Specifications of new 480W Duo micro inverter for photovoltaic modules to be announced. Enecsys micro inverters deliver up to 20% more energy over the lifetime of PV installations compared to string inverter systems.
Enecsys Limited will showcase new micro inverter products and solar PV monitoring systems on booth B5.380 at Intersolar Europe, June 8-10, in Munich, Germany. The new products will include a 480W Enecsys Duo micro inverter that supports fully independent power point tracking of two connected, photovoltaic modules. This extends the Enecsys Duo family of micro inverters, a 360W version of which was launched in March 2011.
These products make the capital costs of solar PV systems with micro inverters comparable with those based on string or central inverters. As with other Enecsys micro inverters, the SMI-D480W-60 is designed to operate from -40 to +85 degrees C, has a service life of over 25 years and comes with a 20-year limited warranty. The full specification will be announced at Intersolar Europe.
Enecsys will also demonstrate a new iPhone application for remote monitoring of solar PV module and system performance at the show. Enecsys micro inverters are mounted on the rails behind each solar module, either one per module or, in the case of the Enecsys Duo models, one for every two modules.
With a patented design that eliminates electrolytic capacitors, the most life-limiting components in inverters, their reliability has been verified through industry-standard test methodologies including HALT, HASS and HTOL. The inverters have also been subjected to thermal cycling to IEC61215 standards, the same methodology used to test solar PV modules. Micro inverters enable maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to be applied individually to each PV module to ensure maximum energy harvest.
Solar PV systems based on micro inverters do not suffer from dramatic reductions in output when a module, or part of a module, has its output reduced by shading or build-up of surface debris. As a result, Enecsys micro inverter systems extract between 5% and 20% more energy over the lifetime of the installation, compared with traditional domestic and commercial solar PV systems with string inverters. The degree of improvement depends upon the system layout and the installation site. Products within the Enecsys micro inverter family are safety and EMC evaluated to EN 62109, G83, UL1741, TUV and CE.
Country-specific requirements, including VDE V 0126-1: 2006 compliance, are achieved through the use of specific Enecsys installation products. Each Enecsys micro inverter has a built-in ZigBee wireless monitoring system to provide real-time and historical data on the performance of every individual PV module. When connected to the Internet via the Enecsys Gateway, this enables online monitoring of system performance from anywhere in the world.
2011年5月29日星期日
2011年5月25日星期三
A Few Things to Know About Solar
Thinking of saving electricity by investing in a solar photovoltaic (PV) system? Here are a few good things to know, pulled from a recent Greenbiz.com webinar on Solar Powered Buildings: Worth Another Look as Prices Fall.
Powerhouse Solar Shingles
Federal tax credits— The 30 percent residential renewable energy tax credit is good through 2016. This gives you up to a 30 percent credit for the cost and installation of a solar PV, solar thermal, wind, geothermal heat pump and fuel cells. There is no ceiling, and excess credit can generally be rolled forward to the next tax year. So if you’re interested in solar technology, it’s a good idea to start pricing and planning now. You can find federal and local incentives at dsire.com
Micro-inverters— The traditional solar PV setup includes an inverter that converts the DC energy created at the solar panel to AC for your home’s use. But one inverter for an entire array can pose limitations on how much energy you realize from your PV system. It’s complicated, but by using one inverter, a solar panel that’s shaded or not performing well can lower a centralized inverter’s maximum power point, and thus the amount of electricity you receive from the system. So in some smaller systems, a micro-inverter is used for each panel. These cost more, but your system may perform better. Some reports indicate that micro-inverters can boost energy harvesting in residential systems up to 15 percent.
DC optimizers—< Also called power boosters, these can be placed on every panel and used with a central inverter to maximize the power coming from the panels and eliminate issues such as shading on one of more panels.
Costs— According to Greg Sheppard, chief research officer for IHS iSuppli, residential solar costs continue to fall, from about $2.50 per watt per module (or panel) in 2009 to about $1.50 per watt today, and costs are expected to drop to almost $1 per watt (or about $200 per panel) in 2015. Though these are panel costs, not installation costs. According to the Open PV Project from NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab), the average cost for solar panel installation in the United States was $6.94 per watt in 2010. Manufacturing costs will certainly continue to decline. “Manufacturing is a lot more efficient,” Sheppard says. “A lot of [assembly of solar panels] was done by hand up to a couple of years ago.”
Thin Films are Coming— Most solar panels today are made with crystalline silicon, though expect to see more flexible, thin panels that use technologies like CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide), Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), and amorphous silicon, though for now the efficiencies of crystalline silicon are better. The best efficiencies in available high-end monocrystalline silicon panels are about 19 percent, according to Sheppard. Look for thin-film technologies in BIPV (built-in photovoltaic) systems like roofing shingles. This year Dow Chemical will introduce its Powerhouse Solar roofing shingles, with the solar panels provided by Global Solar. The flexible CIGS panels are built right into asphalt shingles.
Energy Monitoring— Good energy monitoring systems exist for solar arrays, and are recommended to properly measure a PV system’s performance. An inverter, for example, will display the output of electricity but not what goes into it. So an improperly working inverter may go unnoticed without energy monitoring. Systems that can monitor a solar array’s energy production include eMonitor, EcoDog and Agilewaves.
Powerhouse Solar Shingles
Federal tax credits— The 30 percent residential renewable energy tax credit is good through 2016. This gives you up to a 30 percent credit for the cost and installation of a solar PV, solar thermal, wind, geothermal heat pump and fuel cells. There is no ceiling, and excess credit can generally be rolled forward to the next tax year. So if you’re interested in solar technology, it’s a good idea to start pricing and planning now. You can find federal and local incentives at dsire.com
Micro-inverters— The traditional solar PV setup includes an inverter that converts the DC energy created at the solar panel to AC for your home’s use. But one inverter for an entire array can pose limitations on how much energy you realize from your PV system. It’s complicated, but by using one inverter, a solar panel that’s shaded or not performing well can lower a centralized inverter’s maximum power point, and thus the amount of electricity you receive from the system. So in some smaller systems, a micro-inverter is used for each panel. These cost more, but your system may perform better. Some reports indicate that micro-inverters can boost energy harvesting in residential systems up to 15 percent.
