Applied Energy Technologies (AET), a supplier of commercial and utility-scale racking systems, announces it was selected by Pro-Tech Energy Solutions to provide its Rayport-B ECO solar racking system for one of the nation’s largest rooftop solar installations. The project is installed on a distribution warehouse and the corporate headquarters for AC Moore arts and crafts stores.

AC Moore, founded in NJ in 1985, operates arts and crafts superstores throughout the eastern U.S. The 11,232 panels, supplied by Trina, will bring power to the 750,000 sq. ft. distribution center which services its more than 140 stores, and houses the corporate office. SMA provided the inverters. Construction began in July.

“A rooftop project of this size requires extensive planning and precision,” said Aaron Faust, VP of Business Development at AET. “Our Rayport-B ECO roof ballast system met Pro-Tech’s needs in terms of price and ease of installation for such a large project. Even though Pro-Tech is an established customer, the vetting process was competitive. Ultimately, AET provided the best overall value to Pro-Tech and AC Moore.”

The Rayport- B ECO roof ballast system has one common bolt for all joints and panel clamps with integrated grounding. It is wind tunnel tested and UL 2703 listed. The system fits all major solar modules on the market and is available in a variety of panel configurations. The Rayport-B ECO ships folded, significantly increasing packing density and reducing shipping cost.

“We are dedicated to providing our customers with the highest quality solar solutions to maximize their return on investment,” said Jeff Hill, Project Executive at Pro-Tech. “We have worked with AET in the past and their cost-competitive and high quality racking systems optimize the power density and production for our customer.”

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In a recent webinar Elise Murphy, a system designer at Washington contractor Fire Mountain Solar, discussed grid-tied vs grid-interactive vs off-grid installations.  Here’s a recap. You can watch the full webinar here.

There are three main types of solar PV and storage systems: grid-tied, grid/hybrid and off-grid. They all have their advantages and disadvantages and it really comes down to the customer’s current energy supply and what they want to get out of the system.

Grid-tied system
A grid-tied system is a basic solar installation that uses a standard grid-tied inverter and does not have any battery storage. This is perfect for customers who are already on the grid and want to add solar to their house. These systems can qualify for state and federal incentives which help to pay for the system. Grid-tied systems are simple to design and are very cost effective because they have relatively few components. The main objective of a grid-tied system is to lower your energy bill and benefit from solar incentives.

One disadvantage of this type of system is that when the power goes out, so does your system. This is for safety reasons because linemen working on the power lines need to know there is no source feeding the grid. Grid-tied inverters have to automatically disconnect when they don’t sense the grid. This means that you cannot provide power during an outage or an emergency and you can’t store energy for later use. You also can’t control when you use the power from your system, such as during peak demand time.

But if a customer has a basic grid-tied system, they are not out of luck if they want to add storage later. The solution is doing an AC-coupled system where the original grid tied inverter is coupled with a battery back-up inverter. This is a great solution for customers who want to install solar now to take advantage of incentives, but aren’t ready to invest in the batteries just yet.

A customer can benefit from net-metering because when the solar is producing more than they are using, they can send power back to the grid. But in times when the loads are higher than what the solar is producing they can buy power from the utility. The customer is not reliant on the solar to power all of his or her load. The main take away is that when the grid goes down, the solar is down as well and there’s no battery back-up in the system.

This slide shows the components and how a basic grid tie system is put together. There are only a few main components added to the existing utility connection. The inverter is tied directly into the main service panel.

Grid-tied system with battery back-up

The next type of system is a grid tied system with battery back-up, otherwise known as a grid-hybrid system. This type of system is ideal for customers who are already on the grid who know that they want to have battery back-up. Good candidates for this type of system are customers who are prone to power outages in their area, or generally just want to be prepared for outages.

With this type of system, you get the best of both worlds because you’re still connected to the grid and can qualify for state and federal incentives, while also lowering your utility bill. At the same time, if there’s a power outage you have back up. Battery based grid-tied systems provide power during an outage and you can store energy for use in an emergency. You are able to back up essential loads such as lighting and appliances when the power is out. You can also use energy during peak demand times because you can store the energy in your battery bank for later use.

