SoloPower Systems, a photovoltaic technology company specializing in the design, manufacture and deployment of CIGS flexible thin-film solar technology, announced that Direct Group Africa, a pioneer of sustainable housing projects, has executed a letter of intent to integrate SoloPower’s innovative lightweight solar photovoltaic technology into the manufacture of up to 15,000 low income and student housing units in South Africa.

“We selected SoloPower’s technology because it is ideal for integration with our lightweight and modular housing designs,” said Johann Dreyer, chairman and CEO of Direct Group. “We believe that our innovative business model for low-cost and sustainable housing solutions will be a model to be emulated further in South Africa, the rest of Africa and other key emerging markets. Our business model relies on distributed energy solutions to enable low income communities – which are negatively impacted by weak grid access – to become self-sufficient. We look forward to working closely with SoloPower products to bring this innovative solution to our customers.”

SoloPower will supply products for factory integration – or building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) – that will be suitable for Direct Group’s lightweight roofing systems. These innovative, low-cost sustainable building solutions are designed to serve the needs of South Africa’s low income and student housing needs. Direct Group’s EEZI Thermal Modular Building System – a sophisticated composite building system utilized in flooring, walling and roofing – will be used in the development of the units. The installation process is fast and simple and is ideal for the rapid development of housing systems and communities.

“Direct Group has truly developed an innovative solution for affordable global housing,” said Rob Campbell, CEO of SoloPower Systems. “By integrating our technology with their housing designs, we are demonstrating the flexibility and versatility of our products, which can be utilized on both a stand-alone and integrated basis. Our industry-leading technology will add clean and sustainable energy to Direct Group’s model at the lowest possible cost. We will fully support the project with our local distributor partner Dumont Power.”

Dumont Power and SoloPower have concluded terms for the initial project phase for 762 kilowatts of solar PV systems. The parties expect to complete a comprehensive framework agreement during H1 2016 to cover the installation of approximately six megawatts per year of SoloPower’s systems for Direct Group’s first large-scale community project in Port Elizabeth.

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Syncarpha Capital LLC, Borrego Solar Systems Inc., and Renewable Energy Massachusetts LLC (REM) announce the completion of a 6-MW solar array located on the former Palmer Metropolitan Airfield in Palmer, Mass.

The Palmer Airfield Solar Project is unique in that it is both the first and, at 6 MW, the largest Department of Energy Resources (DOER) qualified brownfield project under the Massachusetts SREC II solar energy incentive program. The DOER’s predecessor program, SREC I, was successful in encouraging solar development in Massachusetts through 2013, however much of it occurred on greenfields. The DOER, with key stakeholders’ input, pointed out that the program should incentivize more development of solar on landfills and brownfields. Thus the SREC II program was designed to promote the positive re-use of sites cleaned up under Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection supervision.

The Palmer Airfield project, which was cleaned up after 75 years of airfield operations dating back to the 1920s, is a perfect example of what SREC II was designed to achieve as far as siting large-scale solar at appropriate locations around the Commonwealth.

There are multiple entities directly benefitting from this project. The Town of Palmer, a designated Green Community, will be receiving real and personal property tax revenue of approximately $2 million over the 20 year project term. Three public entities – the Town of Leicester, the Town of Spencer, and Worcester State University, will together purchase all of the net metering credits from the energy generated by the project, which will result in millions of dollars in energy savings for these entities over the 20 year term of the energy agreements. Finally, the land owner, JenJill LLC of Wilbraham, Mass., which paid for its cleanup, will benefit from the long-term ground lease.

Syncarpha Capital, a rapidly growing developer, owner, operator and financier of utility-scale solar facilities, will finance, own, and operate the Palmer Airfield facility.

“The Palmer Airfield Solar Project provides an excellent example of the multiple benefits created by the fostering of renewable energy by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its implementation,” said Cliff Chapman, managing partner at Syncarpha Capital. “Not only will multiple public sector entities benefit financially and directly from this project, but, in addition, underutilized remediated brownfield land will now be used to provide positive environmental impact. Syncarpha and our development team partners are proud to a part of this endeavor.”

