Vista Solar, a leading Bay Area commercial solar installer and a Top 400 Solar Contractor, will install a 168-kW solar system for employee benefits company, The Vita Companies.

The rooftop solar system will generate positive cash flow savings from day one, and is estimated to save The Vita Companies over $2 million over 25 years.

“This system will eliminate virtually all of our energy bill, and will also offset our tenant property next door, making it attractive to renters,” said Karl Hansen, president of The Vita Companies.

Construction will begin at Vita later this year and take about three weeks to complete. The equipment specified includes high-efficiency Suniva modules and Solectria inverters.

Solar Power World

Ecotech Institute recently released two free, comprehensive eBook guides to starting a wind or solar energy career. These guides cover everything from a day in the life of renewable energy technicians and potential salary earnings to required skills and advice from professional solar and wind technicians.

The wind and solar energy renewable energy industries are booming, but that doesn’t mean getting a green job is easy, says the institute. These occupations take specialized training, cleantech industry knowledge, and passion to secure a career. Now, future solar and wind technicians have one place to access vital information, including:

• key industry facts about the renewable energy sector
• tips for job seekers in the energy efficiency field
• expectations and requirements for wind and solar energy green jobs
• cleantech employment trends
• advice from working industry experts and technicians

Learn everything there is to know about “ditching the desk” and landing a green job in the wind or solar industry by downloading the free Wind and Solar Energy eBooks here.

For more from Ecotech, try these articles:

Clean Jobs Index Shows A 19% Increase In 2013

Looking For Solar Certification? Institute Programs Can Help

Solar Power World

Heather Centorbi is a Marketing Coordinator at WTWH Media, the publisher of Solar Power World.

Heather Centorbi / Marketing Coordinator / WTWH Media, publisher of Solar Power World

Referral programs have always been a successful marketing strategy for many types of businesses, and recently they’ve been on the rise in solar, as well. In fact, 90% of the contractors on Solar Power World’s 2014 Top 400 Contractors list reported that referrals are a major part of their marketing.

Referral programs are a method of promoting products or services to new customers. Not only are referral programs helping businesses grow, but they also help build a strong core of brand ambassadors.

A brand ambassador represents a brand in a positive way and is important to a company’s success because they influence new customers and help keep your brand top-of-mind. With brand ambassadors and the power of social media, referrals can transform a business.

Take California-based residential installer Verengo Solar for example. The company (No. 28 on Solar Power World’s 2014 Top 400 Contractors list) has offered the Verengo Solar Referral Program since 2010, and attributes more than a quarter of its business to it. Verengo says developing strong relationships with its clients through excellent customer service is the best way to earn brand ambassadors.

To promote its referral program Verengo Solar uses social media and email communications and asks its customers about referrals during every interaction. Then, as customers share positive experiences with a company to other potential clients, referrals increase and the total cost of acquiring new customers decreases because less money has to be spent on commercials, marketing and other forms of customer acquisition.

“The highest compliment our customers can give us is to recommend us to those they know,” says David Thoreau, Verengo Solar’s public relations manager. “Over time it may result in companies being able to provide even lower pricing to their customers as the cost of acquisition declines.”

California-based commercial solar developer REC Solar (No. 40 on Solar Power World’s 2014 Top 400 Contractors list) also believes that referral programs are important to the solar industry because business owners considering a solar project are faced with a steep learning curve. Business owners need to understand how solar works, what impact it will have to their operating expenses and the return on investment all while comparing competitive quotes. An introduction to a solar provider from a trusted friend or colleague allows for a smooth transition into a new solar project.

A significant portion of REC Solar’s project pipeline is referral-based. The company says customers often refer their colleagues and associates, and this has been a key driver to its growth and REC Solar wants to reward customers for that.

“We put a referral program in place as a thank you to reward our valued customers that have sent additional business our way,” says John Pressley, business development associate at REC Solar.

Like Verengo, REC promotes its referral program through email marketing, its website and verbally to its customers upon successful completion of their projects. (Photo courtesy: Verengo Solar)

4 Tips for Referral Programs:

1. Place a company branded yard sign in your customer’s yard upon completion of the project. Ask them to upload a photo of the yard sign or solar installation to your company’s Facebook account. Once the photo is uploaded send the customer a check to thank them.
2. Encourage customers to leave a Yelp! Review or a Facebook review of your company and services provided.**
3. Take before and after installation photos and promote them via social media.
4. Measure and track your incentives to see the
   ROI they are providing your business.

For more marketing coverage, check out these articles:

Top Contractors Use These Strategies For Powerful Marketing

5 Keys To Successful Content Marketing For Solar Installers

Now Here’s How To Spend Your Solar Marketing Dollars, Part Two

Spend Your Solar Customer-Acquisition Dollars Wisely, Part One

**Has been changed from original version. Original version encouraged monetary incentives for reviews, but we found that may not be the best advice. 