Cons of this system are that they cost more than basic grid-tied systems and are less efficient. There are also more components. The addition of the batteries also requires a charge controller to protect them. There must also be a sub panel that contains the important loads that you want to be backed up.

Not all the loads that the house uses on the grid are backed up with the system. Important loads that are needed when the grid power is down are isolated into a back-up sub panel.

Off-grid system
Off-grid systems are great for customers who can’t easily connect to the grid. This may be because of geographical location or high cost of bringing in the power supply. In most cases, it doesn’t make much sense for a person connected to the grid to completely disconnect and do an off-grid system.

The benefits of an off grid system is that a person can become energy self-sufficient and can power remote places away from the grid. You also have fixed energy costs and won’t be getting a bill from your energy use.  Another neat aspect of off grid systems is that they are modular and you can increase the capacity as your energy needs grow. You can start out with a small, budget-conscious system and add on over time.

Because the system is your only source of power, many off-grid systems contain multiple charging sources such as solar, wind and generator. You have to consider weather and year round conditions when designing the system. If your solar panels are covered in snow, you need to have another way to keep your batteries charged up. You also will most likely want to have a back-up generator just in case your renewable sources are not enough at times to keep the batteries charged.

One disadvantage is that off-grid systems may not qualify for some incentive programs. You have to also design your system to cover 100% of your energy loads, and hopefully even a little bit more. Off-grid systems have more components and are more expensive than a standard grid-tied system as well.

Here is the system diagram of a basic off grid system. You can see all the loads are being supplied by the batteries and there is no grid supply whatsoever. It is also common to have both AC and DC loads in an off grid system because the DC loads may be a little more efficient because they won’t be going through the inverter.

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Owens Corning and Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation,  celebrated the completion of a 2.4-MWdc solar generation project at Owens Corning’s headquarters in Toledo. Located above 935 parking canopy spaces, the solar installation is currently one of the largest of its kind in the Midwest and supports Owens Corning’s newly expanded goals aimed at reducing its environmental footprint.

Having met its 2020 sustainability goal for greenhouse gas emissions, Owens Corning has increased its greenhouse gas intensity reduction target from 20 percent to 50 percent of its 2010 baseline.

“In our continuous quest to improve the sustainability of our company, we relentlessly seek partners who will step up and help us redefine what is possible,” said Owens Corning Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Frank O’Brien-Bernini.  “Once again, Constellation has delivered; helping us to imagine and then build a large-scale solar photovoltaic system to deliver significant renewable energy to our facility and, at the same time, become an iconic structure for Owens Corning and the downtown Toledo streetscape.”

Constellation financed, built, owns and maintains the solar power system. Electricity generated by the system is purchased by Owens Corning under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Constellation. Owens Corning retains all environmental attributes, including Class I SRECs, for the system.

“As a competitive energy company, our role is to give customers, like Owens Corning, greater flexibility in managing their energy use and costs,” said Gary Fromer, senior vice president of distributed energy at Constellation. “Two years ago, we helped Owens Corning celebrate the completion of a 2.7-megawatt solar project at its facility in Feura Bush, New York. We are pleased to continue to invest with Owens Corning in our ongoing mutual commitment toward renewable energy and sustainable business operations.”

Employees and visitors to Owens Corning’s headquarters can view energy output data from the system in real-time via a kiosk located in the lobby. Additionally, the parking canopy solar installation is equipped with two electric vehicle charging stations, which can charge up to four vehicles at a time. ChargePoint, a Constellation Technology Ventures portfolio company, supplied the stations.

The solar power system is comprised of approximately 8,000 photovoltaic panels. The system is expected to generate 3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year (based on first year production). Generating the same amount of electricity using nonrenewable sources would result in the release of approximately 2,069 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent emissions from 436 passenger vehicles annually, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data for the region.

Constellation currently owns and operates more than 300 megawatts of distributed energy projects that have been completed or are under construction for commercial and government customers throughout the United States. Constellation offers distributed energy solutions, including solar, cogeneration, backup generation, fuel cells, and battery storage, that may require no upfront capital from customers and may provide fixed power costs that are less than projected market rates.