DC optimizers—< Also called power boosters, these can be placed on every panel and used with a central inverter to maximize the power coming from the panels and eliminate issues such as shading on one of more panels.
Costs— According to Greg Sheppard, chief research officer for IHS iSuppli, residential solar costs continue to fall, from about $2.50 per watt per module (or panel) in 2009 to about $1.50 per watt today, and costs are expected to drop to almost $1 per watt (or about $200 per panel) in 2015. Though these are panel costs, not installation costs. According to the Open PV Project from NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab), the average cost for solar panel installation in the United States was $6.94 per watt in 2010. Manufacturing costs will certainly continue to decline. “Manufacturing is a lot more efficient,” Sheppard says. “A lot of [assembly of solar panels] was done by hand up to a couple of years ago.”
Thin Films are Coming— Most solar panels today are made with crystalline silicon, though expect to see more flexible, thin panels that use technologies like CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide), Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), and amorphous silicon, though for now the efficiencies of crystalline silicon are better. The best efficiencies in available high-end monocrystalline silicon panels are about 19 percent, according to Sheppard. Look for thin-film technologies in BIPV (built-in photovoltaic) systems like roofing shingles. This year Dow Chemical will introduce its Powerhouse Solar roofing shingles, with the solar panels provided by Global Solar. The flexible CIGS panels are built right into asphalt shingles.
Energy Monitoring— Good energy monitoring systems exist for solar arrays, and are recommended to properly measure a PV system’s performance. An inverter, for example, will display the output of electricity but not what goes into it. So an improperly working inverter may go unnoticed without energy monitoring. Systems that can monitor a solar array’s energy production include eMonitor, EcoDog and Agilewaves.
2011年5月22日星期日
The following are three innovations that have lowered the cost
Solar power was discovered over 170 years ago, but it didn't become a viable technology until the 1950s.
The high cost of producing solar cells meant that the concept remained in limited use up until recently. Renewed interest in solar power has brought investment and research that vastly improved the collection capacity of the cells.
The following are three innovations that have lowered the cost, increased efficiency and made obtaining a setup that much easier.
1. Thin-film solar collection cells can cut costs by half
Ask anyone what they think a solar power system looks like. Most likely their response will be that it is a large, window-like set up that has black panels set on a frame.
This is the most well-known type of solar collection system, known as crystalline panels. These panels kept the overall costs high, as they require a high degree of quality control to build. Thin film solar cells are nothing like the crystalline panels. They are thin and flexible, often shipped rolled up.
Manufacturing a panel is akin to printing on paper, which has reduced the price of an individual cell. Ease of construction has brought the price of a thin-film panel costs around $1 a watt. Compare that to the cost of crystalline panels, which cost in the $2 a watt range.
2. Micro-inverters increase the affordability of solar power systems
The inverter is the lynchpin of a solar power setup. Power that is generated from the solar panels is direct current (DC), and needs to be converted into alternating current (AC).
The inverter does the job of current conversion. It is a necessary item because most household appliances run off AC, and cannot operate on DC.
Inverters on old systems were expensive, bulky and created a lot of excess heat. The price of the least expensive unit pushed the overall cost of a modest solar power setup to more than $10,000.
The invention of microinverters has reduced the startup cost of a solar power system to around $1,000, one-tenth the price of a traditional setup. This drastic price drop has opened up access to more people who want a small solar power system, but couldn't afford it otherwise.
3. New panel rack systems have decreased the overall cost of installation
A large portion of the cost for a solar power setup is the labor that goes into mounting the solar panel racks. Installing the bolts into the roof, then setting up the panel rails is a tedious and time-consuming job.
New racking systems have come onto the market, ones that eliminate most of the labor. These new systems are installed in much less time, saving the consumer money.
The cost of solar power installations has come down dramatically in the past few years.
In the coming years, consumers will most likely see even larger drops in cost. Renewable energy such as solar power has the potential to compete with fossil fuels in the near future.
The high cost of producing solar cells meant that the concept remained in limited use up until recently. Renewed interest in solar power has brought investment and research that vastly improved the collection capacity of the cells.
The following are three innovations that have lowered the cost, increased efficiency and made obtaining a setup that much easier.
1. Thin-film solar collection cells can cut costs by half
Ask anyone what they think a solar power system looks like. Most likely their response will be that it is a large, window-like set up that has black panels set on a frame.
This is the most well-known type of solar collection system, known as crystalline panels. These panels kept the overall costs high, as they require a high degree of quality control to build. Thin film solar cells are nothing like the crystalline panels. They are thin and flexible, often shipped rolled up.
Manufacturing a panel is akin to printing on paper, which has reduced the price of an individual cell. Ease of construction has brought the price of a thin-film panel costs around $1 a watt. Compare that to the cost of crystalline panels, which cost in the $2 a watt range.
2. Micro-inverters increase the affordability of solar power systems
The inverter is the lynchpin of a solar power setup. Power that is generated from the solar panels is direct current (DC), and needs to be converted into alternating current (AC).
The inverter does the job of current conversion. It is a necessary item because most household appliances run off AC, and cannot operate on DC.
Inverters on old systems were expensive, bulky and created a lot of excess heat. The price of the least expensive unit pushed the overall cost of a modest solar power setup to more than $10,000.
The invention of microinverters has reduced the startup cost of a solar power system to around $1,000, one-tenth the price of a traditional setup. This drastic price drop has opened up access to more people who want a small solar power system, but couldn't afford it otherwise.
3. New panel rack systems have decreased the overall cost of installation
A large portion of the cost for a solar power setup is the labor that goes into mounting the solar panel racks. Installing the bolts into the roof, then setting up the panel rails is a tedious and time-consuming job.
New racking systems have come onto the market, ones that eliminate most of the labor. These new systems are installed in much less time, saving the consumer money.
