Haven
People want to be outside — working, eating, relaxing.
So they need space, shade, and shelter.
And people love a place to plug in.
Enjoy more outdoors
Haven is a shelter. A place to get out of the sun, or out of the building.
People long to be outside, as long as they’re comfortable. On campus or at the office. At the park, soccer field, or shopping center.
When people are outside a while, they like to have a place to charge up. Phones, of course, but also laptops, speakers, and scooters. Haven’s solar panels and batteries make clean energy ready, even at night.
Haven offers a large canopy over a generous table and seating, made of of beautiful, durable materials that stay cool.
Frameless solar panels are elegant and strong, providing 12’ x 10’ of shade
TimberTech seating or solid ash wood, thermally enhanced for long life
Exterior-grade solid surface countertop with interior-grade look and feel
Seating for eight, no center pole in your way
Equitable wheelchair access with optional space between seats
Shade and Comfort
"Catawba College is the proud owner of seven Haven solar shelters. Our students use them as comfortable, shady places to study and meet. And they love plugging into clean energy. The Havens are a complement to our leadership in environmental education and practice."
- Executive Director, Center for the Environment
Your Clean Energy is Ready
Haven has 20 places to charge up, powered by bi-facial solar panels that make energy from the top and bottom sides. No running wires underground.
An advanced battery system provides backup for days, and powers Haven’s tasteful LED lighting. Lithium batteries recharge quickly and last for 15 years or more.
Where to charge
4 wireless
8 120V outlets
4 USB A
4 USB C
Program on/off times
What to charge
laptops
phones
monitors
speakers
e-bikes
scooters
smoothie makers
golf carts
etc.
Configurations and accessories
Split bench seating for wheelchair access
Integrated LED lighting with increased battery capacity
Signs, small and large
Standing height table
Large bench, seating only
Remote Management Kit / educational interface
Extra battery capacity for resilience
Intentional details
Signs and digital content
Amplify your message
Upper position for brand sponsorship
Lower positions for user engagement
Haven helps you makes a statement (or two)
“We want people to love being here. Haven is a pleasant place to be, with power and lighting.”
“We care about the environment. That’s about way more than Haven, but it’s an example people can touch and use.”
office buildings
colleges, schools
retail
mixed use
multifamily, planned communities
Haven is for places with people
venues
stadiums
zoos
amphitheaters
theme parks
city hall
parks
resilience hubs
transit stations
convention centers
Dimensions
Installing Haven is fast with Pre-Assembly
Spotlight Solar will do MOST of the assembly for you in the factory. Your Haven will arrive with everything put together except the roof. Just roll it into place on the wheeled dolly, install the roof and ground anchors, and turn it on.
Or we’ll send it flat packed — still easy
We’ll send Haven in big wooden crates. Three people who are good with hand tools can assemble it, although we recommend hiring pros. No heavy equipment, except a forklift to unload the truck. The experts below did it in less than two minutes. But you should probably plan on most of a day.
Generous Cost Recoveries
The Inflation Reduction Act has greatly reduced the cost of solar and battery storage systems. Both taxable and tax-exempt organizations can qualify for 40% recoveries of project costs. Currently, these incentives are available through 2027, but you never know how things could change, so let’s get started!
Also, rapid depreciation allowances under MACRS rules make the recoveries even greater for taxable business. Please inquire with Spotlight Solar and your tax professional about whether your purchase of Haven may qualify for these benefits.
Spotlight Solar products meet all Build America, Buy America requirements under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Please click to download the Haven brochure.
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Yes, very. Haven has been certified by structural engineers to weather Category 5 hurricanes. The structure is all aluminum, which naturally resists corrosion, and coated with powder coating rated AAMA 2604 for the most difficult weathering conditions. All electrical components are marine grade, including the wireless charging pads. The hardwood benches are thermally modified for 20+ years of weather resistance, a material used in high-end decks and outdoor furniture. The table is made from weather-resistant solid surface countertop material. Lithium batteries are expected to last 15+ years (vs. 5 for AGM/lead acid) The batteries and electronics are up off the ground to avoid flooding. And the solar panels have a 30 year warranty.