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Siva Power has been quietly working, focusing on research and development for the least expensive thin-film modules available. But now it’s time to transition from R&D to production, and the company is ready to take the next big step.

“If we make it through this, it will be the best Cinderella story,” said Brad Mattson, Siva Power CEO. “We haven’t quite found our prince yet, but we’re working on it.”

Siva Power’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California, serve as a testing ground for future wide-scale production of CIGS thin-film modules.

Siva Power got its start eight years ago (back when it was known as Solexant), during what Mattson describes as the “heyday of solar.” Many companies were raising hundreds of millions of dollars (specifically Solyndra, MiaSolé, Nanosolar) and ramping up production of thin-film modules in the United States. At the same time, China steamrolled the market by building thousands of production lines, immediately dropping production costs and flooding the market. When the U.S. companies’ goal of getting to $1/watt production costs was quickly outmatched by China’s 70-cents/watt, the bottom dropped out for U.S. thin-film production. Solyndra and Nanosolar disappeared, and MiaSolé was bought out.

Mattson said what saved Solexant was its smaller pool of funding at the time, which didn’t allow the company to go full-bore on production like the other companies. Mattson was hired as CEO in 2011 and stopped Solexant’s production and tripled the R&D budget to try and beat China.

In addition to restarting Solexant as Siva Power in 2013, Mattson also helped usher in a new technology: switching from cadmium telluride (CdTe) to copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) thin-film.

“Essentially we found those technologies were pretty good to get you to 70- or 80-cents/watt, but to be competitive today, you want to be cheaper than China, so you need to be 30-, 40-cents today and 20- to 30-cents in the future,” Mattson said. “Those first generation thin-film technologies just couldn’t get you there. We’re still thin-film, but it’s a completely different scale of thin-film product and manufacturing technology, a scale no one has achieved before.”

Siva Power began installing a test platform at its headquarters in October 2015 to test the high volume, high rate, large-area linear-evaporation source, which is the heart of Siva’s manufacturing line. A larger platform will be installed at a yet-to-be-built production facility.

The company has spent the last four years working on R&D and is confident it has a CIGS product that can rival China and produce a giga-factory on U.S. soil. The issue now for Siva Power is moving from a technology company into manufacturing, and securing funding is a process, to say the least.

“We talk to a lot of people, kiss a lot of frogs,” Mattson said. “It’s almost $200 million to build a factory, especially at the scale we want to build it at. A lot of investors are still hurting from the loss of billions of dollars on that first wave eight years ago.”

For the United States to become a solar powerhouse, Mattson said production has to be done at home.

“The U.S. tends to fund new technologies, but when it comes to building manufacturing plants for them, we don’t want to do that,” he said. “We’ll let China do it, or let someone else do it. That’s one of the problems in America, we just invent and then someone else makes it, usually in Asia. We’re trying to stop that.”

Dependent on financing, Siva Power hopes to have revenue in two years. Mattson said there are talks with different states and the incentives they’d offer to build a factory at home. The company secured $10 million in new funding earlier this year (including a $3 million Dept. of Energy SunShot grant) and hopes to wrap up financing at the end of 2015. It will then take a year to build a factory and another year to get it going. So (fingers-crossed), 2018 might be the Year of Siva Power.

And if that’s the case, Mattson said everyone would benefit from a gigawatt-production line in the United States in a few short years.

“When we enable another halving of costs on what they’re doing in China, it opens up that much more market,” he said. “It benefits the end-user who is just getting electricity, but think about the downstream markets—the SolarCity, Sunrun—all those big development companies. They’re creating big jobs now. You drive the cost down a little further, another million homes are at grid parity. I think it keeps opening up the market. Solar is the solution.”

Solar Power World

Schneider Electric Solar Business said its Conext XW+ 6848NA meets Hawaiian Electric Companies’ (HECO) rigorous “ultra-fast trip” Transient Over-Voltage (TrOV-2) and Frequency and Voltage Ride-Through (FVRT) requirements and is approved for both grid-tied net metered PV systems and grid connected zero export (self-consumption) PV systems.