Borrego Solar—a leading developer, designer, installer and O&M provider of grid-tied solar energy systems—built the array and negotiated and finalized off-taker agreements with the Town of Leicester and the Town of Spencer.

“This project is an economic and environmental success for so many parties: it benefits the Airfield site owners, the Town of Palmer, the three energy off-takers, the project development partners, and the local contractors who built it,” said Zak Farkes, project developer at Borrego Solar. “The economic impact alone is impressive, but also consider the fact that this project will offset more than 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, and supply enough clean electricity for roughly 1,000 homes . It’s clear that beneficial projects like the Palmer Airfield need to be replicated throughout the Commonwealth.”

Starting in March 2014, when REM first walked the site with the landowner, it anticipated a great re-use of a dormant site. REM, with assistance from Syncarpha Capital, gained site control and negotiated the lease with the landowner, performed all project development functions including permitting, initiated the National Grid interconnection process, cemented Worcester State University as a key energy off-taker, and secured the DOER’s SREC II Brownfield Qualification designation for the site, the first such designation in Massachusetts.

“We are proud of what has been accomplished at the Airfield property and how much good has come out of this project,” said Brian Kopperl, managing partner of REM. “National Grid in particular has been a pleasure to work with throughout this process, and their local customers will benefit from the grid and substation upgrades that were paid for by the project, thereby increasing grid reliability and providing clean solar energy to National Grid for the next 30 years that will help satisfy their obligations under the Green Communities Act of 2008.”

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Gestamp Solar, a leading global developer and operator of solar photovoltaic plants, has changed its name to X-ELIO following the successful completion of KKR’s acquisition of an 80 percent stake in the business.

“X-ELIO combines all the elements that are needed to capture the dramatic increase in demand for solar energy: capital resources to invest in the long term, an entrepreneurial mindset, technology leadership and the ability to scale the business,” said Chief Executive Officer Jorge Barredo. “The new name celebrates our heritage and reflects X-ELIO’s enormous growth potential with its etymological cornerstones of Ex (meaning ‘out of’ and ‘from’) and Helios (the god who is the personification of the sun in Greek mythology.)”

“The combination of X-ELIO’s technological expertise and KKR’s financial firepower combines capability and capital and has created a new utility player that will shape and support the revolution that is underway in the world’s energy market,” said Jesús Olmos, Member and Global Co-Head of Infrastructure at KKR. “The Paris climate agreement from December 2015 also highlights that X-ELIO is part of the drive to solve one of the world’s biggest challenges: how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This investment adds to our strong belief and track record of investing in renewable energy.”

KKR completed the purchase, which was announced in July 2015, following all regulatory approvals, third party consents and customary closing conditions. The transaction valued X-ELIO at a total enterprise value of around $1 billion and the company set a target to have up to 2.5 GW of installed capacity in operation by 2020.

In Japan, where the company has two plants and 50 MW under operation, X-ELIO now predicts it will reach as much as 600 MW of installed capacity by the end of 2017. Half of that capacity is likely to come from X-ELIO’s own developments, with the other half being added through acquisitions.

Latin America is another key market for X-ELIO and the company has already built several projects with an aggregate capacity of approximately 100 MW. It is currently developing more than 500 MW in Mexico and Chile, and actively entering other South American markets such as Peru and Colombia.

In the U.S., where X-ELIO has a 24 MW portfolio of operating projects, the company is working to increase its pipeline of projects, either via its own greenfield developments, strategic partnerships with U.S. companies or M&A deals.

The company, founded in 2005, has rapidly grown into a globally recognized player in the PV space, helped by its integrated operating model that coordinates each project’s realization, including the Energy Performance Certificate for new installations, in house.

Solar energy is increasingly cost competitive against conventional electricity generation in many markets. Also, electrical grids worldwide have been expanded in recent years, and are ready to receive and distribute more electricity from PV plants.