Solar Power World

Fronius USA recently hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of ITRAC, the Innovations Test Research And Application Center, significantly expanding the rooftop PV array above their 400,000-square-foot manufacturing plant and US headquarters in Portage, Indiana.

The state of the art facility, housing Fronius USA’s administrative, manufacturing, technical support and repair services as well, is now able to simulate real-life situations in the every evolving solar industry and capture research and data, as well as develop new solutions and technologies, all within the United States.

The privately-held, family-owned company started doing research outside of its International headquarters for the first time in its 70-year history when it opened its U.S. headquarters in Portage a few years ago. Fronius has since installed more than 500 modules on the roof in order to harvest the sun’s energy, boost its research capability and develop new products. The panel can generate up to 30 percent of the energy needed to run the facility, which includes corporate offices, a sophisticated welding lab and a solar inverter manufacturing area.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation President Eric Doden was on hand Thursday, October 2, 2014 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on the roof along with Director of Solar Energy for Fronius USA Thomas Enzendorfer and Martin Beran, Head of System Support Group for Fronius USA.

“People frequently ask why Fronius installed solar panels in the often snow-blitzed Northwest Indiana of all places, when the U.S. solar industry has largely clustered in California,” said Director Solar Energy Thomas Enzendorfer. “But the company’s goal is to make solar energy mainstream, which is why we chose the Midwest, America’s heartland.”

At the Portage facility, researchers can test the solar panels during all four seasons, when it’s overcast, and when they get sullied with light dirt from the nearby steel mills, Enzendorfer said. They have been positioning panels in different directions of the roof to test real-world conditions and compare the energy generation of flat roof panels with canted panels that actively follow the sun.

Beran said the array will help researchers make current Fronius products more reliable and develop new products, such as to store solar energy so it can be used when it’s dark.

“We started this project one and a half years ago and we learn as we go,” he said. “We mimic a residential system here. We mimic a commercial system here. We test with shading, with non-perfect conditions. As the industry develops, it’s important to show that solar makes sense in some not-so-perfect conditions.”

Fronius is constantly innovating and plans to even further expand its operations and array in the future, Enzendorfer said. Fronius USA also develops custom welding machines that have been used to weld steel to aluminum and that the electric car company, Telsa, utilizes in its production facilities.

“This is great, but it’s just the beginning,” Beran said.

Solar Power World

Cal Morton is the sales and marketing executive at Texas Solar Outfitters

When another Houston solar company was getting out of residential business, and panel prices were declining, Garret Gordy, a passionate conservationist, seized the opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment. He founded Texas Solar Outfitters (now a SPW 2014 Top 400 Contractor) in 2010 with three other partners, one being a master electrician, which provided the company with their electrical contractor license.

“Solar was a way Garret felt like he could help the environment,” says Cal Morton, the company’s sales and marketing executive. “He had the financial resources to get this business off the ground and allow us to grow, and to lose money initially, when other people wouldn’t have.”

The first sales person was hired in 2012. Three short years later, the company employs 16 and continues to grow, especially in the residential market.

“We do more residential jobs by far,” says Morton. “But on a revenue basis, I would say we are 60% residential, 40% commercial.”

In the last few years, Morton says Texas Solar Outfitters has completed close to 80 residential jobs and 6 commercial jobs, all within the greater Houston area. More than 6 million people reside in the company’s district service area and the population increases almost daily, leaving no shortage of work for the PV and solar thermal installation company.

“One of the things I like about this industry, especially in this growth state and our unique place in the market here in Houston, is that we’re very fortunate to have a lot of people who are interested in what we do,” says Morton, who previously worked as a stock broker. “I enjoy being busy. It keeps your mind active and makes you feel good about your day.”

Luckily Texas Solar Outfitters is located in a densely populated area, because without those numbers, the company might be struggling, especially in an unincentivized market. Financing is almost non-existent in Texas for the solar industry and there’s no viable leasing product either. Morton says the company mostly deals with cash transactions and can only recall two projects that were financed. Likewise, Houston does not offer any local utility rebates or city rebates, making it difficult for smaller solar companies to enter, and stay in, the market. Morton’s advice: Keep a tight grip on your marketing budget and be pro-active about generating business opportunities.

“I think you have to get out and beat the pavement around your jobs,” he says. “Get out in the neighborhoods and talk to the folks around your job sites, go to local schools, offer yourself as a speaker at events. Everybody loves to hear about solar, especially because it’s new to them.”
Solar is new, and it’s here to stay. While the industry may not grow at the exponential rates that it has over the last four years or so (90% of all solar in the U.S. has been installed since Q1 2010), it is going to have a healthy growth rate moving forward.