The Conext XW+ 6848NA battery-based inverter/charger is now listed on HECO’s qualified inverter manufacturer and equipment list.

”Hawaii has the highest concentration of solar in the United States and is the model for what we are likely going to adopt in the rest of the United States in the not so distant future,” said David Norman, Director of Business Development, North America. “PV systems with energy storage are the present and the future in Hawaii. Schneider Electric has over 25 years of experience developing cutting edge inverter solutions that utilize energy storage, and our Conext XW+ system is the most advanced and easy to use hybrid system on the market. We are very pleased that we are certified by HECO for use in Hawaii and excited to play our part in improving the reliability of the utility grid and helping Hawaii reach their goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045.”

Solar Power World

UGE International, a leader in renewable energy solutions for commercial and industrial customers, along with local partner OTEPI Renewables, completed the installation of solar energy systems for six facilities owned by Cochez y Cia, SA in Panama. The newly commissioned systems will substantially lower Cochez’s electricity bills at each site by offsetting up to 80% of the buildings’ energy usage.

“We have always maintained a strong commitment to social responsibility in our operations,” said Raul Cochez, CEO of Cochez. “We chose UGE and OTEPI for their expertise in developing custom solar systems to further that environmental commitment, optimize our long term operational costs and transform ourselves into the leading sustainable company in the country.”

With a capacity of 1.2MW, these six sites are the first of an estimated 22 site portfolio that UGE and OTEPI will install and commission in the next 12 months. The installations will be the largest portfolio of commercial solar ever installed in Panama. The grid-tied solar PV systems utilize UGE SeamlessGrid inverters and UGE’s award-winning ViewUGE Plus monitoring systems.

Panamanian law allows net metering for projects below 500kW; therefore each individual site will qualify. With net metering, Cochez will maximize the return on investment from their solar systems and improve their carbon footprint.

“Panama’s vast solar resources make it an ideal place for companies looking to use the sun’s energy to boost their bottom line,” said Nick Blitterswyk, CEO of UGE. “Since electricity costs often comprise a large portion of a facility’s operating expenses, smart companies like Cochez are switching to distributed energy to protect against future utility rate volatility.”

UGE and OTEPI installed a 187.5kW system at another Cochez location earlier this year. The companies expect to deploy a total of 4.5MW across all of Cochez’s facilities in Panama, making it the largest commercial solar portfolio to be installed in the country.

Since signing a strategic agreement last year, UGE and OTEPI have emerged as market leaders for rooftop solar in the region, working together on several solar projects for commercial clients. Demand for rooftop solar is growing rapidly in Central America. According to a report by IHS Technology, total PV capacity is poised to reach 243MW in Central America by the end of this year, from just 6MW in 2013.

“Latin America has tremendous potential for solar energy and distributed generation”, said Luis E Paúl, CEO of OTEPI, “UGE and OTEPI Renewables are helping clients and interested companies in the region to take advantage of this emerging trend both as a sustainability strategy and as a cost optimization alternative.”

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Michigan is a bit of a sleeper in the solar market. It’s not posting spectacular numbers (it was ranked 32nd nationally, based on 2014 installed solar capacity), but it is starting to grow. Grand Valley State University near Grand Rapids broke ground in October on the state’s largest community solar project at 3 MW. Utilities Consumers Energy and DTE Energy have announced additional large arrays. And opportunity in the residential market is increasing, as noted by family-run CBS Solar, based in Copemish.

The O’Shea family leads CBS Solar: (L-R) Allan, Lynda, Devon, Tyson and Aaron

“There used to be a misconception that solar doesn’t work in Michigan because we’re a northern state,” said Tyson O’Shea, vice president of operations. “We have a higher average [of solar irradiation] than the whole country of Germany. It does work, and people are realizing it’s a wise investment.”

