Consider the electric car. Or rather, the first electric cars consumers saw in the early 2000s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey looked really bad for a long time,\u201d says Jack Parmer, founder of RD\u00d8 Solar<\/a>. Even if people were enthusiastic about the technology, it was hard to imagine buying and driving one, because it just didn’t really speak to them aesthetically.\u201d<\/p>\n Times have changed, as has the look (and technology) of electric vehicles. Now Parmer encourages people to acquire things like solar panels and EV charging stations that blend with their life, by offering design-forward products. The Montreal-based business has DIY-friendly solar kits, solar panel awnings, colourful solar lamps, and tasteful enclosures such as EV charging stations and heat pumps.<\/p>\n Parmer primarily works as a tech executive, and although he studied solar energy in school, that was on a material science level. It was only while doing home renovations with his spouse\u2013including researching energy upgrades like heat pumps and back-up power\u2013that he saw a in terms of aesthetics.<\/p>\n \u201cThe existing market caters to hunters, RV owners, people with remote cabins<\/a>,\u201d Parmer notes. \u201cThey\u2019re concerned with low cost, and things are encased in plastic, a lot of loud colours. They\u2019re not designed to blend into the background. We were interested in what these products could look like in refined aesthetic environments.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n