“From a financial planning perspective, I like selling solar because as long as the sun keeps rising, you can present numbers to a customer and they can count on those numbers,” says Morton. “You can sell a good, high-quality product and sleep at night. It’s just a pleasurable business to be in all around.” SPW

By: Michelle DiFrangia, Special To SPW

Listen to a podcast with Cal Morton here. 

Solar Power World

By: Solar Power World Contributor Richard Lawrence, Executive Director at NABCEP

I have fond memories of my first clean energy professional conference, the 2003 Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s Building Energy Conference in Boston. Governor Mitt Romney provided the opening address. He praised the business development opportunities that clean energy technologies could bring to the state and discussed how Massachusetts was working to encourage innovation and growth in this sector of the economy. In my mind, renewable energy and efficiency were always bi-partisan issues, but until then I had only heard politicians from the other side of the aisle actively promote clean energy development.

Having recently obtained a master’s degree in environmental education, I knew renewable energy was capable of addressing so many of our social, geopolitical and economic issues. It was refreshing and enlightening to hear this from the governor: Renewable energy could create jobs, save businesses money and reduce our reliance on foreign oil — all while having a positive effect on the environment. His speech reaffirmed that I had made the right choice by focusing my career on renewable energy education, training and workforce development.

Throughout the rest of the event, I heard other inspiring speakers present on a variety of topics. My brain was like a sponge soaking in as much as I could from the experts, their knowledge and experiences, even if the information was sometimes over my head. I also learned a great deal just by walking the show floor. I met people at that conference who would become long-time colleagues and friends. Attending the event had a great impact on my career.

I’ve been to many trade shows since, and each time I come away reinvigorated with new ideas and a fresh perspective — and with a stack of business cards. It’s amazing how quickly you can make industry connections. Just a few minutes or hours of interaction can create important relationships.

Regularly attending industry conferences like Solar Power International and Intersolar North America is among the best professional development activity that you can undertake. Yes, the price of admission and travel can be costly, and so can your time away from work or school. But in my experience, the sacrifice is worth it to gather with thousands and share ideas, information and experience.

No matter what your role or position, you will find attending an industry trade conference to be one of the most rewarding and valuable experiences of your career. Please stop by the NABCEP booth #2331 at Solar Power International and say hello. SPW

By: Solar Power World Contributor Richard Lawrence, Executive Director at NABCEP

TRADESHOW TIPS:
Consider pre- and post-conference events. Workshops provide in-depth explorations of topics, which isn’t possible during the shorter panel sessions and presentations. Other experiences are often available, such as behind-the-scenes tours of facilities otherwise not open to the public. Also, invaluable networking events may cost a little extra but are usually worth it if you bring yourself to start talking to strangers.

Plan your schedule in advance. There is always too much to do and the days go by too fast. Put aside ample time to walk the show floor. Set up appointments with the vendors you know you want to speak with. Conferences are also a great time to sit down and discuss ideas with colleagues from across the country. Reach out to them in advance and set a meeting — perhaps over a meal.

Don’t leave too early to go to bed or catch up on messages. Evening receptions and after-parties outside of show hours are some of the best opportunities to interact. Even though it is a party atmosphere, some of the most important work of the whole conference occurs at these events.

Read more about solar training here:

Papers Please: A Look At The World Of Solar Credentials

Chicken And Egg: Gaining Experience For Solar Certification

Solar Power World

Start-Up Alley is an exciting opportunity at SPI for new companies to gain visibility and for those in the industry to see what’s on the horizon.

While Solar Power International’s many over-the-top booths sure grab your attention, some of the most innovative technology at the show may be in Start-Up Alley. The program returns for its second year, presented by Solar Power International and Clean Energy Trust, to give up-and-coming companies a chance to reap the benefits of a show where they otherwise might not be able to afford a booth.

Though now signing deals with companies like Enphase Energy, program founder Mike Dershowitz recalls spending every penny his start-up software company ModSolar had to get a booth at PV America in the company’s early days.

“We were all the way at the back in the concessions area where no one could find us,” Dershowitz recalls in a video he shot to promote Start-Up Alley. “But we picked up customers, found prospects and showed our face among our competitors.”

“We wanted to help other companies repeat the success we had,” he says. “The goal is to help them find their first customers and introduce them to venture capitalists and possible partners.”

Last year’s winner was Michigan-based GreenLancer.com, which lets contractors order the entire spectrum of documents needed to take a project from feasibility through construction. In effect, the company can serve as a back office operation for contractors seeking to add solar energy expertise to its services.

Since winning the 2013 Solar Power International Start-Up Alley Challenge, CEO Michael Sharber says GreenLancer.com has seen its monthly sales increase more than 30 times and its customer base increase six times what it had been.

“The Start-Up Alley Challenge validated our business model,” Sharber says. “As a result, we landed and signed master service agreements with some of the industry’s largest players.”