The O’Shea family has a long history with renewable energy, engineering and manufacturing. President (and father) Allan O’Shea has been involved with renewable energy for 40 years and was the first president and founding member of the national wind power organization AWEA in the ’70s. Sons Devon, Tyson and Aaron have all been involved with engineering, manufacturing or electrician work and bring different areas of expertise to the family business. Office manager (and mother) Lynda has been a key leader since the company started 23 years ago selling windows. Contractors Building Supply (CBS) still sells windows today and recently started manufacturing its own 300-W and 250-W UL-approved solar panels.

“We’ve always been in manufacturing, starting with a window company years ago,” Allan said. “When manufacturing gets in your blood, it’s a lot easier. In Northern Michigan, there is not enough solar companies to really satisfy the demand, so we thought it was best that we put together an integrated approach.”

As a Michigan manufacturer, CBS Solar is able to offer additional tax credits with the Michigan Renewable Energy Certification System (MIRECS). System owners get portions of energy credits because their systems use Michigan-made materials. This really helps drive business for CBS Solar.

“When we started, we had four or five [solar] manufacturers in Michigan, and they all kind of fell by the wayside,” Allan said. “We’re really the only stand-alone Michigan manufacturer here.”

Tyson said there is a strong residential market in the 5 to 20 kW range, but CBS Solar is still going after smaller commercial projects but with more realistic expectations than 20 years ago.

“You go into these biddings of large projects and think you’ve found your pot of gold, and then you’re a year down the road and still don’t have final plans drawn up,” he said. “You have to be prepared, if you’re going to bid on these larger projects. They do take a lot of time.”

Allan said CBS Solar attracts customers because of its straight forward approach to selling solar.

“You’ve got a lot of good companies out there, but you have to weed out the difference between the scientific efficiency and the marketing efficacy that they’re pushing out, the fluff,” he said. “Solar is getting very marketing intensive, so you have to weed that out. We give customers straight talk.”

And CBS Solar will be there every step of the way.

“Not only do we know how to install, but we know how to use all the systems,” Tyson said. “We don’t install anything and then walk away from it. We do have that family touch.”

Solar Power World

The WS800 is the latest product in the Lufft weather-sensor family and can detect lightning strikes.

Lightning strikes can cause dangerous fires and lead to significant financial losses in the case of surge damage. This is especially true for wind turbines, solar panels, and smart grids, but it’s also relevant to building and power-plant insurance. The latest compact weather sensor from Lufft is providing a new form of lightning detection to help protect critical equipment and facilities.

The WS800 is the latest product in the Lufft weather-sensor family, and it’s from measurement technology producer Fellbach. The WS800 can pinpoint the precise location and time when lightning struck and reconstruct an event. The device also detects many other environmental parameters relevant to the monitoring of power plants, buildings, or outdoor areas such as forest stocks.

Optically, there is no difference from Lufft’s WS700 all-in-one weather sensor, which has been available since September 2014. This is because the WS800 lighting detector is small enough to fit into the existing housing of the WS700-UMB.

The WS800 also covers the same environmental parameters as the earlier model with the addition of detecting lightning events. These features include ambient temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, rainfall intensity and volume, as well as global radiation. In a sense, eight individual sensors are packed into a smart, all-in-one device.

A single cable suffices when connecting to a new or existing measurement network. This saves customers valuable time during installation and maintenance. The innovative environmental sensor communicates with the standard protocols UMB-ASCII, UMB-Binary, SDI-12 and MOD-BUS, and with analog outputs in combination with the DACON converter — making it easy to integrate into new and existing measurement networks.

The WS800 works by detecting the radiated electromagnetic waves of a thunderbolt. By way of appropriate algorithms and filters, it can reliably detect the lightning discharges. Extensive tests with lighting simulators were performed by Lufft engineers in the laboratory and in the field. These tests confirmed the sensor’s resistance against electromagnetic radiation.

Lufft
http://lufft.com

Solar Power World

Integrated smart and AC modules will occupy a growing share of the microinverter and DC optimizer market, according to GTM Research’s latest report, Smart and AC PV Modules 2015-2020: Technologies, Value Propositions, and Forecasts for Module-Integrated Power Electronics. GTM Research forecasts the market for smart and AC modules to grow steadily from 73 megawatts in 2014 to 1 gigawatt by 2020.

