Vancouver-based Daanaa Resolution Inc. has developed a device that simplifies the power systems of electronics, enabling solar panels to operate more efficiently and extending the range of electric vehicles (EVs).

Named Zodiac, it packages 18 functions — voltage conversion, inversion, rapid shutdown and diagnostics, to name a few — into one chip. This not only lowers costs by making manufacturing and installation of solar panels easier, it improves energy generation by 15 per cent to over 40 per cent.

The technology can also be applied in an EV or in data centres, Daanaa’s CEO Udi Daon told Sustainable Biz Canada in an interview.

EV batteries can have power and range increased while reducing costs. Data centre energy consumption can be slimmed down significantly while adding more computing.

When Daon heard about Daanaa and its potential, he left his position as executive in residence at a business incubator in the University of British Columbia (HATCH Venture Builder) to invest in the young company.

“There’s no way that I’m not going to be involved,” he told himself when he heard about the startup.

Daanaa’s founding

Co-founded in 2018 by Soroush Dehghani, Ehsan Hadizadeh and Javad Shariatzadeh, who met during their PhD studies at the University of British Columbia, the initial intent of Daanaa was solving the problems of wirelessly charging electric scooters and bikes.

“Usually you just have hardware and some control mechanisms, but we’re doing the entire thing with software,” Daon said about Daanaa’s technology, also called a power transaction unit. “And because we’re doing it with software, we can just add functionalities, like for example, rapid shutdown.”

Daon, an inventor, serial entrepreneur and investor, took a stake in the company and joined as CEO a year later.

Now with approximately 25 employees, Daanaa has transitioned into supporting a range of low-carbon technologies, with solar panels being a major focus.

Simplifying the solar panel

Zodiac can help overcome two issues with photovoltaic systems.

The first is that connections of cells called substrings are dragged down by the worst-performing cell from issues such as limited sunlight or debris, hindering the energy production of the entire panel. The second is that photovoltaic systems are made up of an intricate mix of external power electronics that each have a singular purpose, impacting reliability, installation, operations and maintenance.

Daanaa’s technology tackles the first limitation by allowing substrings to decouple the weakest links, boosting overall energy production.

“Because of that, the resolution of production is a lot more robust. So that means you generate a lot more from the same area,” Daon said.

Compared to a conventional solar installation, 15 per cent more energy can be generated on average, and potentially over 40 per cent in rooftops under extreme shading, according to a paper the company wrote.

For the inner workings of a solar panel, Zodiac minimizes the number of external power electronics and adds monitoring and diagnostics features. With fewer parts that can act as failure points and added troubleshooting capabilities, the levelized cost of energy drops over 30 per cent in some cases, Daon said.

Designing, manufacturing, installing and maintaining solar panels are all simplified with Zodiac.

The technology is applicable on any surface that generates solar energy, such as rooftop solar or panels installed on a vehicle.

EV and data centre possibilities

The logic of the power transaction unit in a solar panel also applies to any battery system, including those in EVs. The implications are “dramatic”, Daon explained: an EV’s power can be raised 40 per cent and mileage increased by 10 to 15 per cent.

EV batteries can also be made with less material because of the improved performance, reducing costs and weight. The size of an EV’s cooling system can be shrunk and the time to charge a battery can be halved.

Daanaa has integrated its technology in an EV that is powered by solar energy and is developing a solution for EV batteries, Daon said. It is also finalizing the value proposition of its technology into data centres.

The facilities that host vast computing capabilities are being built across Canada and the world as demand for internet and artificial intelligence services climbs up. With its technology, Daanaa can “eliminate most of the cooling needs from the get-go”, Daon said, and data centre operators can fit in more processing power.

Upcoming Series B funding

The company has produced panels that integrate Zodiac for its commercial clients, Daon said, though he would not disclose customer names.

Its current business model is designing and building products that incorporate its technology on behalf of its clients, receiving payment for the engineering and sales of Zodiac. Daanaa is also exploring moving into a licensing model.

Daanaa is planning a Series B fundraise to increase its footprint in the market and will be making more announcements alongside its customers, Daon said.