The cost of solar power installations has come down dramatically in the past few years.
In the coming years, consumers will most likely see even larger drops in cost. Renewable energy such as solar power has the potential to compete with fossil fuels in the near future.
2011年5月18日星期三
Free brochure power electronics for developers
The brochure provides information on power electronics 48 pages of color components and modules for all engine and drive ratings, and overall performance, and control technology.
The topics include an introduction to intelligent engine control, Which is very diverse and highly dependent on the application. We present optimized components for specific drive and Umrichterarten and purpose of their actual applications are shown.
Powerful, modern IGBTs and MOSFETs are in "Power Electronics" represented as well as highly integrated IGBT driver that interfaces insulating devices and inductive and capacitive components for high power inverters and solar micro-inverter.
Whether digital signal controller (DSC), analog and interface technology or power modules with and without a driver circuit: All day All components and modules of the regulation, control and power electronics are presented.
The topics include an introduction to intelligent engine control, Which is very diverse and highly dependent on the application. We present optimized components for specific drive and Umrichterarten and purpose of their actual applications are shown.
Powerful, modern IGBTs and MOSFETs are in "Power Electronics" represented as well as highly integrated IGBT driver that interfaces insulating devices and inductive and capacitive components for high power inverters and solar micro-inverter.
Whether digital signal controller (DSC), analog and interface technology or power modules with and without a driver circuit: All day All components and modules of the regulation, control and power electronics are presented.
SunShot Initiative Details Topic Areas
The SunShot Initiative will be obtaining approximately $170 million in funding over three years to support photovoltaic technologies, and the four key topic areas of the project have been revealed.
* Foundational Program to Advance Cell Efficiency (F-PACE): Funding collaboration with the National Science Foundation; provides up to $39 million for R&D related to solar device physics, improved PV cell performance, and reduced module costs for commercial applications.
* Extreme Balance of System Hardware Cost Reductions (BOS-X): Funding up to $60 million for research, development, and demonstration of BOS components. Includes hardware-related projects as well as work in codes and standards to accommodate innovative, low-cost hardware designs.
* Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems—Advanced Concepts: Provides $40 million in funding to develop technologies designed to increase the integration of solar energy onto the electrical grid and facilitate interactions between solar energy systems and Smart Grid technologies. Funding will also support high-voltage systems that reduce installed costs associated with BOS costs for utility-scale installations and projects focused on technologies like micro-inverters capable of harvesting higher amounts of energy.
* PV Next Generation: Provides $30 million in funding for early-stage applied laboratory-scale research to demonstrate and prove new concepts in materials, processes, and device designs for solar PV component development.
SunShot is a DOE-wide initiative that leverages investments from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, and the Office of Science.
* Foundational Program to Advance Cell Efficiency (F-PACE): Funding collaboration with the National Science Foundation; provides up to $39 million for R&D related to solar device physics, improved PV cell performance, and reduced module costs for commercial applications.
* Extreme Balance of System Hardware Cost Reductions (BOS-X): Funding up to $60 million for research, development, and demonstration of BOS components. Includes hardware-related projects as well as work in codes and standards to accommodate innovative, low-cost hardware designs.
* Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems—Advanced Concepts: Provides $40 million in funding to develop technologies designed to increase the integration of solar energy onto the electrical grid and facilitate interactions between solar energy systems and Smart Grid technologies. Funding will also support high-voltage systems that reduce installed costs associated with BOS costs for utility-scale installations and projects focused on technologies like micro-inverters capable of harvesting higher amounts of energy.
* PV Next Generation: Provides $30 million in funding for early-stage applied laboratory-scale research to demonstrate and prove new concepts in materials, processes, and device designs for solar PV component development.
SunShot is a DOE-wide initiative that leverages investments from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, and the Office of Science.
2011年5月15日星期日
SolarBridge taps Celestica for microinverter manufacturing
SolarBridge Technologies has begun producing its microinverters in volumes via contract electronics manufacturer Celestica. The company will produce SolarBridge microinverters at its new facility in Shenzhen, China.
The company had previously delayed the product launch to improve the technology. Microinverters have suffered reliability concerns on the market, and cost more than traditional inverters that serve multiple photovoltaic panels.
SolarBridge initially planned to launch its first product at the end of 2009. But the company decided to "leapfrog to our next-generation product," SolarBridge CEO, Ron Van Dell, told Renewable Energy World network contributor Ucilia Wang, in a recent interview. SolarBridge aimed to develop a microinverter that can match the life expectancy of a solar panel. It's an important goal to reach in order to convince solar panel makers that they should integrate microinverters into their solar panels and market them as AC panels.
"Solar module companies will not compromise their warranty period or take a risk with integrating electronics if they aren’t comfortable that you are going to match their warranties," Van Dell said. SolarBridge is offering a 25-year warranty, which is lengthier than the 20 years offered by Enecsys and 15 years by Enphase.
AC solar panels are designed to cut installation time and cost. They are likely to find faster acceptance in residential and light commercial markets.
Celestica is increasing its production of SolarBridge microinverters and expects to devote over 70MW of annual factory capacity to their production by the end of 2011, Van Dell said.
Van Dell was mum about which solar panel makers will likely roll out the first batch of AC panels outfitted with SolarBridge's technology, but said those products should show up in the market this summer. He also pointed out that the company showed off the AC panel concept with SunPower and Kyocera at Solar Power International in Los Angeles last October.
The company had previously delayed the product launch to improve the technology. Microinverters have suffered reliability concerns on the market, and cost more than traditional inverters that serve multiple photovoltaic panels.
SolarBridge initially planned to launch its first product at the end of 2009. But the company decided to "leapfrog to our next-generation product," SolarBridge CEO, Ron Van Dell, told Renewable Energy World network contributor Ucilia Wang, in a recent interview. SolarBridge aimed to develop a microinverter that can match the life expectancy of a solar panel. It's an important goal to reach in order to convince solar panel makers that they should integrate microinverters into their solar panels and market them as AC panels.
