Residential solar is finding a new place to call home: the backyard.
Outer Spaces, a new company founded by the entrepreneurs behind outdoor living brand Outer, is introducing a solar-powered pavilion that combines photovoltaic generation, battery storage and usable outdoor living space. The company’s first product, OS1, can be designed for multiple functions, including an outdoor kitchen, office, gym or gathering space, while generating electricity and providing backup power for the home.
Outer Spaces is planning to produce outdoor structures that integrate solar PV and energy storage. Credit: Outer Spaces
The California-based company is positioning OS1 as a new category of residential energy infrastructure that goes beyond conventional rooftop arrays and garage-mounted batteries. It builds on the growing interest in solar structures that also serve a secondary purpose.
OS1 combines a solar pavilion with a finished outdoor power deck. Solar panels integrated into the overhead structure generate electricity, while a thin battery storage system is housed beneath the deck. According to Outer Spaces, the combination allows the structure to produce energy throughout the day and provide backup power during outages.
Rather than competing exclusively with traditional rooftop solar, OS1 offers homeowners an additional way to use available property for energy production, particularly when roof aesthetics, space limitations, or homeowner preferences become obstacles to conventional installations.
Outer Spaces describes OS1 as a modular system designed for rapid on-site assembly, with minimal to no excavation required. The company says installation avoids traditional construction steps such as concrete pouring and lumber cutting. Once the structure is assembled, a licensed electrician then connects its energy system to the customer’s home.
The product’s first availability is scheduled for 2027, beginning in Southern California and select additional markets; pricing is expected to be announced in early 2027.
Solar canopies and pergolas have increasingly incorporated features such as EV charging, lighting, fans and weather protection, giving homeowners additional reasons to invest in solar outside the traditional rooftop model.
Outer Spaces represents another potential avenue for expanding residential solar adoption through design-driven products. The opportunity will ultimately depend on pricing, installation economics, permitting requirements and the system’s measurable energy performance.
Outer Spaces plans to showcase OS1 publicly for the first time at RE+ 2026, Nov. 16 to 19, in Las Vegas.
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