Last year Greenlancer.com, which can serve as a back office operation for contractors seeking to add solar energy expertise to its services, celebrated its win of the Start-Up Alley Challenge at SPI in Chicago.

The finalist in the running for this year’s competition include:
enACT Systems Inc
Energy Toolbase LLC
Faraday
Geli Inc
Smart Resource Labs
SMASHsolar, Inc.
Sun Number

Finalists will pitch their business proposals to a panel of distinguished venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, corporate investors and business leaders at the show.

Attend the challenge on the expo floor to see who comes out 2014’s winner. Competition will be located on Wednesday, October 22, 2014 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m in South Hall 4.

Solar Power World

Fronius has partnered with Tigo Energy  to integrate technology from Tigo Energy’s smart module platform into the Fronius residential and small commercial family of inverters.  The Fronius FE inverter line with its Cloud Connect technology inside pairs seamlessly with smart modules from Tigo Energy’s existing PV module partners to create an end-to-end solution with no extra boxes.

This leverages the strengths of Fronius and Tigo Energy into a reliable and bankable solution for module-level-power-electronics in the solar industry. The companies will feature these new products and services at Solar Power International in Las Vegas.

“Our decision to partner with Tigo Energy is a result of strong market demand for our collaboration and the industry’s push towards module-level power electronics,” said Thomas Enzendorfer, Director of Solar Energy of Fronius USA. “We believe that this strategy will provide enhanced safety, reduced cost of ownership and the most bankable solution for customers by providing both module and inverter control onto a single platform.”

The new Fronius FE Inverter Line features technology from Tigo embedded inside. This eliminates the need for Tigo Energy’s management unit hardware and gateway, creating a single-box solution for customers. The technology is embedded into Fronius’ inverter and leverages the Tigo communication backhaul.

The integrated product significantly reduces the cost and labor that was previously required for the stand-alone solution. Installers can use the optimized inverter with smart module equipment without having to procure, manage, or install any extra boxes.

This solution also leverages the strength of Fronius’ strong reliability, quality and support infrastructure to offer the easiest and most bankable service to installers and financiers. Combined with the service from Tigo’s Tier 1 solar module partners the overall solution provides a simpler and more reliable customer experience.

“This is the strongest validation yet of our open-architecture approach to the module-level power electronics space,” said Zvi Alon, CEO of Tigo Energy. “Our platform enables module and inverter manufacturers to collaborate at unprecedented levels and drive new functionality not available before. To make any architecture like ours work it requires dedicated partners. With the Fronius collaboration our platform is stronger than ever before.”

Customers interested in purchasing the new Fronius FE Inverter Line or any other Fronius products are able to do so from a variety of distributors throughout the United States.

Webinar
Tigo and Fronius will co-host a webinar series to cover the major benefits of this technology. Register here.

Solar Power World

VARTA Microbattery announced that VARTA Storage is featuring the Engion Series of energy storage systems at Solar Power International 2014. The safe and reliable Engion Series is designed to allow residential and commercial property owners greater independence from public utilities by reducing their cost of electricity and ensuring power is available in the event of a power grid fault. Comprised of Engion Home and Engion Family systems, the series employs VARTA’s highly efficient lithium ion (li-ion) battery modules to store energy generated by photovoltaic (PV) systems and/or the electric utility grid. Due to the modular configuration of the VARTA battery modules, systems may be configured with capacities ranging from 2.8 kWh to 13.8 kWh and are available in the range of 25 kW through 100 W. The systems additionally feature a battery inverter capacity of up to 4.0 kW.

“Homeowners, as well as owners of commercial properties, will realize significant cost benefits and efficiencies resulting from the modular design of the VARTA batteries used in Engion energy storage systems,” said Fred Schellert, head of marketing and sales for VARTA Storage. “Users are able to access ‘green’ energy derived from PV systems and/or the power grid regardless of the time of day or weather, and are able to match the storage capacity of their Engion system with their application. Moreover, the Engion Series is designed to support a 20-plus year lifespan as it is configured to allow existing battery modules to be combined with future battery technologies.”

VARTA Storage’s Engion Home systems are provided with capacities of from 2.8 kWh to 6.9 kWh and a battery inverter capacity of up to 2.4 kW, whereas Engion Family systems are offered with capacities of from 3.7 kWh to 13.8 kWh and with a battery inverter capacity of up to 4 kW. The series supports 3-phase 400 VAC input along with an Ethernet interface. It also boasts an expected life of up to 8,000 cycles and a 20-year lifespan. Engion Family systems measure 60 cm (W) x 185 cm (H) x 40 cm (D), while Engion Home systems measure 60 cm (W) x 130 cm (H) x 40 cm (D). The series is engineered with extensive redundant mechanical and electrical functions, flame-retardant housing and automatic overvoltage cutoff.