"Solar module companies will not compromise their warranty period or take a risk with integrating electronics if they aren’t comfortable that you are going to match their warranties," Van Dell said. SolarBridge is offering a 25-year warranty, which is lengthier than the 20 years offered by Enecsys and 15 years by Enphase.
AC solar panels are designed to cut installation time and cost. They are likely to find faster acceptance in residential and light commercial markets.
Celestica is increasing its production of SolarBridge microinverters and expects to devote over 70MW of annual factory capacity to their production by the end of 2011, Van Dell said.
Van Dell was mum about which solar panel makers will likely roll out the first batch of AC panels outfitted with SolarBridge's technology, but said those products should show up in the market this summer. He also pointed out that the company showed off the AC panel concept with SunPower and Kyocera at Solar Power International in Los Angeles last October.
Enecsys secures £25 million ($41 million) investment to accelerate its growth plan
Enecsys, the leader in reliable, long-life solar micro inverter systems for residential and commercial applications, has secured a further £25 million ($41 million) in equity financing to invest in its growth plan.
Enecsys was founded in 2003 and its patented technology was originally developed at Cambridge University in the UK. Solar inverters convert the DC power produced by solar photovoltaic (PV) modules into AC power for supply to the electricity grid. Enecsys micro inverters are installed on the rail behind solar modules, either one inverter per solar module or one for every two modules. The Enecsys micro inverter represents a breakthrough in inverter design for residential and commercial solar PV installations as its technology has, for the first time, eliminated components that limit inverter life. Additionally the Enecsys micro inverter enables solar PV systems to harvest between 5% and 20% more energy; it makes planning and installation of PV systems easier and safer due to the elimination of high voltage DC wiring, and it enhances system optimization by monitoring the performance of each solar module. Enecsys has recently launched its products in Europe and North America and the latest financing has been arranged to facilitate substantial expected growth.
Climate Change Capital Private Equity led this Series B equity financing with an investment of £11 million ($18 million). The balance, £14 million ($23 million), was secured from the existing Enecsys investors, Wellington Partners, NES Partners (formerly known as Bankinvest New Energy Solutions) and Good Energies, who together previously invested £8.5 million ($14.3 million) in Enecsys in a Series A financing in 2009. The latest financing round represents the largest private equity raise in the European cleantech sector so far this year.
Enecsys was founded in 2003 and its patented technology was originally developed at Cambridge University in the UK. Solar inverters convert the DC power produced by solar photovoltaic (PV) modules into AC power for supply to the electricity grid. Enecsys micro inverters are installed on the rail behind solar modules, either one inverter per solar module or one for every two modules. The Enecsys micro inverter represents a breakthrough in inverter design for residential and commercial solar PV installations as its technology has, for the first time, eliminated components that limit inverter life. Additionally the Enecsys micro inverter enables solar PV systems to harvest between 5% and 20% more energy; it makes planning and installation of PV systems easier and safer due to the elimination of high voltage DC wiring, and it enhances system optimization by monitoring the performance of each solar module. Enecsys has recently launched its products in Europe and North America and the latest financing has been arranged to facilitate substantial expected growth.
Climate Change Capital Private Equity led this Series B equity financing with an investment of £11 million ($18 million). The balance, £14 million ($23 million), was secured from the existing Enecsys investors, Wellington Partners, NES Partners (formerly known as Bankinvest New Energy Solutions) and Good Energies, who together previously invested £8.5 million ($14.3 million) in Enecsys in a Series A financing in 2009. The latest financing round represents the largest private equity raise in the European cleantech sector so far this year.
2011年5月10日星期二
U.K. Solar Microinverter Startup Enecsys
The leader of the U.S. solar microinverter market, Enphase Energy, needs to watch its back. On Tuesday U.K. startup Enecsys announced that it’s raised £25 million ($41 million) in equity to essentially try to conquer North America (work on product, boost sales in the U.S. and Canada).
Microinverters are mini, distributed versions of centralized large solar inverters, which convert electricity from solar panels from direct current to alternating current in order to be used on site or feed the grid. Each microinverter is typically paired with one panel. Centralized inverters have been used for decades and each can perform the job for an array of panels at a time, while the market for microinverters is newer and growing rapidly.
Enecsys started its life out of the labs at Cambridge University in 2003 and launched its first product in Europe last year, Peter Mathews, vice president of North America sales, told me recently. While Enecsys says it is the only supplier of microinverters in Europe now, the company is just now crossing the pond with its microinverters for North America.
Enphase, on the other hand, is heading over to Europe after demonstrating on its home turf that it can drive demand for microinverters. The company is running field trials with its microinverters in Europe and plans to start shipping the products “shortly,” said Raghu Belur, vice president of products at Enphase.
Enphase has shipped more than 500,000 microinverters within North America since its initial product launch in the summer of 2008, making it the largest microinverter supplier in the world. It, too, has raised some hefty capital, including a $63 million round in 2010. The company is redesigning its microinverters and the accompanying cabling for wiring them to solar panels for a series of launches this year.
Climate Change Capital Private Equity became a new investor in Enecsys by putting in £11 million ($18 million) in the new round. The rest of the money came from existing investors, Wellington Partners, NES Partners and Good Energies, who collectively put up £8.5 million ($14.3 million) for Series A in 2009.
Microinverter Market
Microinverters remain a tiny piece of the overall inverter market for several reasons, partly because they are currently designed for small solar electric systems for homes and businesses.
Developers of industrial-size solar energy systems and even smaller ones for the residential market still prefer centralized inverters partly because centralized inverters have been in use for much longer, so there are a wealth of long-time performance data that investors can turn to in order to calculate capital and operational costs of a project over its life expectancy of 20-25 years.
Centralized inverters also are cheaper than microinverters, although some of them come with shorter warranties than microinverters. Many of these large solar power projects are located on large tracks of flat roofs or the ground, where shading isn’t such a big problem.
