S2 Systems: Deliberate by Design
By Dennis Zielke
People who know me know that I have a playful side, like when a friend says they’re moving to or visiting a place that would not have been on my list, I would teasingly say “on purpose?” just to get a laugh. The late creator Bob Ross used to refer to “Happy Little Accidents”, those mistakes whose retention makes more sense artistically than contemplating their removal.
Back in the 90’s, I had the privilege of working in professional motorsports, specifically, Winston Cup and SCCA Trans Am. I was an accomplished welder, fabricator, and machinist and because of my ability to create something from a mere idea, I was frequently tasked with building that which did not exist except in someone’s mind. Valve covers, oil pans, oil filter housings, custom tools, you name it. All created from a simple napkin sketch, or just a dream.
Thirty plus years later, having found success in S2 Systems, which some of you may know was formerly Solar Recombiner, I have had occasion to reflect on our design philosophy, and that introspection has strengthened our goals of building good equipment for our industry. All of our bespoke equipment, that equipment that is designed, manufactured, and sold by S2 Systems, it has a common design path that it takes.
That singular path is that our equipment designs are birthed on the rooftops, on the shade structures, in the field where the equipment will be used. We are installer-centric, the equipment has to be installer-friendly. The equipment needs to be solar-friendly, our industry is unique and our equipment must be able to meet those unique requirements of our industry. This is why no one handles more wire than we do.
After this equipment gets through the field and industry requirements, it’s only then that we start applying the relevant Codes, Standards, etc. that are the guideposts to developing safe equipment. After fighting tooth and nail for three years to get to where we are today, S2 Systems, Inc. produces good equipment.
Today I was notified via email that we have been issued a serial number by the USPTO for our trademark on the phrase DELIBERATE BY DESIGN™, which very concisely describes our design process. Everything we do is deliberate, there are no accidents. From our ACRs, to our new UCP, and our forthcoming AC Disconnects, everything associated with their designs are deliberate.
We operate in a world where the equipment we use was designed for 80% of the market. Our newest product, our UCP is a panelboard killer that was designed for 100% solar and nothing else. Outside of the solar industry it's useless, but on a solar carport, it's at home, doing what it was deliberately intended to do.
To quote The Mandalorian - This is the way.