Solar Power World

The German TSG 1899 Hoffenheim football club has gone solar with a 1-MW carport PV system. The installation uses SolarEdge Technologies due to its high return on investment and long-term asset protection. In addition, SolarEdge technology includes system-embedded SafeDC technology, which offers both asset and personnel protection through automatic shut-down to safe voltage for maintenance and in case of a fire.

Installed by Wircon, the 1-MW carport PV system consists of 47 SolarEdge inverters and 2,013 SolarEdge power optimizers. The fixed-string voltage of the SolarEdge inverter allows for a more flexible system design and longer strings for decreased balance of system costs.

“We consistently recommend the SolarEdge system solution to commercial system owners because the technology protects the long-term investment in the PV system,” stated Dr. Peter Vest, CEO of Wircon. “The combination of SolarEdge module monitoring and remote maintenance reduces O&M costs, while the power harvesting per module assures the maximum revenue generation for the system lifetime.”

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim is also installing SolarEdge technology in two additional installations. One on the roof of the “TSG-Fanhaus” and one with 2,500-square-feet of PV at its training and business facilities in Zuzenhausen. These plants will include SolarEdge’s Smart Energy Management solution, which reduces electricity costs by maximizing self-consumption.

“The selection of the SolarEdge system solution to help future-proof this investment is further evidence of the importance of effective solar asset management in order to improve the financials of a PV project,” stated Joachim Nell, General Manager of SolarEdge Central Europe.

Solar Power World

Sika Corporation, supplier of sealing, bonding, reinforcement and protection solutions will exhibit at Solar Power International 2014.
Sika will feature its full line of bonding and sealing solutions for the solar industry including Sikasil engineered silicone solutions for manufacturing, field construction and installation of solar panels and systems.

Sika engineered silicones are specifically designed to fit into the common production processes and cycle times of PV module and CSP mirror system production. In addition to our high performance silicones, Sika will also display its full range of polyurethane, modified silane-terminated polymer (STP), MMA’s and elastomer adhesives and sealants.

Sika, active in glass bonding technologies in the automotive, transportation and commercial glazing industries, brings to the solar industry more than 15 years direct expertise in advanced application techniques and product technologies for both common and demanding applications. Sikasil two-component silicones have been engineered for assembly operations, field construction and field installation of solar panels and systems.

Sikasil engineered silicones provide stellar performance, accelerated curing speeds and the opportunity for highly automated application techniques resulting in increased process capabilities. Use of our technically advanced products typically eliminates the need for mechanical fixtures, offers options for simplified mounting designs and results in savings in operations, material and labor costs in the assembly process.
“Sika continues to supply the solar industry globally with state-of-the-art, high performing products and solutions from solar panel design and manufacturing to field installation,” said Tony Martin, Vice President Transportation, Appliances and Components. “We continue to have great success in delivering our solar customers a full range of products and solutions to meet their most demanding application requirements. Sika is committed to bringing new technologies to the renewable energy industry, and in our company efforts in sustainability.”

Solar Power World

DPW Solar will debut the POWER XPRESS Ballasted Flat Roof Mounting System, designed to help installers mount solar modules faster and easier.  Installers of PV solar modules can spend hours aligning mounting racks in perfect rows while wrenching their necks and raking their knuckles to tighten hard-to-reach clamps. Now they can do the same job in a fraction of the time at a fraction of the cost with none of the discomfort, thanks to the new POWER XPRESS Ballasted Flat-Roof Mounting System.

From DPW Solar, an early pioneer of solar module mounting systems, POWER XPRESS is one of the simplest flat-roof systems to assemble. It has only two main components, a chassis and a clamp, which makes it easier to transport and quicker to set up.

The smarter design also makes POWER XPRESS cost less than other top-quality, flat-roof racking systems.

You can see the POWER XPRESS at Solar Power International (booth No. 858), October 20–23, 2014, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev.

“POWER XPRESS is the third generation of our field-proven ballasted, flat-roof racking system,” says John Markiewicz, General Manager of DPW Solar. “It’s more modular than any of the other systems we’ve introduced during our 20-plus years in the PV solar industry. That makes it easier to customize to the roof and about 30 percent faster to lay out and assemble.”

POWER XPRESS installs in four simple steps

Lay out chassis on the roof. Use spanners and jigs to align them.
Place cement blocks in ballast pans.
Lay down solar modules.
Secure modules with clamps, tightening the bolt outside each chassis.

What’s better about POWER XPRESS?

Lower cost. Because of the smart design — using fewer parts and less material — POWER XPRESS costs less than many other ballasted, flat-roof mounting systems.

More modular. Lay out solar modules in various configurations to fit the roof. You’re not restricted by rails or subassemblies, as in conventional designs.