But there are some key benefits of microinverters. Namely, they can track and adjust power output for each solar panel to make sure the poorest performing solar panel doesn’t drag down the performance of the rest of the panels in an array. This feature is crucial for solar panels that need to go on slanted rooftops where they could be under the shades of trees or other structures for part of the day.
As a result of this tracking capability, microinverter makers often tout how much more electricity their hardware could squeeze out of each solar panel (or rather, how much electricity that won’t be lost). Enecsys claims its microinverters can deliver 5-20 percent.
Creating a nice web portal with good graphics, such as the one by Enphase, to show the performance of each panel also is an attractive feature for consumers, many of whom choose solar because they want to do something that is good for the environment and maybe save them money over the long run.
Microinverters are mini, distributed versions of centralized large solar inverters, which convert electricity from solar panels from direct current to alternating current in order to be used on site or feed the grid. Each microinverter is typically paired with one panel. Centralized inverters have been used for decades and each can perform the job for an array of panels at a time, while the market for microinverters is newer and growing rapidly.
Enecsys started its life out of the labs at Cambridge University in 2003 and launched its first product in Europe last year, Peter Mathews, vice president of North America sales, told me recently. While Enecsys says it is the only supplier of microinverters in Europe now, the company is just now crossing the pond with its microinverters for North America.
Enphase, on the other hand, is heading over to Europe after demonstrating on its home turf that it can drive demand for microinverters. The company is running field trials with its microinverters in Europe and plans to start shipping the products “shortly,” said Raghu Belur, vice president of products at Enphase.
Enphase has shipped more than 500,000 microinverters within North America since its initial product launch in the summer of 2008, making it the largest microinverter supplier in the world. It, too, has raised some hefty capital, including a $63 million round in 2010. The company is redesigning its microinverters and the accompanying cabling for wiring them to solar panels for a series of launches this year.
Climate Change Capital Private Equity became a new investor in Enecsys by putting in £11 million ($18 million) in the new round. The rest of the money came from existing investors, Wellington Partners, NES Partners and Good Energies, who collectively put up £8.5 million ($14.3 million) for Series A in 2009.
Microinverter Market
Microinverters remain a tiny piece of the overall inverter market for several reasons, partly because they are currently designed for small solar electric systems for homes and businesses.
Developers of industrial-size solar energy systems and even smaller ones for the residential market still prefer centralized inverters partly because centralized inverters have been in use for much longer, so there are a wealth of long-time performance data that investors can turn to in order to calculate capital and operational costs of a project over its life expectancy of 20-25 years.
Centralized inverters also are cheaper than microinverters, although some of them come with shorter warranties than microinverters. Many of these large solar power projects are located on large tracks of flat roofs or the ground, where shading isn’t such a big problem.
But there are some key benefits of microinverters. Namely, they can track and adjust power output for each solar panel to make sure the poorest performing solar panel doesn’t drag down the performance of the rest of the panels in an array. This feature is crucial for solar panels that need to go on slanted rooftops where they could be under the shades of trees or other structures for part of the day.
As a result of this tracking capability, microinverter makers often tout how much more electricity their hardware could squeeze out of each solar panel (or rather, how much electricity that won’t be lost). Enecsys claims its microinverters can deliver 5-20 percent.
Creating a nice web portal with good graphics, such as the one by Enphase, to show the performance of each panel also is an attractive feature for consumers, many of whom choose solar because they want to do something that is good for the environment and maybe save them money over the long run.
SolarBridge Begins Volume Production of Microinverters in China
SolarBridge Technologies, a developer of module-integrated microinverters for the solar industry, has entered volume production with Celestica (NYSE: CLS) in Dongguan, China.
The Austin, Texas-based company also opened an office in Shenzen in southern China's Guangdong Province to support manufacturing and operations.
Solarbridge is one of a handful of companies hoping to take a slice of the microinverter market away from Enphase Energy, which has had the niche to itself for several years. (In January, Enphase announced that it reached the half-million mark for microinverter sales.)
Microinverters convert DC current to AC current for each individual solar module. Traditional inverters convert the output of an entire solar array. Microinverters are said to allow greater efficiency, detailed monitoring and design flexibility. Though a recent report by Lux Research suggest the solar power electronics market is somewhat obscured by hype.
SolarBridge provides a microinverter system that is factory-installed onto the back of solar modules to create a complete AC module assembly. AC modules powered by SolarBridge are backed by the industry's first end-to-end 25-year warranty for an integrated AC module.
SolarBridge said production capacity for its Pantheon microinverter will increase to over 70 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2011.
"With Celestica as our global manufacturer, we are well positioned to ramp production quickly and respond to upside demand as the market for AC modules experiences tremendous growth," said Ron Van Dell, president and CEO of SolarBridge.
The Austin, Texas-based company also opened an office in Shenzen in southern China's Guangdong Province to support manufacturing and operations.
Solarbridge is one of a handful of companies hoping to take a slice of the microinverter market away from Enphase Energy, which has had the niche to itself for several years. (In January, Enphase announced that it reached the half-million mark for microinverter sales.)
Microinverters convert DC current to AC current for each individual solar module. Traditional inverters convert the output of an entire solar array. Microinverters are said to allow greater efficiency, detailed monitoring and design flexibility. Though a recent report by Lux Research suggest the solar power electronics market is somewhat obscured by hype.
SolarBridge provides a microinverter system that is factory-installed onto the back of solar modules to create a complete AC module assembly. AC modules powered by SolarBridge are backed by the industry's first end-to-end 25-year warranty for an integrated AC module.
SolarBridge said production capacity for its Pantheon microinverter will increase to over 70 megawatts (MW) by the end of 2011.
"With Celestica as our global manufacturer, we are well positioned to ramp production quickly and respond to upside demand as the market for AC modules experiences tremendous growth," said Ron Van Dell, president and CEO of SolarBridge.
2011年5月8日星期日
PV Electronics Market Gets More Crowded, More Funding
the world's second largest central PV inverter firm, just announced the launch of a new 300 watt microinverter as well as a DC/DC power optimizer -- marking the first entry in the distributed electronics space of an established central inverter player.