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Haven is made of aluminum, so it won’t rust. And for shoreline locations, we apply a clear coat on top of super-durable powder coat rated 2604 by the AAMA standard for Florida Weathering. All electrical parts are marine grade, and are up off the ground to avoid flooding.
Hurricanes Milton and Helene directly tested our design and engineering, and we were thrilled with the results.
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Well, that’s not really a question, but we can address your concern.
The solar panels are from Europe, and bear the CE and UL marks for quality. They are made from two layers of thick, hardened glass. We have tested their strength by hanging 380 lbs from the edge with no damage (and with chin-ups). If they ever did break, the glass would crack in place, but would not fall.
Funny, the only one that ever broke for our customer was hit by a flying table umbrella that someone forgot to put away before a storm.
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The table is like a fine kitchen counter: smooth and beautiful. It is solid surface countertop material, composed mostly of pre-consumer recycled content. It stays cool in sunlight and resists fading from UV. The material is highly weather resistant and durable. If it gets scratched, it can be refinished. If someone writes on it with Sharpie, you can clean it easily with rubbing alcohol.
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The feel, beauty, and durability of Haven’s seating is very important, so we offer two wonderful materials.
Our stand is TimberTech Advanced PVC. We selected this composite for it’s wood-like look and feel, and for it’s ability to stay cool in the sun. TimberTech requires no maintenance and will last the life of a Haven.
Or upgrade to solid ash wood which has been thermally modified using heat and steam (no chemicals), to protect it from weathering for up to 20 years. This is the same beautiful material that is used by high-end outdoor furniture makers like Landscape Forms and Extremis.
We recommend TimberTech for parks and schools, and thermally modified ash for office buildings and distinctive properties.
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Yup, Haven has a lot bigger canopy than typical table umbrellas. That’s mostly to keep you shaded, but it also keeps the rain off… as long as the rain isn’t going sideways.
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Category 5 hurricanes, yes. Tornadoes may involve flying livestock… so, no.
Take a look at the Sanibel story over on our Projects page — their Haven made it through two hurricanes without issue.
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Yes. The solar panels have been tested to withstand impact forces 5 times greater than required by the ISO/IEC 61215 international standard. They will not be broken by 39 mm diameter hail (about ping pong ball size) traveling at 28 meters per second (terminal velocity).
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1035 lbs. But all components are light enough for a single person to carry during installation.
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A few simple bolts into an existing concrete pad will be sufficient, even for hurricane zones.
In some lower wind zones, no attachment is needed, although most owners will choose to bolt it down, to guard against ambitious pranksters trying to move it. At over 1000 lbs, they’d better bring a lot of friends.
Spotlight Solar will provide specifications and attachment hardware appropriate to your surface and local wind speeds. We also offer anchors for un-paved surfaces. We do not recommend installing on grass, as the weed whackers will abuse the paint.
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Yes. If you’re just shifting its position on your property, you can use a wheeled dolly we designed. If you want to take it to another property, you’ll need to disassemble further and lift it onto a trailer. Give us a call, and we’ll share some insights from experience. So, yes you can move it, but you wouldn’t want to do it every week.
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Maintenance required is minimal, including cleaning of surfaces. The wood benches will take on a silver patina over time, but remain sound for many years. If you'd like to restore the original color of the seating, they can be refinished easily with Cutek.
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Haven has been thoughtfully engineered for safety. The power outlets weather rated and GFCI. The lithium batteries are the safest chemistry, according to the FAA. The batteries and electronics are in a fully enclosed, fire-proof aluminum container that also acts as a heat sink to keep components cool. All wires are hidden and inaccessible. All access doors are fastened by security bolts. The table has been engineered to hold 500 pounds of college students. The solar panels are rated for 175 MPH winds, and are composed of tempered glass bonded to a backsheet. A 300 lbs. person can hang from a solar panel without breaking it (we tested this). If the panels do break (like, if someone hits them with a brick), no glass will fall. And for the sake of toddlers’ heads, the bench tops and table have rounded corners.