Quick to assemble. No more loose hardware to keep track of as POWER XPRESS uses only two main components: a chassis and a clamp.

Full-containment ballast pans. When concrete blocks weather and break, their pieces stay in the pan and continue serving as ballast weight.

Hassle-free clamps. Instead of clamping down on top of the solar module or through bolts underneath, POWER XPRESS clamps latch to the lip on the module’s underside. Tightening each clamp is hassle-free because the bolt is easily accessible outside the module frame and chassis.   In addition, the POWER EXPRESS clamps fit almost all solar module designs.

Built-in electrical grounding. No need to add extra grounding components. Once the solar module is clamped, it’s grounded thanks to the clamp’s penetrating teeth.

Optional wind deflectors. They’re easy to snap in if you need them. But if you don’t, they’re not built into the standard design, keeping your system’s cost down.

DPW Solar
www.dpwsolar.com

Solar Power World

AllEarth Renewables and Claire Solar Partners have announced the completion of a 2.2MW solar tracker farm in South Burlington, Vt. JA Solar provided multi-crystalline 260 watt PID resistant modules for the project.

The project is the largest in North America to utilize distributed inverters and dual-axis trackers to maximize production.

Claire Solar utilized 366 AllSun Trackers and highly efficient modules from JA Solar, to further maximize the farm’s output. The ground-mounted pre-engineered solar trackers, which track the sun throughout the day, produce up to 30 percent more energy than fix ground-mounted systems. JA Solar’s multi-crystalline 260 watt modules outperform the peers’ modules by 5-10 watts in terms of power rating. JA Solar’s PV module, well-known for its high reliability, high conversion efficiency and high power output, outperforms the industry average by 5-30 watts in terms of power rating.

The project was constructed under Vermont’s Sustainably Priced Energy Enterprise Development (SPEED) standard-offer program and will produce over 3 million kilowatt hours of emissions-free energy a year. AllEarth Renewables also served as the EPC for the project.

In 2011, AllEarth Renewables utilized their solar trackers for a 2.1MW solar farm across the road from the Claire Solar site.

Solar Power World

Ecoppia’s Robotic Solar Cleaning Solution

Ecoppia, an innovative developer of automated, water-free photovoltaic (PV) solar panel cleaning solutions, has announced that Photovoltaik Institut Berlin (PI Berlin), one of the world’s most respected independent PV technology testing laboratories, has certified the company’s E4 robotic cleaning system as safe for long-term use on solar panels manufactured by nine global market leaders: Yingli Solar, First Solar, Solar Frontier, Photowatt, JA Solar, Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, Jinko Solar, and ReneSola. Ecoppia E4 is the only solar panel cleaning solution on the market to receive such certification.

Solar Power World

AET (Applied Energy Technologies), a preferred supplier of utility-scale racking systems and one of the top 10 solar racking companies in the United States, is pleased to announce the unveiling of its Rayport-I shade cover, a protective cover for its innovative solar inverter mounting kit for string inverters. AET’s Rayport-I  will also include a disconnect mounting kit, an optional feature for securely storing disconnect units, and both products will be on display at Solar Power International (booth #2327) from October 20-23, at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas NV.

The Rayport-I shade cover is the first product of its kind and helps decrease and maintain inverter temperatures, particularly during the summer months, in order to preserve the function of the inverter. The Rayport-I disconnect mounting kit allow for disconnect units to be fixed in a convenient location on the front or rear of the rack, close to the inverter itself. AET has already seen a highly positive industry response to its Rayport-I inverter mounting kit and the newly launched options.

John Harberts, VP Product Development at AET, commented, “The launch of our Rayport-I solar inverter mounting kit generated a lot of excitement in the industry and we are delighted to add an optional shade cover and disconnect mounting kit to the Rayport-I product line.

“The shade cover is protective equipment designed to help maintain the lifespan, reliability and performance of inverters by shielding them from external factors particularly sun exposure, and to a degree, other weather conditions, as well as dust and debris. Disconnect units are an important safety feature that allow for immediate system shutdown in the event of an emergency. AET’s disconnect mounting kit protects and secures the unit and fits easily to the front or rear of the Rayport-I inverter mounting kit, allowing it to be safely stored close to the inverter,” said Mr. Harberts.

The Rayport-I inverter mounting kit fits most string inverters on the market and can be used in either roof top or ground mount systems. The stainless steel kit mounts at a 20 degree angle and has been rigorously tested to withstand the most challenging environmental conditions. The Rayport-I is durable and lightweight, weighing just 13lbs, helping to reduce shipping costs and enabling easier handling on the job site

AET’s engineers are constantly delivering innovative, high quality solutions to meet the needs of solar racking customers. AET’s racking products are designed to save valuable installation time, help minimize installation-related maintenance issues and to work within developer and EPC budgets.

