Out of more than 250,000 crowdfunding campaigns held on Kickstarter since its inception, only 2,371 have raised more than $100,000.

A Scottsdale-based company is one of those few, raising more than $400,000 to put into production the next generation of eco-friendly, solar powered pool cleaners.

Scottsdale-based Solar Pool Technologies Inc., manufactures the Solar-Breeze, the world’s first solar-powered robotic swimming pool cleaner and chemical dispenser.  On July 30, the company launched a $315,000 Kickstarter campaign to fund the initial production of the next generation solar-powered pool cleaner, the Solar Breeze NX. The project reached that goal on Aug. 19 and finished with $408,078 from 758 backers from all over the world when the campaign closed on September 12.

Even though the Kickstarter campaign has successfully concluded, the public will soon be able to pre-order the Solar Breeze NX on the company’s website at www.solar-breeze.com.

“Many of our customers encouraged us to use Kickstarter to fund the next Solar-Breeze, so we’ve listened,” said Solar Pool CEO Paul Sim. “We are big believers in our product and we have planned to launch the new model for some time. We are honored that so many owners of the original Solar-Breeze as well as many new customers stepped forward to bring the new Solar-Breeze NX to life.”

The original Solar-Breeze was a revolutionary invention that uses sunlight instead of grid electricity to effortlessly remove dirt, debris, pollens and even suntan oils from the pool’s surface. During the day, Solar-Breeze uses the sun’s power to run the motors that drive the cleaner across the water while surplus power is used to charge its battery, enabling it to continue operating almost around the clock. Advanced software controls the unit’s overall functions by directing it to areas with the most sunlight, making Solar-Breeze the only intelligent pool skimmer on the market.

The Solar-Breeze NX appears the same as the original model, but features several enhancements including:

  • New software with a new power management system to enhance battery power management, leading to increased time of operation and improved battery life.
  • The improved power management system also puts less stress on the motors that drive the Solar-Breeze, improving the efficiency of operation and extending motor life.
  • A new plastic polymer blend is being used for the top housing of the Solar-Breeze NX to improve its resistance to ultraviolet rays and slow the deterioration of the plastics, leading to longer life for the product.
  • The gear mechanisms at the front of the unit that transfer power from the front motor to the front paddlewheel and bumper wheels are re-engineered to improve efficiency, reduce drag and extend the life of the drive system.
  • The system for detecting when a unit is stuck on an obstacle has been improved to result in better overall operation in the pool.
  • Attachments for the unit will be available that allow it to adapt more effectively to pools with rock outcroppings, beach entries and other complex features.

Swimming pools are the second largest consumer of electricity in the home after air conditioning. By using solar energy to operate, Solar-Breeze and Solar-Breeze NX can reduce a pool’s energy bill by up to two-thirds. The robotic cleaner also has a chlorine dispenser that releases chlorine evenly across the pool, effectively sanitizing the pool and reducing chemical consumption by an average of one-third.