Global Smart and AC PV Module Base-Case Forecast, 2014-2020E
Source: Smart and AC PV Modules, 2015-2020

“The PV industry is hungry for solutions that simplify labor, eliminate redundancy, and lower overall costs,” said Scott Moskowitz, solar analyst and lead author of the report. “Each of these objectives can be accomplished with smart and AC modules.”

To date, adoption has been hindered by high product markups from smart and AC module vendors and distributors that had difficulty selling the module-level power electronics (MLPE) value proposition and providing customer support. According to the report, market maturation and new product introductions will cause these markups to fall, and module integration savings will eventually be passed on to customers.

Currently Marketed Integrated Module Partnerships
Source: Smart and AC PV Modules 2015-2020

As prices continue to drop and more fully embedded solutions hit the market, GTM Research expects integrated smart and AC modules to represent a larger share of the overall MLPE market. Today they account for 3 percent of MLPE shipments, and by 2020 they will represent 7 percent.

The report discusses the 2017 version of the U.S. National Electric Code, which will likely include module-level shutdown requirements. This will increase the attractiveness of module-level power electronics, as well as integrated smart and AC modules.

GTM Research expects the market value for smart and AC modules to reach $603 million in 2020, up from $70 million in 2014.

Solar Power World

Suntech has announced today the introduction of a new smart solar module to its product portfolio. Officially unveiled in September, Suntech’s smart DC modules integrate the Tigo’s modular TS4 platform. The new application will enhance Suntech’s smart DC module system’s performance through the accessibility of wireless communications, the optimization of power output, and the availability of real-time monitoring, while ensuring a reduction in the overall maintenance costs. Suntech plans to integrate the TS4 to a variety of its modules that cater to both rooftop and commercial markets in Europe and Australia.

“2015 has been an exciting year for Suntech, with the launch of several new products that we’ve brought to the solar market,” says Victor Xiong, president of Suntech. “This smart DC module design eliminates module-level or cell string mismatch, reduces the chance of module malfunction, and increases the overall cell performance. The Tigo TS4 is a remarkable new product application that we’re adding to many of our existing modules, particularly the HyPro module. The smart DC module offers increased safety, flexible system design, reduced O&M costs, and real-time monitoring. This new module enriches Suntech’s portfolio by differentiating its products from others in the market.”

The TS4 Platform replaces the traditional JBox (junction box), allowing customers to install different functional covers to their solar panels. The covers currently offer a range in functionality from diodes and rapid shutdown to full functional long string and optimization – all providing unique, customized unprecedented capabilities. These personalized covers are selectively deployed on each module at different price points, utilizing predictive IV (PIV) technology to maximize energy harvest at minimal cost.

Compared to a traditional module, the smart DC module provides system with greater connectivity, efficiency, and output. The smart module with the Tigo TS4 is fully integrated and compatible with all leading inverters, monitoring equipment, and mounting solutions. By providing shade tolerance at the cell level, the Suntech smart DC modules will produce more energy than modules equipped with the leading DC optimizers or micro-inverters. Increasing power output in constricted installation spaces, the Suntech smart DC module offer up to 30% longer strings that reduce BOS cost of system.

“Tigo is distinguished in the industry as being sole company to offer a modular platform where customers can cater their PV Module behavior according to their needs by simply replacing the covers,” says Zvi Alon, Tigo CEO. “We are focused on partnering with tier 1 solar companies in order to focus on spreading our innovation and energy optimization. By combining our leading technologies with Suntech, we will be able to provide the solar market with the finest solar energy generation products and management systems.”

Solar Power World

40 Inland Empire high school students received hands-on training and helped install rooftop solar electric systems on four affordable homes over two days as part of the Solar Futures program, a national philanthropic partnership to provide classroom and hands-on solar education to K-14 students and connect them with careers in America’s booming solar industry.

