SOLAR ROLLER

Company Vision

Solar Factory Pool Products, Inc. exists to make a difference in the fight for water conservation by selling to owners of backyard swimming pools a highly useful device called the Free-Floating Solar Roller ® Pool Cover Remover. We feel our patented product is the most important breakthrough to facilitate water conservation ever to come to the swimming pool industry. Why? Because pool covers can reduce water evaporation by more than 90%, and even chemical usage by more than 70%. Yet less than 30% of all backyard pools have been able to use a pool cover...until now.

So why aren't all pools using a cover? The overwhelming limitation to cover usage is that historically the only device sold for handling pool covers has been the deck reel, an expensive bulky towel rack like device that sits at the end of the pool consuming valuable deck space. The problem with deck reels is they do not handle curvy free-form pool covers very well, or pools with limited or no deck space, but for the most part are only good for rectangular inground or oval/round aboveground pools. All the other custom free-form pools have been going without.

That said, as things stand today, less than 30% of all backyard swimming pools have a solution for taking the covers on and off the pool, which is much like having invented breakthrough inflatable rubber tires for the auto industry, but no jack to remove them with. And in the wake of water shortages in many parts of the country there is a pressing need to require pools to conserve water with a pool cover, yet nothing really has been offered as a practical solution for handling the covers...again, until now.

For all those millions of pools without a jack, our innovative patented and trademarked Solar Roller ® Pool Cover Remover is the only means on the market to assist the removal and handling of covers for pools that can't use a deck reel. Because custom free-form pools cannot use a traditional deck reel, many of those pool owners are already splitting their bulky pool covers to make them easier to remove by hand, and are doing so at the advice of pool shops who want to sell them a cover, but cannot sell them a reel. The Solar Roller ® Split-Cover System™ just takes this a step further and is completely different from anything on the market today.

Half Cover Distribution Model - the Paradigm Shift

Having invented the Split-Cover System™, our company also plans to revolutionize the way bulky covers are distributed, lowering the cost for everyone and making stock on hand a top priority to solve the problem with special ordering or waiting for a cover to come in stock. Distribution of whole pool covers today is a nightmare for distributors because whole cover distribution requires a multitude of covers sizes to support the many different size pools out there. In fact, last year our company website had almost 2500 custom size covers customers could choose from because we can have our factory supplier "make to order."

Just Four Sizes: Employing the revolutionary strategy to provide half pool covers can solve this problem to support the majority of pools under 20x40ft. This is because with half pool covers there need only be the four sizes (14x14, 16x16, 18x18, 20x20) which can be mixed and matched to each half of the pool. Furthermore, because our patented Split-Cover System™ rolls half the cover at a time, online internet retailers can also now ship the lighter more compact half cover sizes, avoiding dreaded overcharges due to weight, so shipping costs are predicable and controllable. Plus stores can provide our Solar Roller that currently ships coast-to-coast at under $12 compared to high shipping costs required for the heavier and bulkier deck reels which moreover require two boxes. For anyone doing business over the internet, shipping lighter and more compact 1/2 pool covers alone is a remarkable dollar saving breakthrough.

Out of the Warehouse and Into the Stores: In addition, for retail stores pool cover stock sizes can be reduced from hundreds of covers sizes, that must be special ordered from the warehouse and delivered next day or longer if on back order, to just four sizes that can easily be stocked right at the store. With the half cover distribution model, retailers can now have "stock on hand" for immediate purchase. Having stock on hand should also substantially increase cover sales helping people more than ever have a warm pool, but most important, conserve water and chemicals.

Conservation is Our Goal: This way too, in accordance with the company charter, our proposed half cover distribution model will be doing it's part to conserve water and support the cause of many water starved communities (such as Las Vegas and others) that are water rationing and promoting pool covers through rebates so consumers will do the right thing and cover their pools. Beginning now then, our online store offers only four size covers in line with the new distribution model. Let it also be emphasized, our online site offers covers only to complement sales of the Solar Roller as a convenience to consumers, to establish the half cover distribution for proof of concept of the model, and to attract internet searches for pool covers as a means for increased web traffic visibility of our product.

