Enecsys to demonstrate long-life micro inverters that make solar PV capital costs comparable with those of string inverter systems

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.