There will soon be more firms entering the fray, according to our sources.
We've covered the potential benefits of distributed electronics at length in our solar coverage at Greentech Media. There are potential energy harvest gains, potential design flexibility, and potential reliability gains. There is some question as to whether the microinverter solution or the DC-to-DC power optimizer architecture is the way to go. Power-One avoids that argument by introducing a product for each of those architectures.
Power-One claims efficiency ratings of up to 95.5 percent and a micro-inverter that is electrolyte-free. That would mean that Power-One is avoiding the use of electrolytic capacitors, which can come with reliability risks if designed by engineers who don't know how to design with electrolytic capacitors. Enphase, the leading microinverter firm, uses electrolytic capacitors and has shipped about half a million units. Other microinverter firms like Solar Bridge use more reliable film caps in their designs.
Enecsys, claiming in a recent press release to be "the leader in reliable, long-life solar micro inverter systems for residential and commercial applications," has won $41 million in round B VC funding from Climate Change Capital Private Equity, Wellington Partners, NES Partners, and Good Energies.
Miroinverter manufacturers include those mentioned above, as well as Direct Grid, GreenRay, and Petra Solar. DC-to-DC optimizer firms include Solar Edge and Tigo Energy. eIQ markets a parallel DC solution. Tigo recently closed a $10 million venutre funding round and SolarEdge announced a partnership with Flextronics to manufacture in Ontario to qualify for the Ontario FiTs local content requirements.
Array Converter, the inverterless solar solution, doesn't really fit into either of those categories.
The big U.S. residential solar installers, solar leasing, and residential PPA companies are not entirely comfortable with the new breed of distributed electronics, be they microinverters or DC-to-DC approaches. The hundreds of thousands of microinverters shipped by Enphase and tens of thousands of units shipped by Tigo and SolarEdge have gone through smaller installers in the long tail. That could change soon. Note that the market share for smaller installers is gaining at the expense of the larger firms.
And while we're on the topic of microinverters, here's a widely circulated but unsubstantiated rumor: SMA, the world's largest manufacturer of central inverters, is due to introduce a microinverter in the next six months.
There will soon be more firms entering the fray, according to our sources.
We've covered the potential benefits of distributed electronics at length in our solar coverage at Greentech Media. There are potential energy harvest gains, potential design flexibility, and potential reliability gains. There is some question as to whether the microinverter solution or the DC-to-DC power optimizer architecture is the way to go. Power-One avoids that argument by introducing a product for each of those architectures.
Power-One claims efficiency ratings of up to 95.5 percent and a micro-inverter that is electrolyte-free. That would mean that Power-One is avoiding the use of electrolytic capacitors, which can come with reliability risks if designed by engineers who don't know how to design with electrolytic capacitors. Enphase, the leading microinverter firm, uses electrolytic capacitors and has shipped about half a million units. Other microinverter firms like Solar Bridge use more reliable film caps in their designs.
Enecsys, claiming in a recent press release to be "the leader in reliable, long-life solar micro inverter systems for residential and commercial applications," has won $41 million in round B VC funding from Climate Change Capital Private Equity, Wellington Partners, NES Partners, and Good Energies.
Miroinverter manufacturers include those mentioned above, as well as Direct Grid, GreenRay, and Petra Solar. DC-to-DC optimizer firms include Solar Edge and Tigo Energy. eIQ markets a parallel DC solution. Tigo recently closed a $10 million venutre funding round and SolarEdge announced a partnership with Flextronics to manufacture in Ontario to qualify for the Ontario FiTs local content requirements.
Array Converter, the inverterless solar solution, doesn't really fit into either of those categories.
The big U.S. residential solar installers, solar leasing, and residential PPA companies are not entirely comfortable with the new breed of distributed electronics, be they microinverters or DC-to-DC approaches. The hundreds of thousands of microinverters shipped by Enphase and tens of thousands of units shipped by Tigo and SolarEdge have gone through smaller installers in the long tail. That could change soon. Note that the market share for smaller installers is gaining at the expense of the larger firms.
And while we're on the topic of microinverters, here's a widely circulated but unsubstantiated rumor: SMA, the world's largest manufacturer of central inverters, is due to introduce a microinverter in the next six months.
Power Optimizer for solar power conversion
Power-One, Inc. has launched its new 300W micro-inverter and DC/DC power optimizer for PV solar modules. By linking a micro-inverter to each module, the output of every single panel can be individually controlled and optimized. The second product, the AURORA OPTI-0.3 power optimizer, is also linked to one module and helps maximize the energy output.
"We offer something new to Power-One customers with these two products," said Paolo Casini, Vice President, Product Marketing at Power-One. "Both micro-inverters and power optimizers were designed to help our customers make the most out of installations which have to cope with difficult conditions like partial or temporary shading or significant panel mismatching. Moreover, the MICRO-0.3 is the perfect choice for customers who want to adjust the size of their applications easily."
According to Power-One by equipping each module with its own micro-inverter, each solar panel benefits from a separate MPPT, creating the optimum power curve for individual panel conditions. This does not only minimize efficiency losses in challenging conditions, but also allows for controlling every module individually, ease of plant expansion without the hassle of string re-sizing or panel matching.
Additional features of the device include efficiency ratings of up to 95.5 percent, a rugged outdoor enclosure and HF isolation, allowing it to fit any application requiring the grounding of either one of the input terminations. The micro-inverter is electrolyte-free to further increase the product lifetime and long term reliability and can be easily installed due to a proprietary wireless communication hub and grid interface included in the package. Up to ten micro-inverters can be connected in a string.
Power optimizers like the AURORA OPTI-0.3 perfectly complement all Power-One AURORA inverters as they optimize the energy harvested from each module in an array. Usually, solar panels are joined together in a serial pattern. If the functionality of one panel is impaired, the energy being produced from the entire installation is reduced accordingly. This effect can be significantly lowered by using power optimizers. The AURORA OPTI-0.3 uses DC-to-DC technology to maximize the energy produced by each module within a string as it optimizes the voltage or current for any given weather conditions.