Leading the Way: Our efforts to change the way pools are covered will revolutionize the distribution and stocking of pool covers, and rank us as a leader in the industry for changing it's distribution model to dramatically conserve precious water. Retailers and wholesalers will never be out of stock utilizing the revolutionary "just in time" distribution model. Retailers also will more than ever have an incentive and the ability to stock covers at the store for immediate sale, rather than special order from the warehouse requiring customers to come back for pickup, and Wholesalers will move more inventory out of the warehouse and into stores. The customer will be able to get what they want, when they want it. And the warehouse will benefit because they can enjoy the same profit margins, but move stock immediately out to retailers rather than waiting for delivery in their space constrained warehouses.

Potential Market Expansion

As aforementioned, water agencies realizing the great value of pool covers to save water are beginning to offer rebates toward the purchase of a pool cover. For instance, Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) offers a $50 rebate for pool covers. Better yet, on the international stage Australia offers their people a $200 rebate program toward a cover and roller system.

Get the Word Out: In light of the pressing need for pool covers, our company is devoted to informing everyone that the concept of using "whole pool covers" to cover the entire pool severely limits the distribution of covers, and also requires the consumer to purchase an expensive and awkward deck reel, or remove the cover by hand; emphasizing too that this solution only works on less than 30% of pools substantially limiting "use" of covers. Conversely, using our Split-Cover System, almost all pools can now use a cover, and is more cost effective for everyone resulting in higher sustainable sales for the industry overall.

Now then, around 2005 the alternative "Sun Rings" came into the market and many retail and online stores are carrying them, but you need to purchase 10-15 rings at over $30/ea, the rings can bunch up at the end of the pool on windy days, are slow to fish out of the pool one at a time, and have thus experienced a higher customer return rate according to retailers. The Sun Rings initially sold like hotcakes, and stack on your pool deck the same way. On the other hand, our product the Solar Roller enjoys almost no returns and has a high customer satisfaction rate. Our mantra then has become...

Whole Covers TOO BIG, Sun Rings TOO SMALL, Half Covers JUST RIGHT!

Water Conservation Programs & Rebates

Current water shortages in parts of the nation, especially as mentioned in the western US areas like Las Vegas, are requiring communities to be on year round water restrictions and may potentially drive the increased demand and expansion of the pool cover market. Programs such as Water Smart in the Las Vegas area, and Water Sense sponsored by the EPA are dedicated to conservation. Additional programs by agencies offer pool cover REBATES at participating dealers.

To do our part in the fight for water conservation nationwide, the Solar Roller and our half pool cover distribution model will greatly assist in supplying stores everywhere with just-in-time stock on hand. In this way over time we will be helping to save billions of gallons of wasted water nationwide, by facilitating the distribution of pool covers to fulfill the vision of our company charter.

It takes about only 200 pools using a cover to save an entire city tank of water because a pool left unchecked for a year can completely evaporate... and that's a lot of water wasted!

Water Loss Calculation

Every year Billions of Gallons of City Water could be saved! Let's calculate the number of wasted city tanks of drinking water through evaporation by swimming pools.

SACRAMENTO: If using an average evaporation rate of 17,500 gallons/pool annually, it takes only 200 pools to waste an entire city tank of water. If Sacramento has over 50,000 pools, then Sacramento alone wastes 250 tanks of city water every year (or) 2,125,000,000 (that's BILLION) gallons of water every year!

What's that make you think about when they start rationing water and your lawn's going brown, while your bill's going up? Our 17,500 gallon/annual evaporation figure is probably conservative (other reports site 1.5"/week). Here are some evaporation figures for Australia (click here). Multiply liters by .264 to get gallons. One average states over 86,000 liters per year, or over 22,700 gallons annually evaporates from the pool.

NATIONWIDE: If the nation has around 8.5 million inground swimming pools, then nationally we waste 42,500 tanks of water every year. This amounts to 42,500(tanks) x 3,500,000(gals) = 148,750,000,000 gallons of water annually in the US alone. Again, that's BILLIONS!

