Sopogy

Sopogy
	File:Sopogy Logo.png
Company type	Venture supported privately held company
Industry	Solar energy, concentrating solar power technology and engineering
Founded	2002
Founder	Darren Kimura
Headquarters	San Jose, California, United States, Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Key people	Darren Kimura (founder, former president and CEO); David Fernandez (president and COO); Tsurumi Hamasu (VP of administration)
Products	Concentrated solar panels
Website	sopogy.org

Sopogy (Solar Power Technology) was established in 2002 within Honolulu’s clean tech incubator Energy Laboratories, focusing on solar thermal technology. The company specialized in harnessing concentrated solar thermal energy to generate solar steam and provide thermal heat for absorption chillers as well as industrial heat processes. Additionally, Sopogy engineered solutions incorporating its solar collectors for electricity production and water desalination. Its name is derived from the components "So" (solar), "po" (power), and "gy" (energy and technology).

Sopogy operated with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and independent power producer sales teams alongside its research and development group based in Honolulu. In 2006, it expanded operations to Silicon Valley, adding manufacturing, commercial and industrial sales, as well as oil and gas sales divisions. Though supported by venture capital and recognized for its micro-concentrator solar power innovations, Sopogy ultimately halted operations as announced by President David Fernandez. In 2014, Hitachi Power Systems acquired the firm through a private deal.

MicroCSP Technologies

The term MicroCSP was introduced by Sopogy to define compact, lightweight concentrating solar power (CSP) collectors that function at lower temperature ranges, generally under . These modular units are engineered for straightforward installation on rooftops or open fields while offering resistance to environmental factors such as wind, snow, and moisture.

MicroCSP is a trademark registered by Sopogy.

SopoHelios

SopoHelios represents Sopogy's high-temperature collector category (50–326 °C / 122–620 °F). It features a single-axis tracking parabolic trough designed to minimize expenses within ground-based MicroCSP solar arrays. With a reflective surface area of 7.61 m², this collector provides improved field efficiency, a lightweight yet robust structural core for enhanced durability, accelerated installation times, and superior optical performance. Its applications encompass solar-powered air conditioning, electricity generation, and elevated temperature industrial uses such as hydraulic fracturing.

SopoNova

SopoNova is categorized as a medium-temperature collector (50–270 °C / 122–518 °F) from Sopogy’s lineup, tailored for distributed generation through either rooftop or ground-mounted setups. It functions similarly to conventional parabolic trough systems but is smaller in scale with manufacturing methods resembling those used in the automotive sector. The system is delivered flat-packed with integrated 270-degree tracking capability, customized mounting stands, and control systems to facilitate efficient deployment.

SopoFlare

At Solar Power International 2009 in Anaheim, Sopogy, Inc. introduced SopoFlare, the pioneering Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology specifically engineered for rooftop deployment. This innovation serves multiple purposes including steam production, solar-driven thermal air conditioning, drying processes, dehumidification, desalination, and hot water generation.

SopoLite

SopoLite is a portable concentrating solar power system that not only harnesses solar energy but also collects meteorological data. Designed with a satellite-inspired standalone format, these units provide power for mobile applications such as electricity supply, cooling, or heating. Sopogy utilizes SopoLites worldwide to obtain essential solar resource data needed for evaluating site-specific solar potential.

Projects

In 2007, Sopogy collaborated with Avista Utilities to implement MicroCSP technology at the Avista Clean Energy Test Site.

The following year, 2008, saw Sopogy working alongside Spain's Inypsa and Germany's Omniwatt on a 50 MW MicroCSP installation located in Toledo, Spain.

In 2009, Sopogy commissioned the 2 MW Holaniku MicroCSP Solar Thermal Plant at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority on Hawaii’s Big Island. This facility was connected to the Hawaiian Electric Industries grid under a power purchase agreement and stood as one of the earliest grid-tied solar thermal plants in the United States. It also marked the world's first MicroCSP power plant. Industry experts recognized this project as a critical evaluation of Sopogy’s business approach amid the decreasing costs of photovoltaic systems.

That same year, Sopogy initiated a solar-powered air conditioning project in partnership with Southern California Gas Company.

In 2010, Sopogy delivered a hybrid system combining electricity generation and water heating at Eckerd College in Florida. Additionally, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi adopted a 50-ton air conditioning system utilizing Sopogy’s MicroCSP collectors. During this period, Kalaeloa Solar One and the State of Hawaii Department of Hawaiian Homelands announced plans for a 5 MW project incorporating Sopogy technology. Moreover, an agreement was formalized to provide 200 MW of Sopogy’s solar solutions for a concentrating solar power initiative linked with China’s national grid.

By 2011, Fort Bliss Air Force Base in Texas integrated an 84-collector MicroCSP air conditioning system developed jointly by Johnson Controls and SunQuest.

Awards

In January 2008, Sopogy earned recognition as the Venture Capital Deal of the Year, reflecting its rapid business expansion and attractiveness to investors. In July of that year, the company secured the New Product of the Year Award from the National Society of Professional Engineers for its SopoNova 4.0 product—the first solar technology to receive this honor previously granted to firms like Boeing and Mercedes Benz.

Sopogy was shortlisted for Platt's Global Energy Awards in September 2008 and received the Pacific Business News Business Leadership Award for Innovative Company of the Year during the same year. The firm also garnered the Hawaii Governor's Innovation Award in 2008, highlighting its influential role and strategic vision within renewable energy markets.

In March 2009, SopoNova 4.0 was awarded the Gold Award for Product of the Year 2008 by Plant Engineering magazine, reinforcing Sopogy's leadership position in solar technology innovation.

The company continued to accumulate accolades including the Hawaii Business magazine Smallbiz Success Award in 2010 and recognition at the APEC 2011 Hawaii Business Innovation Showcase. In 2012, Sopogy received the "Deal of the Year" award from the Hawaii Venture Capital Association, emphasizing its strong financial achievements and investor confidence.

Investors

The firm has secured more than $40 million through five rounds of venture capital funding. Its most recent Series E round was led by Mitsui & Co., Ltd., a financial investor headquartered in Tokyo, with additional contributions from 3M, Sempra Energy, and MEMC/SunEdison. Among its prominent earlier backers is eBay's founder, Pierre Omidyar.

In 2007, the State of Hawaii approved $10 million in special purpose revenue bonds to aid the company's renewable energy initiatives, which was followed by a further allocation of $35 million in 2008.

References