“The energy world is going through a revolution as the growth of renewable energies such as solar means we are going from a world of scarce and declining resources to abundant and increasing resources,” said Barredo. “Solar is well set to be one of the key energy sources and revolutionize the global energy market, and we’re convinced that X-ELIO will be at the heart of it. We look forward to capturing the enormous potential of the solar PV market together.”

According to the SolarPower Europe Association, worldwide PV capacity might have reached about 230 GW in 2015. This is an increase by about 50 GW from 2014 and is forecast to more than double in the next five years up to 2020. By 2050, 16% of global electricity could be provided for by PV systems, contributing to making solar power the world’s largest source of electricity, according to the International Energy Agency.

The X-ELIO investment is funded by KKR Global Infrastructure Investors II, a $3.1 billion global fund, and is another example of how KKR helps to meet vast demands for infrastructure development around the world. KKR continues to actively invest in a broad spectrum of infrastructure to meet critical needs and public policy objectives.

X-ELIO contributes to KKR’s growing infrastructure footprint across seven sectors including renewables, heating, rail, telecom, parking, water & midstream with a presence in over 20 countries. In those sectors, KKR has over $4.5 billion of equity committed. The investments in renewable energy consist of assets in established alternative energy technologies with stable, long-term cash flows. The sectors targeted by KKR include hydro, solar, wind, geothermal and biofuels-based energy and similar types of energy generation.

The infrastructure investments represent more than 3 GW of renewable capacity. The X-ELIO acquisition also boosts the equity invested in renewables by almost 50% and the solar capacity by more than 50%. X-ELIO complements KKR’s investments in other assets worldwide such as French wind farm company Renvico, T-Solar’s Spanish and Italian solar parks and ACCIONA Energía Internacional.

Solar Power World

An installation professional builds a community solar array. Photo: Clean Energy Collective

Article by Tim Braun, director of public affairs, Clean Energy Collective

Though solar is becoming more mainstream than ever, there are still many who aren’t able to own their own solar array—mostly renters or those whose roofs don’t get enough sunlight or lack the structural integrity for solar. Yet, this potential market could be as much as seven times greater than that of those who can independently own rooftop systems. One solution with increasing momentum is community-shared solar. The driving principle behind community-shared solar, or “roofless solar,” as Clean Energy Collective calls it, is to make renewable energy affordable and available to all utility ratepayers regardless of customer type or property constraints. Following are four points contractors should understand when considering participation in community solar.

The community-shared solar market is exploding

In its most recent report, NREL reaffirmed the potential for community-shared solar to serve as the dominant solar energy model throughout the country. The number of shared solar programs has grown from two in 2010 to more than 70 today, spanning more than 20 states with dozens of cooperative, municipal and investor-owned utilities—a collective capacity exceeding 170 MW. According to GTM Research, 21 MW of U.S. community solar came online in 2014, and it is forecasting that number to be 115 MW in 2015 and 534 MW in 2020. By 2020 shared solar will account for up to 50% of the U.S. distributed PV market, representing $8.2 to $16.3 billion of cumulative investment.

Why is community solar growing?

The appeal of community solar—for both utilities and electricity ratepayers—is escalating, due to several factors. Unlike most independently owned models, community-shared solar’s foundation is a mutually beneficial relationship with utilities and multiple customers. Community solar solutions are generally delivered outside a net metering framework, avoiding much of the angst over that mechanism. Economies of scale allow community solar to be offered at lower costs than individual solar systems. Beyond the feel-good reward, community solar offers a real consumer benefit in the form of a good financial payback, accelerating deployment even in markets with relatively low power rates.

Challenges of developing a community solar program

Community solar’s customer interface seems simple, but developing a quality community-shared solar program is challenging, requiring various experts and assets to effectively navigate the myriad complexities, including:

• Legal and tax structures
• Site development
• Equipment procurement and installation
• On-bill crediting
• Tax credits and incentives
• Consumer protections
• Marketing and sales
• Customer management
• Operations and maintenance

Successfully pulling these aspects together can be daunting with little room for short cuts. Yet these issues are surmountable, and experienced community solar solutions providers are available to do the heavy lifting.