All that said, we can’t solve for stupid. If people abuse Haven, they could find a way to hurt themselves. So, please encourage responsible use.
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The more you use Haven, the more energy it makes. The solar capacity is around 2000 kilowatt hours per year, depending on your location. Haven makes energy to charge its batteries, which in turn power your devices. When the batteries are full, it doesn’t produce more solar energy (there is nowhere for it to go), so making frequent use of power for devices and lighting will increase the amount of energy produced.
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They are tucked neatly under the table, well off the ground to avoid any flooding.
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Haven’s lithium batteries have several advantages over the AGM batteries commonly used. Lithium recharges much faster, so Haven’s 3-day backup capacity can be restored in a couple of sunny hours. Lithium batteries are small, allowing them to be tucked under the table, while providing high capacity. And the LiFeP04 chemistry we use is the safest, per FAA research. LiFePO4 also has superior performance in below-freezing temperatures. And the batteries are expected to work well for over 15 years; AGM (lead acid) only lasts for 3-5 years.
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Haven’s lithium batteries have a capacity of 2 kilowatt hours. 90% of that capacity is used (depth of discharge), which is much higher than AGM batteries’ 50%. Haven can output 650 watts on a continuous basis. That’s enough for 10 laptops, or five e-bikes. But it’s not enough for a microwave, so leave that at home. By the way, if you do overtax the power system, it will switch off, until you quit that.
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Lithium batteries perform well in the widest range of temperatures. Other battery types like lead acid / AGM lose around 50% of their output capacity when the temperature is below freezing, but Haven’s LiFePO4 batteries only lose 10%. It is best not to recharge the batteries below 32F, so Haven’s software keeps that from happening. If there are periods of time when the temperature stays below freezing for many days, it is possible that Haven’s batteries will become depleted — but only if you are using Haven in below-freezing weather a lot. This seems unlikely. BUT.. for such locations (like a ski resort), Spotlight Solar offers a Winter Kit that warms the batteries so that they can be charged anytime there’s sunlight.
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It works great for things like charging golf carts or tools.
With regard to supplying power to a building or some proximate equipment, It technically CAN, but let’s think this through...
Haven’s battery storage capacity is designed to provide 3-5 days of backup power in case of very cloudy weather, anticipating frequent charging of laptops and phones, and use of the lighting at night. So, you’d want to consider whether the compromise to that backup implied by sending energy to power other things would be acceptable.
Assuming your answer is yes…
The solar panels will produce more energy than you’ll use for device charging and lighting, so there is extra energy available, especially during the day when the battery will normally be full. Temporarily running power through an extension card from one of Haven’s power outlets is always an option.
Assuming you would prefer a permanent outfeed of power without creating a tripping hazard…
You will need to run an underground conduit from Haven to your equipment or building. We can provide a quote for a conduit port under the table and circuit for that, but we’ll need to talk over your situation. If you’d like to interconnect to your building’s AC system, that’s more complicated, and we wonder whether the capacity of the Haven system (a lot for an outdoor shelter, but not much compared to a building’s needs) will be worth the expense and effort.
That said, we’re open to explore it with you.
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There are two options.
Most Havens ship pre-assembled (mostly). We put it together in the factory and test it. It ships on a wheeled dolly, without the solar panel roof. After delivery, you’ll only need to install the roof, bolt it to the ground, and turn it on. That takes about two hours.
If you prefer, we can ship Haven flat packed, like Ikea. It ships in two large wooden crates. A forklift or loading dock is required to unload the truck. To move components to installation location, crates can be unpacked and contents carried by two people. It will take three people about a day to install the first one (less time for additional Havens).
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Installation is simple and affordable.