AET
http://aetenergy.com

Solar Power World

Ensuring the uniform quality of solar cells, modules and panels is critical for PV manufacturers as part of their quality control best practices. Solar simulators are used to simulate sunlight in testing the reliability and performance of solar cells and panels. Pulse solar simulators can be used to test large solar panels at a fraction of the cost of continuous solar simulators. Monitoring, measuring, and classifying a pulse solar simulator is necessary to provide complete and consistent information on cell performance, but it is also difficult to do.

The SR-1901PT spectroradiometer for testing and classifying pulsed solar simulators.

Now SPECTRAL EVOLUTION offers the SR-1901PT spectroradiometer for testing and classifying pulsed solar simulators. The instrument is compact, portable, and easy to set up and use. The SR-1901PT has a spectral range of 280-1900nm. Other features include:

• Detectors: One 512 element UV-enhanced silicon photodiode array and one 256 element TE-cooled extended InGaAs photodiode array
• 1-50 msec integration time
• Bluetooth I/O connection
• External TTL port and phototrigger with SMA-905 port
• 0-100 millisecond trigger delay increment
• External TTL≤5µsec trigger jitter
• Photodetector jitter – ≤100nsec
• Spectral match for AM1.5
• DARWin SP-PT Data Acquisition software includes added features such as spectral match reports, auto-integration and auto-ranging, and automatically saves data as ASCII files for use with 3^rd party software

The unit includes NIST traceable irradiance calibration, 1.2 meter dual fiber optic with custom diffuser and built-in phototrigger, 100-240 volt/50-60hz power supply, and a dustproof, waterproof foam-lined case for shipment and storage. Our easy to use DARWin SP Data Acquisition software is included with each SR-1901PT.

For more information on this and other general photonics spectroradiometers, visit: http://www.spectralevolution.com/spectroradiometer_SR_1901PT.html

Solar Power World

Exosun’s Exotrack HZ will be on display at Solar Power International, held October 21-23 in Las Vegas. Interested attendees can view a demonstration unit at booth #4906 and learn more about the SMARTracking process.

Exosun, a leading provider of solar tracking technologies for utility-scale ground-mounted solar plants, now offers its Exotrack HZ horizontal single-axis tracker with an intelligent patented backtracking process, called SMARTracking.

Solar trackers are motorized structures that orient photovoltaic panels toward the sun throughout the day, to significantly increase solar plant output in comparison to fixed-tilt structures. All solar tracker control programs include a standard backtracking system to minimize shading on PV modules during periods of low solar height (early morning and late afternoon). It usually relies on the theoretical positioning of the trackers on the plant, possibly followed by arduous on-site fine tuning.

Exosun’s innovative approach distinguishes itself from its competitors: when designing SMARTracking, Exosun’s engineering teams took into account variations in the terrain and the real on-site implementation of the trackers.

The genuine advance of SMARTracking is based on a three-dimensional positioning analysis of each solar tracker on site, thereby achieving the best alignment for the trackers and enabling to individualize the control of each solar tracker. Consequently, SMARTracking™ allows the plant to generate up to 5% more energy yield annually compared to other traditional single-axis trackers, maximizing ROI. For example, thanks to the implementation of SMARTracking™ on a 7 MW project in South West France, 440 MWh of electricity can be produced more per year.

SMARTracking™ is a real breakthrough in movement management. Its results have been validated by an independent third party.

Exosun’s Exotrack® HZ will be on display at Solar Power International, held October 21-23 in Las Vegas. Interested attendees can view a demonstration unit at booth #4906 and learn more about the SMARTracking process.

Solar Power World

SunEnergy1 is installing JinkoSolar panels at the Duke Energy Renewables-owned Capital Partners Solar Project in eastern North Carolina.

The solar project was announced June 24 as a unique partnership among three customers — George Washington University, American University and the George Washington University Hospital — that will bring solar power from rural North Carolina to the urban settings of the Washington D.C., institutions. Customer First Renewables, a renewable energy integrator, facilitated the partnership.

Phase I, in Pasquotank County near Elizabeth City, is underway and represents the first 20 megawatts (MW) of the total 52-MW (AC) solar photovoltaic project. It is expected to reach commercial operation by year-end, and two other sites will be constructed in 2015 to complete the project.

SunEnergy1 developed the sites and is the engineering, procurement and construction contractor and held job fairs in Elizabeth City and is looking to employ more than 500 people from Pasquotank and nearby counties over the course of the project’s construction.

The 92,000 solar panels for the first 20-MW site are provided by JinkoSolar.

JinkoSolar’s UL-certified JKM300P-72 and JKM305P-72 modules have a conversion efficiency of up to 16 percent and a comprehensive 25-year warranty. Designed to withstand extreme weather and environmental conditions, their self-cleaning capabilities reduce power loss caused by soiling.