Technology can help

Customer acquisition and retention is the cornerstone of a successful community solar project. Well defined and impactful messaging centered on the program’s value proposition is paramount for spurring awareness, interest and conversion. Not surprisingly, consumers respond more when presented with the savings potential from shared solar participation than the environmental benefit.

A good community solar solutions provider can help automate marketing with a specialized customer management system functioning as the “bridge” between the customer and the array. This helps shorten the sales cycle, increase customer engagement and satisfaction and lower administrative costs.

A good community solar solutions provider can also introduce you to sophisticated software tools available for utilities, solar developers and other enterprises to successfully deploy and manage community solar programs alone, or with a development partner. These platforms can help lower risk, lower costs and provide higher customer satisfaction. New software as a service (SaaS) programs, like the Community Solar Platform offered by Clean Energy Collective, deliver a comprehensive suite of market-tested tools and services that can manage the entire program, including facility management, customer engagement, on-bill crediting, system monitoring and O&M assurance. These services—used comprehensively or in parts—fill the gaps for developers, EPCs and installers that lack the necessary expertise and field experience, simplifying the process, smoothing implementation and allowing for on-time and on-budget market deployments.

There is increasing demand for all types of solar products and programs. Because the addressable market for community-shared solar is so much larger than that of independently-owned rooftop, the future for this model is quite bright.

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SolarBOS, a developer and manufacturer for BoS products in solar, is excited to return to Boston, MA, where the 2016 Solar Power PV Conference & Expo will be held on February 24th and 25th. The company will be in booth 418.

Attendees will have the opportunity to see SolarBOS’ Wire Harness Solutions and Rapid Shutdown Products, as well as the patented AFCI solution and the latest 1500VDC combiner.

“We are excited to be back in Boston,” said Zuzana Piras, Marketing Communications Manager at SolarBOS. “Last year’s show was a big success for us. And since many of our customers are located on the East Coast, there is no better way to connect with them than through events such as the Solar Power PV Conference.”

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As installation costs continue to decline and retail electricity rates climb, residential solar economics have become increasingly attractive across the United States. According to the latest report from GTM Research, U.S. Residential Solar Economic Outlook: Grid Parity, Rate Design and Net Metering Risk, 20 U.S. states are currently at grid parity, and 42 states are expected to reach that milestone by 2020 under business-as-usual conditions.

Residential solar reaches grid parity when the levelized cost of solar energy falls below gross electricity bill savings in the first year of a solar PV system’s life. While traditional grid parity analyses rely on average retail electricity rates to calculate customer savings, GTM Research used utility and state-specific rate design, system production and installation costs to more accurately gauge solar’s attractiveness.

When accounting for current net metering rules, rate design, and incentives, California, Massachusetts and Hawaii lead the nation in residential solar attractiveness; in each state solar can reduce an average customer’s electricity bill by 20 to 40 percent during the first year of system life. GTM Research found that North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Washington are the least attractive states for solar today.

While 20 states are currently at grid parity, the report also explores how rate design and reforms to net metering complicate the residential solar economic outlook in ways that can both strengthen and weaken rooftop solar savings.

“To date, the residential solar market’s growth has primarily come from a handful of states where favorable rate structures and net metering rules have set high, predictable ceilings on savings due to solar,” said Cory Honeyman, senior GTM Research analyst and lead author of the report.

“But with more and more utilities reevaluating net metering rules and rate design, the residential solar economic outlook can no longer depend on a static policy landscape that fueled the nearly 1 million homeowners now with rooftop solar. Looking ahead, it is no longer a question of if, but rather, when and to what extent rate structures and net metering rules are revised.”

In this report, GTM Research details what might happen under several net metering reform scenarios. For instance, the report finds that if each state’s largest utility were to add a $50 monthly fixed charge for rooftop solar customers, just two states would remain at grid parity in 2016.