The device helps to minimize loss caused by partial or temporary shading and mitigates PV panel mismatch and to acquire single panel data radio transmitted to a communication hub which is part of the package. This helps installers to create the largest installations possible and increases the return on investment (ROI). The AURORA OPTI-0.3 offers efficiency rates of up to 99.5 percent, a single panel Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) and a temperature hardened construction.
"We offer something new to Power-One customers with these two products," said Paolo Casini, Vice President, Product Marketing at Power-One. "Both micro-inverters and power optimizers were designed to help our customers make the most out of installations which have to cope with difficult conditions like partial or temporary shading or significant panel mismatching. Moreover, the MICRO-0.3 is the perfect choice for customers who want to adjust the size of their applications easily."
According to Power-One by equipping each module with its own micro-inverter, each solar panel benefits from a separate MPPT, creating the optimum power curve for individual panel conditions. This does not only minimize efficiency losses in challenging conditions, but also allows for controlling every module individually, ease of plant expansion without the hassle of string re-sizing or panel matching.
Additional features of the device include efficiency ratings of up to 95.5 percent, a rugged outdoor enclosure and HF isolation, allowing it to fit any application requiring the grounding of either one of the input terminations. The micro-inverter is electrolyte-free to further increase the product lifetime and long term reliability and can be easily installed due to a proprietary wireless communication hub and grid interface included in the package. Up to ten micro-inverters can be connected in a string.
Power optimizers like the AURORA OPTI-0.3 perfectly complement all Power-One AURORA inverters as they optimize the energy harvested from each module in an array. Usually, solar panels are joined together in a serial pattern. If the functionality of one panel is impaired, the energy being produced from the entire installation is reduced accordingly. This effect can be significantly lowered by using power optimizers. The AURORA OPTI-0.3 uses DC-to-DC technology to maximize the energy produced by each module within a string as it optimizes the voltage or current for any given weather conditions.
The device helps to minimize loss caused by partial or temporary shading and mitigates PV panel mismatch and to acquire single panel data radio transmitted to a communication hub which is part of the package. This helps installers to create the largest installations possible and increases the return on investment (ROI). The AURORA OPTI-0.3 offers efficiency rates of up to 99.5 percent, a single panel Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) and a temperature hardened construction.
2011年5月5日星期四
Enecsys secures £25m investment
Climate Change Capital Private Equity led the funding round with an investment of £11 million.
The balance of £14 million was secured from existing investors Wellington Partners, NES Partners and Good Energies.
It’s the largest private equity raise by any European cleantech company so far this year.
“We chose Climate Change Capital Private Equity – one of the largest and most experienced investors in clean power – because of their excellent fit with us,” said Enecsys executive chairman Mossadiq Umedaly.
“They have decided to invest in Enecsys after a thorough investigation of our business strategy, technology and product road map, management team and future prospects.
“We welcome Climate Change Capital Private Equity to our strong investor team and board. We also appreciate the confidence shown by our existing investors who have again participated in such a significant way in this financing round.”
Enecsys develops, manufacturers and markets long-life solar micro inverter systems, which convert the DC electricity generated by solar panels to AC electricity for connection to the mains grid.
The company employs 40 people at its Harston Mill headquarters, with a further 20 in Germany and the US.
The balance of £14 million was secured from existing investors Wellington Partners, NES Partners and Good Energies.
It’s the largest private equity raise by any European cleantech company so far this year.
“We chose Climate Change Capital Private Equity – one of the largest and most experienced investors in clean power – because of their excellent fit with us,” said Enecsys executive chairman Mossadiq Umedaly.
“They have decided to invest in Enecsys after a thorough investigation of our business strategy, technology and product road map, management team and future prospects.
“We welcome Climate Change Capital Private Equity to our strong investor team and board. We also appreciate the confidence shown by our existing investors who have again participated in such a significant way in this financing round.”
Enecsys develops, manufacturers and markets long-life solar micro inverter systems, which convert the DC electricity generated by solar panels to AC electricity for connection to the mains grid.
The company employs 40 people at its Harston Mill headquarters, with a further 20 in Germany and the US.
Power-One, Inc. (Nasdaq:PWER), a leading provider of renewable energy and energy-efficient power conversion and power management solutions, today announced the launch of its new 300W micro-inverter as well as its DC/DC power optimizer.
With the AURORA MICRO-0.3 inverter, Power-One introduces an alternative to the traditional string inverters the company is well-known for. By linking a micro-inverter to each module, the output of every single panel can be individually controlled and optimized. The second product, the AURORA OPTI-0.3 power optimizer, is also linked to one module and helps maximizing the energy output.
“We offer something new to Power-One customers with these two products” said Paolo Casini, Vice President, Product Marketing at Power-One. “Both micro-inverters and power optimizers were designed to help our customers make the most out of installations which have to cope with difficult conditions like partial or temporary shading or significant panel mismatching. Moreover, the MICRO-0.3 is the perfect choice for customers who want to adjust the size of their applications easily.”
Micro-inverters like the AURORA MICRO-0.3 offer customers attractive benefits. By equipping each module with its own micro-inverter, each panel benefits from a separate MPPT, creating the optimum power curve for individual panel conditions. This does not only minimize efficiency losses in challenging conditions, but also allows for controlling every module individually, ease of plant expansion without the hassle of string re-sizing or panel matching.
Additional features of the device include efficiency ratings of up to 95.5 percent, a rugged outdoor enclosure and HF isolation, allowing it to fit any application requiring the grounding of either one of the input terminations. The micro-inverter is electrolyte-free to further increase the product lifetime and long term reliability and can be easily installed due to a proprietary wireless communication hub and grid interface included in the package. Up to ten micro-inverters can be connected in a string.
