Unirac now offers installers mobile apps

Albuquerque-based Unirac now offers installers mobile apps for its aluminum and steel mounts for photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays. The free products are available for users of Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch but could be developed for Google’s Android and other phones later this year. Unirac has a 30 percent share of the North American solar racking market.  The solar firm’s client list includes the Google Campus in Mountain View, Calif., and Universal Studios in Hollywood.  Unirac first developed a separate mobile platform for its website in 2008 as their  customers switched to smartphones.  More than 800 installers signed up in the first year and a half, encouraging the company to take the next step.  Unirac then developed the U-Clinometer that turns a smartphone into an inclinometer which measures the angle and tilt of a rooftop to determine the best solar intensity.  The racking company also launched a smartphone-friendly version of its website, though the original mobile platform will continue to run. By logging onto the new version, installers, contractors and project engineers can configure price quotes, locate distributors and access three-dimensional images of sites and products via Microsoft’s Photosynth program.