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In this issue:

14 INVERTER INSIDER
Inverters and storage Q&A, plus smart inverters coming to a utility near you

18 PANEL POINTS
CIGS: Solar’s black sheep finding its feet

20 MOUNTING
This non-penetrating system could change the industry

26 STORAGE
Maximizing your microgrid

30 SERVICES
Managing the performance impact of snowfall

36 BUSINESS TIPS
Tips from experts on growing your solar business

The magnitude of the solar ITC extension

Let’s be clear: Had the sun set on the solar ITC,our industry would have survived, albeit with less impressive growth domestically. Supported by innovative thinking, global markets,consumer demand and proven returns with minimal risk—and much else—solar energy is an unstoppable force worldwide.But the expiration of tax incentives would have hurt, and it would have afflicted our readership particularly. Each year, we publish the Top 500 Solar Contractors list, and the majority of companies appearing are residential and commercial installers, all from North America. They represent our readership. While the true fallout from an ITC loss has been debated, most experts agree it would have cost many thousands of jobs. Our greatest concern, not as an editorial team but as people, was that these companies we’ve come to know and admire—from our Top 500 list,from our Contractors Corner podcast series, from our numerous project stories and case studies—would be at risk. The people of solar are optimistic—some, we’d say, to a fault—and most are in this business not only to make a buck, but also because they care about the environment and the future effects of climate change.

Much of our readership has given solar their all—all their time, money, trust, emotion—and as a result of consistent hard work, the technology is on the cusp of wide-scale adoption, grid-parity, full-on market acceptance. We’re being led there by innovations in software, financing and power management; growing relationships between municipalities, utilities and industry; continuing progress in panel efficiency, inverter reliability and mounting technology. The price of solar has dropped every year. It would have been insane to come this far and voluntarily give up a major industry driver, the ITC. But solar technology is proven, and the benefits it provides—economic and environmental—cannot be ignored. That’s why members of Congress from across the political spectrum voted to extend the ITC in December, ensuring continued growth for the U.S. solar industry. When the votes came through the House and then the Senate, we at SPW couldn’t help but throw a little party. We were relieved and ecstatic!

This news is immense, as is our gratitude for all of the people who worked so hard to secure the ITC extension and the excitement we feel for the companies comprising the solar industry. We hope that everyone in this industry feels a little lighter because, thankfully, the solar industry has never been brighter.

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Now in its ninth year, Solar Summit is GTM’s flagship annual solar conference that attracts leaders from across the solar value chain.

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Jamie Brown had been doing basic electrical work for many years until 2007, when one day a customer needed someone to install a PV system on his home. Jamie did the job, and since then has installed more than 500 solar systems on residences in South Carolina and North Carolina.

In 2014, Jamie established Brown Electric LLC. In early 2015, he was introduced to Roof Tech products by sales director Tim Vaughn during a training session with Roof Tech’s local distribution partner for the Carolinas. Later that year, he got a call from Roof Tech regional sales manager Sam Hilley and decided to try E Mount AIR.

E Mount AIR is Roof Tech’s all-in-one rail-less mounting system that provides three inches of clearance above the roof surface. “I did the very first Roof Tech installation in South Carolina,” said Jamie. “The results were great, and I’ve used E Mount AIR on every one of my installations since then.”

Jamie and his team quickly realized what makes Roof Tech products superior.

“There’s simply no comparison between railed systems and E Mount AIR,” said Jamie. “Installation is so much easier and faster now. The entire system is flush to the roof with no rails hanging out, and the aesthetics are amazing. Homeowners absolutely love it.”

Jamie noted that the solar market in the Carolinas has been growing steadily over the past few years. Incentives from power companies are increasing, and more and more homeowners are taking advantage of tax credits. At the same time, the cost of materials has been coming down.

“In 2007, solar was running about $9 per watt to install,” said Jamie. “Today, it’s down to about $3.50 a watt. For our customers, it’s all about saving money.” It all adds up to increased volume for Brown Electric.

“Before, we were averaging about 50 solar installations a year,” said Jamie. “Today, that number has grown to more than 100.”