Power optimizers like the AURORA OPTI-0.3 perfectly complement all Power-One AURORA inverters as they optimize the energy harvested from each module in an array. Usually, solar panels are joined together in a serial pattern. If the functionality of one panel is impaired, the energy being produced from the entire installation is reduced accordingly. This effect can be significantly lowered by using power optimizers. The AURORA OPTI-0.3 uses DC-to-DC technology to maximize the energy produced by each module within a string as it optimizes the voltage or current for any given weather conditions.
Moreover, the device helps to minimize loss caused by partial or temporary shading and mitigates PV panel mismatch and to acquire single panel data radio transmitted to a communication hub which is part of the package. This helps installers to create the largest installations possible and increases the return on investment (ROI). The AURORA OPTI-0.3 offers efficiency rates of up to 99.5 percent, a single panel Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) and a temperature hardened construction.
With the AURORA MICRO-0.3 inverter, Power-One introduces an alternative to the traditional string inverters the company is well-known for. By linking a micro-inverter to each module, the output of every single panel can be individually controlled and optimized. The second product, the AURORA OPTI-0.3 power optimizer, is also linked to one module and helps maximizing the energy output.
“We offer something new to Power-One customers with these two products” said Paolo Casini, Vice President, Product Marketing at Power-One. “Both micro-inverters and power optimizers were designed to help our customers make the most out of installations which have to cope with difficult conditions like partial or temporary shading or significant panel mismatching. Moreover, the MICRO-0.3 is the perfect choice for customers who want to adjust the size of their applications easily.”
Micro-inverters like the AURORA MICRO-0.3 offer customers attractive benefits. By equipping each module with its own micro-inverter, each panel benefits from a separate MPPT, creating the optimum power curve for individual panel conditions. This does not only minimize efficiency losses in challenging conditions, but also allows for controlling every module individually, ease of plant expansion without the hassle of string re-sizing or panel matching.
Additional features of the device include efficiency ratings of up to 95.5 percent, a rugged outdoor enclosure and HF isolation, allowing it to fit any application requiring the grounding of either one of the input terminations. The micro-inverter is electrolyte-free to further increase the product lifetime and long term reliability and can be easily installed due to a proprietary wireless communication hub and grid interface included in the package. Up to ten micro-inverters can be connected in a string.
Power optimizers like the AURORA OPTI-0.3 perfectly complement all Power-One AURORA inverters as they optimize the energy harvested from each module in an array. Usually, solar panels are joined together in a serial pattern. If the functionality of one panel is impaired, the energy being produced from the entire installation is reduced accordingly. This effect can be significantly lowered by using power optimizers. The AURORA OPTI-0.3 uses DC-to-DC technology to maximize the energy produced by each module within a string as it optimizes the voltage or current for any given weather conditions.
Moreover, the device helps to minimize loss caused by partial or temporary shading and mitigates PV panel mismatch and to acquire single panel data radio transmitted to a communication hub which is part of the package. This helps installers to create the largest installations possible and increases the return on investment (ROI). The AURORA OPTI-0.3 offers efficiency rates of up to 99.5 percent, a single panel Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) and a temperature hardened construction.
2011年5月2日星期一
Grid Not Closed
This is Sean Costello of Hawaii Energy Consultants, to encourage everyone to do their part with regards to renewable energy production. I have had the pleasure of visiting Molokai once every two to three months since I moved to Oahu in May of 2008. Since then Maui Electric Company (MECO) has closed the grid to new customer-sited distributed generation systems, otherwise known as DG, and specifically in the form of solar photovoltaic systems (PV), because 5 percent of the total installed generation capacity exists in the form of PV.
The DOE is looking into funding an island-wide interconnection requirement study (IRS), but there are quite a few things that can be done to get around the IRS. I wanted everyone to know that this restriction only exists for systems larger than 1 kilowatt of alternating current output (1 kWAC). This means that you can install up to about four to five modules up on your roof or in your yard without needing approval from MECO. Installing just one panel in a sunny spot can provide about 1 kWh of AC energy per day. This may not sound like a lot, but if 1,000 people did this then that's 1 MWh per day of electricity generation. This would be about 2-5 percent of the daily energy needs of Molokai. Imagine if everyone did two to three panels (or even four or five!) what kind of energy generation could be provided locally!
Aren't you sick of paying $5 a gallon for gasoline? Get an electric bicycle or moped and cut your gasoline cost in half by fuelling with electricity. Can't figure out where all of your electricity consumption is going? Get an eGauge. Go to egauge.net for more information. This device allows you to see your whole house and appliance consumption broken down on the internet in real time. I urge everyone to purchase at least one photovoltaic module. Perhaps if we get enough people together we can fill up a whole container and get everyone a great price on a single module with a microinverter that can just wire directly into your distribution panel. Let's uncomplicate the renewable energy issue and get everyone doing it.
Mahalo for reading and I hope I have provided some valuable insight
The DOE is looking into funding an island-wide interconnection requirement study (IRS), but there are quite a few things that can be done to get around the IRS. I wanted everyone to know that this restriction only exists for systems larger than 1 kilowatt of alternating current output (1 kWAC). This means that you can install up to about four to five modules up on your roof or in your yard without needing approval from MECO. Installing just one panel in a sunny spot can provide about 1 kWh of AC energy per day. This may not sound like a lot, but if 1,000 people did this then that's 1 MWh per day of electricity generation. This would be about 2-5 percent of the daily energy needs of Molokai. Imagine if everyone did two to three panels (or even four or five!) what kind of energy generation could be provided locally!
Aren't you sick of paying $5 a gallon for gasoline? Get an electric bicycle or moped and cut your gasoline cost in half by fuelling with electricity. Can't figure out where all of your electricity consumption is going? Get an eGauge. Go to egauge.net for more information. This device allows you to see your whole house and appliance consumption broken down on the internet in real time. I urge everyone to purchase at least one photovoltaic module. Perhaps if we get enough people together we can fill up a whole container and get everyone a great price on a single module with a microinverter that can just wire directly into your distribution panel. Let's uncomplicate the renewable energy issue and get everyone doing it.
Mahalo for reading and I hope I have provided some valuable insight
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