The Capital Partners Solar Project will be Duke Energy Renewables’ 14^th solar installation in North Carolina and its largest in the state. SunEnergy1 has been the EPC contractor for seven of the company’s largest North Carolina solar projects.

Solar Power World

CCL Components and SMA Solar Technology will be running six seminars on energy storage at Solar Energy UK, Oct. 14–16. Ken Hobbs, technical director for CCL, and Dean Kalek from SMA will be presenting at the CCL Energy Storage event on all three days and will cover all aspects from financial returns to system design.

CCL will be running two seminars per day in the Solar Central area were the company will be presenting the Sunny Island retrofit systems and SMA’s new Smart Energy Storage Inverter. Both systems offer different benefits, allowing flexibility when selling.

CCL’s technical team works with SMA to develop and understand how energy storage fits with the off-grid market, allowing the company to match batteries with inverters and providing complete retrofit kits for easy installation and procurement.

Want more? Try these articles:

SunSpec Announces New Energy Storage Models Specification

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SunPower And KB Homes Partner On Solar Energy Storage

Solar Power World

NEC 2014 has not yet been widely implemented, but inverter manufacturers are already working on meeting requirements for arc-fault protection and rapid shut-down.

Arc Fault Circuit Protection (DC)
NEC 2011 established arc-fault protection requirements for DC PV circuits, but only for systems with a maximum voltage more than or equal to 80 VDC and with DC circuits on or entering a building. But the phrase “on or penetrating a building” in the previous edition of the code has been left out of NEC 2014 section 690.11, which expands the requirements to nearly all solar projects except the largest utility-scale systems.

The intention is to help protect people and property from damage due to fires, which the code now recognizes can occur on ground-mounted arrays as well as on the roof. Arc-fault protection can help prevent these risks.

“This change has already started to shift the design strategy of many integrators looking to comply with the code,” says Claude Colp, applications engineer at Solectria Renewables, which manufacturers string and central solar inverters.

Many string inverter manufacturers already integrate arc-fault protection. But Colp says inverters larger than 50 kW will likely not include this feature, and instead arc-fault detection will be met through combiner boxes, which — similar to microinverters and power optimizers — will detect arc-faults on a string level, adjacent to the array and allow designers to meet current codes using central inverters.

“The new arc-fault requirement is important to take seriously as we move towards greater solar penetration,” Colp says.

Rapid Shutdown On Buildings
Also, to improve fire and electrical safety, NEC 2014 requires that PV systems on buildings control the conductors (wires). Conductors have to be able to be “de-energized” (or powered down) at any given time, which was not included in the previous version of the code. Experienced firefighters and other professionals expect voltage to be present close to the PV array, but don’t always realize that conductors away from the roof may have live voltage, such as when string inverters are placed on the wall or near the ground, more than 10 feet away from the array.

“In the event of a fire, first responders want to ensure that power and hazardous voltages can be shut down quickly and completely,” says Walter Marusak, product manager at SolarMax USA. “PV modules create a voltage whenever there is light. First responders may cut or come in contact with conductors as they battle a fire, and they want to be sure that there is no danger of shock or electrocution.”

The idea is to be able to shut down current flow and remove any hazardous voltage in wires that run more than 10 feet from the array, or more than 5 feet within a building. These wires are limited to maxing out at 30V with less than and 240 volt-amps current within 10 seconds of shutdown. Marusak says that although this is primarily a PV system requirement, inverters do play a role.

“If an inverter is stopped, the conductors are still live, since the DC cables are supplied from the array and the AC cables are supplied from the grid,” he says. The AC conductor should be opened by opening the PV system disconnect. “If the inverter is located more than 10 feet from the array, a disconnecting switch or contactor must be added to the DC conductors also within 10 feet. This contactor might have the big red button for rapid shut-down. When both AC and DC conductors are opened, the inverter shuts down automatically. But to remove voltage from AC and DC conductors, both actions are required: Opening the PV system disconnect, and actuating the rapid shut-down contactor.”

However, Marusak says the requirement waives the need for the DC contactor if the inverter is located within 10 feet of the array.

“As a result, for commercial rooftops, system installers and designers want to avoid the cost of the DC contactor systems and install the inverters near the array on the roof,” he says. “Commercial rooftops are exposed to full sun, and potentially higher ambient temperatures. Installers expect the inverters to stand up to this environment and want inverters that can be installed on flat roofs.”

“Manufacturers would prefer to see inverters installed in shaded, more protected areas, with designs intended for wall mounting,” Marusak adds. “There is a lot of discussion about how inverter manufacturers will meet these new demands.” SPW

For a more thorough analysis of NEC 2014, see this Engineering Developments feature.

Solar Power World