Since first meeting his Roof Tech sales representative Sam Hilley, Jamie has been impressed with Sam’s attention to customer service.

“Sam comes by about once a month just to check in and see if he can be of any help,” said Jamie. “I know I can call him at any time with a question, and he’ll have the answer to me the same day.”

After seeing how pleased his customers were with the aesthetics and performance of E Mount AIR, Jamie gave Roof Tech the ultimate endorsement: he choose it for the first-ever solar installation on his own home. In October 2015, Jamie installed a 9000W system on his home using one solid PV array, all using E Mount AIR.

“Looking ahead, I envision a steady increase in my use of Roof Tech products,” he said. “Customer service, amazing aesthetics and ease of use: these three things make Roof Tech great.”

Article by Milton Nogueira, Senior Business Development Manager, Roof Tech

Solar Power World

Wednesday, March 16, 2016
2:00pmET/11:00am PT

Join us for an in-depth look into the DirectPay program and how it can help your business reach its growth goals. We’ll share everything you’ll need to know to obtain and benefit from an unlimited line of credit from HERO through Affordable Solar, because we know that you run your business you need competitive financing and to keep your cash to fuel your growth.

By attending this webinar, you will learn:

• What is Direct Pay?
• Benefits of Direct Pay
• How do I qualify?
• Selling Jobs using Direct Pay
• How Do I Get Paid?

Featured Speakers

Nestor Tarango, Director of Sales, Affordable Solar Wholesale Distribution
Nestor is the Director of Sales for Affordable Solar with over 10 years of solar industry experience. Since 2004, Nestor has worked tirelessly to create an expansive network of strategic relationships with solar contractors, financing companies and product manufacturers.

Sam Handy, Business Development Manager, Renovate America, Inc. | HERO
Sam Handy has 15 years of professional electrical industry experience.  Sam came to Renovate America in mid-2015 to develop the solar platform by working with key strategic manufactures and distributors in the industry.

Steven Bushong, Associate Editor/Moderator, Solar Power World
Steven Bushong is an associate editor at Solar Power World. He uses digital and print media to share information that helps solar contractors and developers grow their businesses. Topics of interest to Steven include solar mounting, software, policy and business practices. He is a happy resident of Cleveland, Ohio, a graduate of Kent State University and full-time lover of the arts.

Solar Power World

Figure 1

Article by Jeremy Taylor, product system engineer, SunModo

It’s easy to think about solar systems getting hot—their potential is realized when the sun beats down on them. Temperatures on roofs can reach beyond 200°F. But in most climates, systems get cold, too. Even in Hawaii, panels and racking can experience temperature swings totaling more than 100°F. Concern about temperature becomes relevant when discussing mechanical connections for weatherization and human safety.

Typically, solar panels have accounted for temperature swing, and the mechanical expansion and contraction associated with it, through flexibility in construction materials and, on a relatively small scale, in each module. To appropriately account for temperature fluctuations on a system level, however, the racking must also be considered.

The issue becomes most critical when mechanically attached materials, such as aluminum rails and a wood deck, expand at different rates. A steel roof with metal purlins whose structure remains in the shade is also worth considering. How elevated the array is above the roof will also influence how much ventilation it gets, contributing to temperature. This is important because attachments can loosen their water seals or shear standoffs and hardware over time. For a full set of calculations, please visit SunModo’s website for an application note. In general, the rules of thumb mentioned below are useful.

If the installation location is determined to be a mild climate with ambient temperature change of less than 60°F across the year, then creating a thermal measure every 80 in. is suggested. In extreme climates (101 to 130°F ambient change) and moderate climates (60 to 100°F ambient change) this should be accounted for at every 40 in. Systems with shorter rails experience less accumulated change than engineered deflection values can handle.

Figure 2

Installers have two options. An installation can be designed as separate arrays with stand offs and end clamps stopping and starting at the thermal break. Or installers can use a thermal splice, sliding clip and bonding strap, which makes the array appear continual.