ABOVEGROUND POOLS TOO! Now approximate an additional 30% for aboveground pools to add another 45 billion gallons of water wasted and we are looking at almost 200 Billions gallons of water annually in the US ... WASTED. If you say "so what" to water conservation, think about the cost of energy used to process and create drinking water!

WORLDWIDE: Now think worldwide and help get the word out that 1/2 pool covers are the SOLUTION for WATER CONSERVATION because Half Covers work on almost ALL POOLS...

About the Product

The key to the innovative half cover solution is the patented Split-Cover System™ that rolls half the cover at a time, so almost all pools up to L-shapes are able use a pool cover. The patented system comes with two individual free-floating Solar Rollers that are fastened directly to the underside of the buoyant half covers, each roller spanning the middle of each half cover. Custom locking fasteners are used that button the rollers to the covers and are removable if you wish to detach the covers in the off season.  The lightweight free-floating adjustable length rollers span across the middles of each half cover (similar to how reels are placed across the middle of a round pool) but are directly fastened to the underside of the cover.  The rollers are supported entirely by the buoyancy of the cover, so nothing attaches to the pool and is completely free-floating with the cover.

To operate the system, the customer just pops on a removable crank handle to one end of the roller tube to begin the rolling process. By turning the crank, the roller pulls both ends of the cover into the middle to wrap around itself right on the water, resulting in nice compact floating roll that, once the water drains from the end, weighs less than a three year old child, and is easy to handle. When not in use the device is completely hidden so is not an eye sore to your beautiful backyard pool setting that you paid so much for.

Being adjustable, the actual Solar Roller ® Cover Stick™ rolling device is a single SKU one-size-fits-all device for backyard pools up to 20x40ft, and comes bar-coded ready for retail in a box that weighs only 8lbs with dimensions of 42x5x3 inches. There is over 42ft of adjustable tube to a system to use what you need. At six systems to a shipping case, the case weighs under 50lbs and is easy to stock for stores taking up almost no room compared to bulky deck reels that come in two separate boxes with heavy tubes over six feet in length. So then this product already has a great advantage for distribution and stocking in the stores.

In short, this innovative split cover remedy adapting half pool covers to so many pools requires no deck space, accommodates almost any shape pool up to L-shape pools, is light/compact and completely hidden, and is easy enough that it can roll a cover in under thirty seconds. The switch to half pool covers endeavors to help the millions of custom pool owners by providing them a practical solution and a choice they never had before to help us all do a better job at conserving precious water.

Product History

Beginning in 1989 patent was filed on the Split-Cover System and test marketed thoughout much of the 1990's. In late 1996 patent was eventually obtained after a long fought battle via an interference proceeding before the US Patent Office against a Canadian company, Vogue International. Since 1999, the product has enjoyed sales over the internet, and has continued to expand distribution to other internet retailers over the years, while at the same time going slow to refine the product based on customer feedback to currently bring this product to an issue free design for a high customer satisfaction rate and very few returns.

The full advantage of the half cover solution is to allow pools (that before did not have a choice) to use a cover on almost any shaped pool up to L-Shapes because use of half covers can overcome almost all previous restrictions to owning a pool cover. Utilizing our Split-Cover System, pools are no longer restricted by backwalls, limited deck space, and irregular custom free-form shapes. This becomes now a mandate in the struggle to reduce wasteful water evaporation. In addition, working with half the cover at a time makes the cover much more lightweight to roll any shape pool, twice as easy, in half the time.

Thus through innovation, Solar Factory is in the process of positioning itself to provide a greatly needed product to an untapped market of millions of backyard swimming pools. Additionally, due to the completely new and patented method of using a free-floating device to roll half the cover at a time directly on the water our product enjoys a patent monopoly being the first and only product of it's kind. Truly an innovation as first of it's kind to make a difference in the fight for water conservation.

Questions and Comments

Send your questions, comments, and suggestions about this remarkable device for your pool, and other pool products, by clicking on the contact us link above.

We look forward to your business,

David Hoff, Inventor CEO
Solar Factory Pool Products, Inc
5834 Price Ave
McClellan, CA 95652
(877) 882-7602