We ship Haven mostly pre-assembled. It arrives on a wheeled dolly, requiring only two hours of simple work to complete.
If you prefer, we can also ship flat-packed in crates. In that case, Haven takes three people about six hours to install, using ladders and hand/power tools. Those people should have mechanical or construction experience.
No electrician is required. No rental equipment either. And because Haven is a stand-alone system, not connected to your building or grid, it doesn’t need underground conduit.
If your organization has skilled people on staff, they could install Haven. A local solar company or mechanical contractor could also handle it easily. Please contact Spotlight if you need ideas for installers.
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Certainly. But we did work hard to make the standard colors very tasteful. Let’s talk about it.
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Yes. Haven provides power and a place to mount electronics under the roof where they will get a clear signal.
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Owners can control the lighting schedule with a smartphone app. It connects to the system through Bluetooth, so you need to be near the Haven when programming. With the Remote Management Kit, you can also control the and the on/off timing of the power outlets.
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A phone app will show you what’s happening with Haven’s solar and battery system when you’re next to it. And it enables you to program the lighting on/off times. An optional Remote Management Kit provides these capabilities through an online interface, with more detailed data and the ability to control the power outlets’ on/off times, or remotely turn the system off and on.
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So glad you asked! It’s a microgrid-meets-outdoor-classroom.
Haven’s Remote Management System provides data to a web-based interface that is great for teaching. Solar production, battery status, and power output are all available in real time and historical.
So, Haven can be an outdoor experimentation station. Plug in some fun things and try to deplete the battery. Cover all the solar panel tops to discover the bi-facial generation on the underside. Predict how long the LFP battery will take to recharge at 9:00 AM. Even watch the graphs on a rainy day back in the building.
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The outlets and USB ports can be easily replaced, without opening the electronics container under the table.
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You can buy from Spotlight Solar Certified Integrators or directly from Spotlight.
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Haven was designed for commercial and public properties, but if you’d like one for your home, let’s talk. Please contact us using the Contact Spotlight link below.
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Yes, Haven offers a space in the bench seating at your option. The space can be provided on either side, or both (or none). The location of the wheelchair space is a central position, with easy reach to power outlets. The space is also great for strollers.
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We set out to create the best user experience and best owner experience. So, Haven has the most generous shade area and table, the highest quality materials, and the most comfortable and open design. It has the most ways (20) to power your devices, and the highest performing battery system. It also has the longest warranties, especially for batteries (6 years vs. 3 for the closest alternative) and coating. And we think you’ll agree, it’s the best looking. We hope and believe you will love it.
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The first time we sat under the prototype, we were struck by the large size of the shade canopy. “This is not a table, it’s a place to be.” And because it can be configured without the table (with a large bench seat), it’s more of a shelter than an umbrella table or solar furniture. For some, it will be a solar workspace, or a solar picnic table, a solar bench, or a solar charging station.
Note: we don’t mean that it’s a like a bomb shelter or a place to go during hurricanes.
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Yes, but the clock is ticking.
Our renewable energy CPA has documented his opinion that Haven qualifies for financial benefits provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. This means that the cost for a Haven project would be reduced by 30%, for BOTH taxable and tax-exempt organizations. Another 10% of initial cost is recoverable because Haven is made in the U.S. That’s 40% total!
However, the Big Beautiful Bummer, passed in July of 2025 requires solar projects like ours to be completed by July 4, 2026. Fortunately, we can help you to act quickly.
MACRS depreciation rules also allow for highly accelerated deprecation — nearly all in year one. This creates a sizable additional tax benefit to tax payers.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Our CPA is not your CPA, and neither is Spotlight Solar. Please consult your tax professional to verify your opportunities. Spotlight Solar is happy to discuss this matter with prospective customers.
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Yes it is. And that means it should qualify for an extra benefit of 10% of purchase price under the Inflation Reduction Act. See your CPA for confirmation. It also meets requirements for Buy America Build America.