GRID Alternatives, America’s largest non-profit solar installer, partnered with global solar innovator SunPower earlier this year to launch the program, expanding on trainings GRID has offered to California high schools since 2010. SunPower committed one megawatt of high-efficiency solar panels and inverters – enough to power 300 homes – to underwrite the program and support GRID’s work providing solar power to underserved communities.

“Solar can unlock our clean energy future while STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education can open up exciting career paths for our youth. Together, they’re a powerful combination, which is why SunPower actively supports solar education initiatives around the world,” said Bobby Ram, SunPower managing director. “We’re proud to partner with GRID Alternatives on the Solar Futures program to create real change by connecting students to one of America’s fastest-growing industries and helping them strengthen their communities.”

During the two-day event, students from Arroyo Valley High School, Norte Vista High School, Desert Hot Springs High School, Kaiser High School, and Canyon Springs High School will install SunPower solar panels on four new Habitat for Humanity homes, saving incoming families an estimated $27,500 each in lifetime electricity costs and preventing a combined total of 227 tons harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Students will also participate in a career panel with SunPower, GRID Alternatives staff, and local specialists to learn about solar careers.

“Combining renewable energy with workforce development is a double win for our communities,” said Bambi Tran, GRID Alternatives Inland Empire regional director. “This educational model has created a brighter future for hundreds of students and homeowners, and we’re thrilled to expand nationally with the help of SunPower.”

Program offerings in the Inland Empire region include hands-on installation opportunities for high school juniors and seniors combined with a five-session classroom education program covering topics from general industry trends and concepts to solar design and outreach. Schools interested in learning more about the program can visit www.gridalternatives.org/solarfutures.

Solar Power World

The Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) have released a new white paper, “Rolling Out Smart Inverters,” that provides an overview of how four U.S. utilities are piloting this advanced technology. Specifically, the paper examines technical and business considerations for using smart inverters to facilitate the broader adoption of solar and other distributed energy resources (DERs).

A core component of all photovoltaic (PV) solar systems, inverters take the direct current generated by PV panels and turn it into the alternating current that powers today’s electricity systems. Advanced or “smart” inverters go beyond this basic functionality, ensuring electric system reliability by responding to real-time signals from the grid to modulate output depending on how much power is needed.

“This report underlines the central role utilities can and must play in the deployment of solar and other advanced, distributed technologies, such as smart inverters and storage,” said Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA. “These forward-looking companies are exploring the limits of our existing grid, while also ensuring reliability and developing new partnerships and solutions that will benefit both residential and utility-scale solar markets. Equally important, they are providing models that will help other utilities stay ahead of the unfolding transformation of our energy system.”

The white paper’s key conclusions:

• Utilities are evaluating the potential for smart inverters to provide grid support.  Smart inverters can, for example, provide voltage and frequency support, adjusting their output to balance frequency or voltage changes. But technical standards are lagging. Pacific Gas and Electric and other California utilities are working with a stakeholders group convened by state regulators to update key interconnection regulations, called Rule 21, to support smart inverter functionality and increase deployment of distributed solar.

• Inverter retrofits can be done cost-effectively. The solar industry-utility partnership behind Hawaiian Electric Company’s 800,000-inverter upgrade demonstrates that inverter retrofits can be managed for cost and efficiency. Such upgrades could also allow the deployment of some grid-support functions at low costs.

• Upgrading communications systems to connect smart inverters with utilities’ data management systems will be critical but expensive. Arizona Public Service and the Salt River Project have pilot projects aimed at developing such communications systems, but regional differences in grid operations will require flexible strategies for deploying smart inverters.

“Integrating solar and other DERs brings new dynamics and new challenges to the grid, requiring smart devices, connectivity, and an understanding of the inherent benefits and costs associated with the technology,” said Mark McGranaghan, vice president of power delivery and utilization at EPRI. “This paper signals that smart inverters can serve an important technical function in optimally integrating the grid, and these more dynamic, distributed resources.”