If the latter option is chosen, it is imperative that the gap be set correctly. Over-setting the gap would create a problem almost as bad as no thermal break at all: the rails could become disconnected. So it is important to note the gap chart (see figure 1) and use an IR temp gun to account for the actual installation temperature of which the expanding and contracting rails will begin their movement.

A helpful tool from SunModo can help measure a system with thermal gaps (see figure 2). When sunlight-elevated rooftop temperatures are thoroughly considered, many factors are influenced, including system performance, conductor sizing and, most importantly, worker health. In the same light, planning for thermal expansion in arrays will keep attachments weatherized and PV racking lasting a lifetime.

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Ingeteam began the year 2016 by commissioning the first hybrid plant in Brazil to be connected to the public grid, combining PV energy and battery storage.

The power generated by the rooftop PV panels (90 kWp) is stored in a sodium battery bank (276 kWh) controlled by the Ingeteam battery inverter. The whole system is managed by the Battery System Controller developed by InGrid.
The grid-tied system incorporates a battery inverter to operate in self-consumption mode. Therefore, the priority is to keep the batteries charged with the energy sourced from the PV plant. In this way, during a grid outage, the system can move to off-grid mode in less than 20 milliseconds, using the batteries to provide the necessary power.
Although this plant, located at the headquarters of the Brazilian army in Brasilia, is the first of its kind in Brazil, the collaboration between the companies taking part in this project is expected to continue in the near future, in remote areas with no grid access or in situations with a weak or unstable power supply.

In addition to the commissioning conducted by an Ingeteam engineer shortly before Christmas, Ingeteam also supplied an INGECON SUN STORAGE 125 kW three-phase battery inverter for this project.
This is the second project in which this new battery inverter is installed, as it was launched into the market by the end of 2015. This equipment is responsible for the generation and management of an alternating current (AC) network, thereby guaranteeing the correct balance between generation, consumption and energy storage. Moreover, this INGECON SUN STORAGE inverter can operate in both stand-alone or grid-connected modes, allowing different strategies such as self-consumption, back-up or grid support.

This inverter is available with an AC power ranging from 60 to 250 kW.
Furthermore, the Ingeteam supply for this plant also included five INGECON SUN 3Play PV string inverters.

Solar Power World

Energy storage, though currently in its infancy, is predicted to be crucial to the growth of solar. To learn more about the market and technology, we spoke with Laurent Mahuteau, Saft’s Technical Sales & Project Manager.

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Anderson Power Products (APP), a leader in high power interconnect solutions, now offers Environmental Boots to protect their dual pole SB 50, SB 120 and SB 175 connectors from water, dirt, chemicals and UV. The IP64 rated, durable soft sided Environmental Boots’ shield the SB connectors from water and dirt in both the mated and unmated condition.

SB connectors, with their mechanical keyed and genderless housings, fit securely in the Environmental Boots. The Boots can be customized by the user to accommodate a wide range of wire sizes from 6 AWG [13.3mm²] to 1/0 AWG [53.5mm²] depending on the SB connector selected.

For more information about SB Environmental Boots, SB and more Anderson Power Products connectors please visit www.andersonpower.com.

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JuiceBox Energy, a privately-held Silicon Valley company committed to providing safe, reliable, intelligent, and connected energy storage, and Simmitri Inc., a provider of sustainable energy solutions, have partnered to offer Silicon Valley customers the JuiceBox Energy storage system.

Simmitri Inc. is a Silicon Valley Corporation that has, for decades, helped its residential and commercial clientele harness Solar Energy Technology in all its forms today, and is positioned to do so, well into the future.

“We’re extremely interested in cutting-edge technologies that positively impact our customers’ entire solar and energy management system,” stated Tom Dinette, CEO of Simmitri Inc. “JuiceBox Energy’s storage system enables our customers to shift toward self-supply and away from dependence on the grid, while at the same time empowering them to actively manage their usage profile.”

The JuiceBox Energy storage system is an intelligent, 8.6kWh lithium-ion battery system designed for safe, reliable, long lasting power management. It is designed, engineered, and manufactured by JuiceBox Energy based on their years of automotive lithium ion control systems engineering.

