-embedded photovoltaic masonry bricks that combine premium solar technology with standard masonry form factors (8"x16" and 8"x8"). The SMUs are deployed through the company's Vertical Solar Solution (VSS) to transform passive building walls into active energy-producing assets, providing behind-the-meter renewable energy, additional insulation, and LEED certification support for commercial, industrial, municipal, and institutional buildings.
Product overview
SolaBlock offers a unified product portfolio centered on its patented Solar Masonry Units (SMUs) — building-embedded photovoltaic masonry blocks available in 8"x16" and 8"x8" sizes. These SMUs are the core building blocks of the company's Vertical Solar Solution (VSS), which transforms passive building walls into active energy-producing assets. The company also operates a demonstration wall system to showcase real-world performance. SolaBlock manufactures and assembles its products in the USA, specifically in Massachusetts. The SMUs provide behind-the-meter renewable energy generation, additional building insulation, and are designed for durability, weather resistance, and security. The product is targeted at commercial, industrial, municipal, and institutional buildings seeking Net Zero solutions, LEED certification points, and carbon offsetting capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Solar Masonry Units (SMUs)
- Installation and Integration Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Just 3.5 Solar Masonry Units are expected to mitigate a ton of carbon over lifetime
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Solablock
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Solablock technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Solablock partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Matthew BateycoreMr. Matthew Batey (resident of Belgium with 25 years' experience in renewable energy and sustainable buildings in UK and EU) signed MOU with SolaBlock to jointly establish an entity in Europe. Matthew played key roles in implementing EU's Energy Performance in Buildings Directive and bringing BREEAM and LEED certification into EU mainstream.
- Fort Miller PrecastcoreFort Miller Precast (77-year-old New York maker of precast concrete infrastructure products) and SolaBlock announced a partnership to develop photovoltaic precast wall panels. The first joint product under development is a solar-embedded highway sound barrier wall, combining Fort Miller's precast expertise with SolaBlock's solar technology.
- cove.toolcorecove.tool (AI-powered data engine transforming building design) announced partnership with SolaBlock focusing on leveraging SolaBlock's sustainability features within cove.tool's building design platform. Patrick Chopson, Co-Founder and CPO of cove.tool, serves as a SolaBlock testimonial provider.
- SunWize Power and BatteryminorSunWize (solar module and power system manufacturer based in Albany, Oregon and Hubbard, Ohio) and SolaBlock signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration on solar technology integration.
- CESMII (Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute)corePartnership with CESMII to focus on sustainability and expand smart manufacturing resources. CESMII is the Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute, supporting SolaBlock's smart manufacturing development and workforce training.
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)coreCollaboration with RPI on technology research, innovation, and workforce development. RPI students (Rachel Soto-Garcia and Abdullah Abid) joined as engineering interns through Rensselaer's Invent@Rensselaer Immersion Startup Program. Dennis Shelden, Associate Professor and Director of CASE, and Asish Ghosh, Professor of Practice, are involved in the collaboration.
- Berkshire Innovation CentercoreSolaBlock is headquartered at the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC) in Pittsfield, MA. The BIC received nearly $1 million in ARPA funding to establish a manufacturing academy, and Asish Ghosh serves as Board Member.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Solablock competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mitrex: Mitrex manufactures building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) facade and cladding products that turn building envelopes into power generators, much like SolaBlock's SMUs turn masonry walls into active energy assets. Both companies target architects and developers seeking to monetize vertical exterior surfaces rather than rooftops.
- Onyx Solar: Onyx Solar produces photovoltaic glass for building facades, curtain walls, and skylights. Its product directly overlaps SolaBlock's vertical-solar-on-buildings value proposition, and both serve commercial and institutional new construction projects with LEED-supporting, behind-the-meter on-site generation.
Emerging players
- Apollo Power: Apollo Power develops BIPV and vehicle-integrated PV technologies targeting building and transportation surfaces. Although its core focus is curved/flexible applications, its product philosophy of putting PV onto unconventional surfaces overlaps with SolaBlock's facade-first approach.
- SunTegra: SunTegra produces lightweight solar shingles and tiles for residential roofing. While roof- rather than wall-focused, it competes in the same building-integrated PV specification battles that SolaBlock targets when architects choose between conventional rooftop solar and wall-mounted solutions.
Broad incumbents
- GAF Energy: GAF Energy, a subsidiary of Standard Industries, markets Timberline Solar — a nailable solar shingle integrated with traditional roofing. While focused on rooftops rather than walls, GAF is the most established building-integrated solar brand in the US and represents the incumbent standard against which SolaBlock's vertical alternative must compete.
- Tesla (Solar Roof): Tesla's Solar Roof integrates PV into architectural roofing tiles for premium residential and select commercial projects. As a brand-led BIPV incumbent, Tesla sets consumer expectations for building-integrated solar that SolaBlock must differentiate against by going vertical where Tesla is horizontal.
- SunPower / Maxeon: SunPower (and its spin-off Maxeon) manufacture and install high-efficiency PV modules primarily for rooftop residential and commercial systems. As large-scale solar incumbents, they define the procurement channels and installer networks that SolaBlock's distribution strategy must coexist with or disrupt.
- CertainTeed (Saint-Gobain) Solar: CertainTeed, the building products arm of Saint-Gobain, offers Apollo Solar and integrated solar roofing products targeting both residential and commercial construction. Its established distribution in roofing supply channels represents a likely channel partner — and competitive threat — for SolaBlock's masonry-solar offering.
Regional players
- Avancis (CNBM Avancis): Avancis produces CIS-based PV modules for facade, rooftop, and building-integrated applications, primarily serving European projects. Its product line is the European counterpart of SolaBlock's wall-embedded approach, making it the most relevant regional comparison for SolaBlock's EU expansion plans via the Batey partnership.
- Ertex Solar: Ertex Solar fabricates custom BIPV modules for facades, spandrels, and railings predominantly in the German-speaking markets. Its custom architectural solar approach mirrors SolaBlock's project-based, architect- and developer-led GTM model in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Solablock social profiles
Digital presenceSolablock compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Solablock financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solablock leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Solablock subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Solablock funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solablock M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solablock
What does Solablock do?
SolaBlock manufactures and sells Solar Masonry Units (SMUs), which are building-embedded photovoltaic masonry bricks that combine premium solar technology with standard masonry form factors (8"x16" and 8"x8"). The SMUs are deployed through the company's Vertical Solar Solution (VSS) to transform passive building walls into active energy-producing assets, providing behind-the-meter renewable energy, additional insulation, and LEED certification support for commercial, industrial, municipal, and institutional buildings.
Is Solablock a public or private company?
Solablock is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Solablock founded?
Solablock was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Solablock based?
Solablock is headquartered in Springfield, United States, in the North America region.
How does Solablock make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Solar Masonry Unit (SMU) Sales are the primary driver. The others are installation Services.
Who are Solablock's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mitrex and Onyx Solar. Emerging players are Apollo Power and SunTegra. Broad incumbents are GAF Energy, Tesla (Solar Roof), SunPower / Maxeon and CertainTeed (Saint-Gobain) Solar. Regional players are Avancis (CNBM Avancis) and Ertex Solar.
Does Solablock have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solablock.
What industry is Solablock in?
Solablock's product category is Building-Integrated Photovoltaics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUACAGAK, Solar Plant Components Supply & Manufacturing (Modules, Cells, Wafers, Mirrors, Heliostats), with a secondary code of EUAMABAF, Solar Mounting, Racking & Trackers (Fixed-Tilt, Single/Dual-Axis, Rooftop Mounts). Its NAICS code is 221114 and its SIC code is 2950.