Solar Power World

SMA has affirmed its status as the preferred PV inverter solutions provider in North America by reaching 7.5 GW of installed inverter capacity. Leading researchers calculate the U.S. installed base to be more than 20 GW as of the end of the first half of 2015, and the total North American market to be near 22 GW over the same time frame. That means more than a third of all PV systems installed in the U.S., Canada and Mexico are powered by SMA inverters. Combined, they produce enough energy to provide roughly 1.5 million average American homes with clean, renewable energy. These milestones are the result of SMA’s long-standing—and on-going—commitment to the North American PV market.

“SMA entered North America nearly 15 years ago and we are proud to have created hundreds of new jobs here,” said Pierre-Pascal Urbon, SMA chief executive officer. “SMA has a long-standing commitment to this market and we will continue to produce high-quality inverters and to serve local PV designers, installers, developers, owners and EPCs well into the future.”

The company’s North American sales and service operations were launched in 2001 with the founding of SMA America in Grass Valley, California. In 2009, SMA opened a production facility in Denver, which was the second largest solar inverter manufacturing plant in the world at the time. A year later, SMA Canada was founded to support the growing Ontario market. SMA furthered its commitment to North America with the formation of the U.S. Technology Group in 2013, also located in Denver, which includes product development and local engineering. That same year, SMA opened the doors to its Solar Monitoring Center in support of its entry into the O&M market.

To date, nearly half a million SMA inverters have been selected for the most productive, technologically advanced PV systems in North America, making SMA the preferred inverter supplier for projects of all sizes and applications.

“We are honored that so many PV professionals have trusted SMA for the most critical part of their power plants,” said Marko Wittich, SMA executive vice president of sales for the Americas region. “By partnering with SMA, they have made a commitment to lasting reliability and productivity, which are vital for all PV systems. Our inverters fulfill the highest quality standards and perform excellently even under the harshest conditions.”

Solar Power World

Massachusetts continues its leadership in clean energy alternatives as Bay State residents are signing up for community solar at an unprecedented rate, says Next Step Living, which has seen reservations for new community solar services increase more than five times this year.

Next Step Living, a leader in home energy solutions, now has more than 1,500 contracts for gardens expected to go live in late November in Western Massachusetts, and another 10,000 reservations to date for upcoming solar gardens to be built around the state. Those interested can go to NextStepLiving.com/CommunitySolar.

“Community solar allows homeowners to share a local solar garden, which is a very efficient way to build solar compared to putting panels on each person’s home,” says Next Step Living General Manager of Community Solar Allen McGonagill. “This is the easiest way for people to adopt clean energy and save money at the same time. It only takes seconds to reserve your place online or by calling one of our advisors.”

Next Step Living is currently signing contracts equivalent to 10 acres of solar gardens, or 2 MW of power per month. “It is a testament to how much homeowners want to cut their utility bills and are looking for clean energy solutions. Rooftop solar is not a viable solution for 80% of homes and community solar offers residents a way to save money and reduce their carbon footprint,” says Next Step Living President Brian Greenfield. “When all the gardens are live, the collective impact in our first year alone will be the equivalent of offsetting the carbon emitted by a fossil-fuel burning vehicle driving nearly 40,000 miles.”

Next Step Living is working with partners to construct community solar gardens around the state. The company is also looking at expansion in New York State in early 2016 in response to customer interest.

Community solar is available to qualified National Grid or Eversource Massachusetts ratepayers. Homeowners don’t need a rooftop where photovoltaic panels would be installed. That’s because community solar is a maintenance-free managed service, with a remotely located solar array, referred to as a garden. With community solar, residents get credit on their electric bill for energy produced on a remote solar garden located in their region. Since the credits are purchased at a special discounted rate, they automatically save on utility bills. Therefore, homeowners can “go solar” with community solar with zero upfront investment.

Condo owners can take advantage of solar, as well as single family homeowners.  Catharine L. of Natick is an Eversource ratepayer who learned about community solar at a Next Step Living educational table at a Stop & Shop store.  She was interested in greening her home and wasn’t sure rooftop solar was an option. “Going solar is simply the right thing to do,” she says after becoming a Next Step Living community solar customer. “Whenever I encounter a person who can’t go solar because of trees blocking their roof, or who don’t like the look of solar panels I tell them: You can still go solar. And then I tell them about my experience.”

Solar Power World