“When looking for partners to install our JuiceBox Energy storage system, we gravitate toward companies like Simmitri that have a customer-centric philosophy,” said Neil Maguire, CEO of JuiceBox Energy. “Their emphasis on efficiency, performance, and analysis fits our mission to not just deliver storage, but put the customer in control of their own energy supply.”

The JuiceBox Energy storage system also supports residential demand response programs, where available. The system is designed to support grid-tied, grid isolated in the event of grid failure, and off-grid configurations.

Each system delivers more than 10 years or 4,000 cycles of dedicated peak shifting, back-up power, energy efficiency, as well as enables participation in emerging transactive energy exchanges. A cellular gateway linked to a secure cloud-based repository enables remote monitoring, updates, and control. The JuiceBox Energy storage system is housed in an indoor/outdoor UL-rated enclosure.

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The 3rd annual Midwest Solar Expo is returning to the greater Minneapolis region May 17-19, 2016. The highly-anticipated conference attracts hundreds of solar executives from across the country and is offering a new and improved format and location.

The expanded three-day conference will feature an all-star line-up of speakers, additional NABCEP-accredited training workshops and networking receptions, and longer exhibition hall hours. Additionally, it will host the Midwest Energy Storage Symposium, a new dedicated afternoon session focused on the emerging energy storage markets.

Since 2014, the Midwest Solar Expo has grown substantially, bringing together leading solar developers, installers, manufacturers, distributors, financiers, EPCs, utilities, policy-makers, government officials, trade associations and other stakeholders interested in building robust regional solar markets.

“These markets are maturing fast and the solar industry is paying attention. We’re seeing the local and regional solar companies turn into more sophisticated organizations, while national players have begun to invest heavily in the region,” says Jake Rozmaryn, CEO of Eco Branding. “As a result, the Midwest Solar Expo has become the must-attend solar conference for companies looking to enter or expand in the rapidly growing Midwest markets.”

The conference and expo will feature:

• 400+ Attendees
• 40+ Speakers
• 30+ Exhibitors
• 16+ Breakout Sessions
• 3 Plenary Sessions
• 4 Networking Receptions
• 3 Dedicated Energy Storage Sessions
• 7 Hours of NABCEP CE Training
• Expanded Exhibition Hall Hours

The 2016 Midwest Solar Expo early-bird registration is open and there are still sponsorship, exhibition, speaking and partnership opportunities available at this year’s conference. If you are interested in participating, contact info@midwestsolarexpo.com today. To register visit www.midwestsolarexpo.com/registration.

About the Midwest Solar Expo
The Midwest Solar Expo is an annual solar energy conference that brings together hundreds of executives and stakeholders from along the solar industry supply chain to advance Midwest markets through premium education, training and networking. Now in its third year, the Midwest Solar Expo has solidified itself as the region’s leading B2B solar conference and exhibition. Visit www.midwestsolarexpo.com to learn more.

Solar Power World

Giga Solar 275W Module 8kg (17lb) (PRNewsFoto/Giga Solar FPC, Inc.)

“We were extremely pleased with the results, which show negligible power loss after these accelerated stress tests,” said Tom Hood, CEO and Founder of Giga Solar. “It demonstrates that our innovative PV modules can withstand the very tough conditions that modules experience on rooftops. Giga Solar’s modules weigh 60% less than traditional crystalline silicon modules, so in addition to the benefits of simpler and lower cost mounting, our reduced module weight decreases transportation costs and improves ease of handling,” Hood added.

Testing was performed in two categories – environmental and mechanical. The environmental tests were a modified subset of the IEC-61215 protocol, a PV module performance standard used by the solar industry worldwide. Environmental testing included hail impact + 50 thermal cycles, 1000 hours of damp heat exposure and 500 thermal cycles. The mechanical tests, including various bending and localized pressure tests, were custom designed by Fraunhofer CSE to simulate the forces a lightweight module would encounter during transportation and installation.

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