New UL 1703 fire testing requirements  are proving to be a challenge for some kinds of solar installations. So say experts at Intertek and TUV Rheinland PTL, two of the main independent labs now testing solar modules and systems for fire code conformance.

The 2014 revision of the standard introduces new PV module fire type classification and system rating tests. Intertek and TUV both say they are now seeing a steady stream of systems and modules for testing because the 2014 revision of the standard introduces new PV module fire type classification and system rating tests that all rooftop-mounted systems in California must pass starting January 1 of next year. The rest of the U.S. will have to comply as of October 2016.

But some systems are having a hard time passing the tests. TUV Rheinland Engineering Manager Mark Witt says systems with polymer backsheets are having a particularly hard time passing the low-slope-roof fire test. Most require some kind of mitigation measure such as a skirt or deflector behind the panel. One difficulty with skirts is that they can actually worsen the spread of fire rather than retard it, says Intertk Engineering Team Lead Gregory Allen. Many system makers are having ot go through several design iterations to devise skirts that function correctly. And in other cases, system makers are  geting creative about fire mitigation techniques and eliminating the need for deflectors at all, he says.

Though certification labs can conduct a fire test in about four hours, most systems end up having to undergo a matrix of tests to cover different configurations, says TUV’s Witt. To check out various mitigation strategies, most systems end up going through many more tests than the bare minimum, he says. Because systems end up undergoing a number of tests during certification, Witt says system makers who wait to certify products in November are likely to miss the Jan. 1 deadline.

At Intertek, Allen says the backlog for fire certification testing is currently about two weeks. He also emphasizes that the introduction of mitigation techniques can sometimes impact system designs in ways that are hard to foresee. That is one reason Intertek has seen its slate of solar system tests explode, he says.

Solar Power World

Solar Power World held the 2014 Top 400 Solar Contractor’s Gala Monday night at the ARIA Resort and Casino, where more than 200 contractors gathered for a night of networking, dinner, awards and celebration.

Rhone Resch of Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) kicked off the dinner portion of the event with an uplifting, congratulatory speech. During dinner Eileen Robertson, accompanied by her three children, honored Everybody Solar with the 2014 Brian D. Robertson Memorial Schools Fund award for their exceptional work in the non-profit sector.

As dinner came to an end Robert Dally, Renewable Energy Program Manager for the Nevada Governors Office of Energy, took the stage to discuss his trials and triumphs over his 35-year PV career. It was then time to announce our 2014 Top Solar Contractors award recipients, which included the following:

First Solar was awarded top contractor, top utility-scale contractor and top EPC.

Gehrlicher Solar was awarded top commercial-scale contractor.

SolarCity was awarded top residential and top rooftop contractor.

Sunstall was awarded top construction firm.

NRG Energy was awarded top developer.

CSI Electrical was awarded top electrical subcontractor.

Sunstore Solar (who was unable to attend) was awarded top off-grid contractor.

If you attended the Top Solar Contractors Gala please be sure to tweet about it with #Solar400.

Solar Power World

Radian Generation, a provider of ongoing solar asset management and advisory services, has entered into an agreement with affiliates of DIF (www.dif.eu), an independent fund management company with an extensive global portfolio of solar projects, to provide commercial and technical asset management services for over 65MW (DC) of solar projects in Ontario, Canada. Managing over 300MW of solar PV assets globally, DIF has five projects under contract in Canada. DIF has engaged RadianGEN to leverage RadianGEN’s experience in managing solar projects effectively and efficiently.

“We look forward to working with RadianGEN and their accomplished team on our portfolio of solar projects and achieving our goals of building a North American portfolio of infrastructure investments that produce stable cash flows for our investors,”
said Paul Huebener, managing director, DIF in Canada.

“DIF is an established, well-respected fund management company with impressive infrastructure investments globally in the renewable energy sector,” said Chad Sachs, CEO of RadianGEN. “We are pleased to work with DIF and help them grow in North America. Their long term view and competitive sources of capital will help drive the renewable energy industry forward in both Canada and the United States. ”

RadianGEN will be exhibiting at Solar Power International (booth 151) during the week of October 20th; please contact (510) 339-1527 or SusanDV@aol.com with any questions – and/or to speak with RadianGEN executives.

Solar Power World

Mosaic, a peer-to-peer solar finance company, announced that an affiliate of global reinsurer PartnerRe Ltd.will provide up to $100 million in financing for Mosaic’s home solar loan program.

Under the terms of the facility, PartnerRe will finance the purchase of loans originated by Mosaic. The company also expects to continue to grow its successful peer-to-peer lending platform, which has already seen thousands of investors join the Mosaic community.

“Mosaic’s superior loan terms, user-friendly borrowing experience, and recent expansion into several new states throughout the U.S. have resulted in accelerating demand for capital sourcing for our homeowner loans beyond traditional crowdfunding,” said Bruce Ledesma, Mosaic’s Chief Operating Officer.  “We are thrilled to work with an experienced investment team to expand the availability of our lending capacity to solar installers and their customers throughout the country.”

“Mosaic has successfully created innovative loan products and technology-driven origination processes,” said David Moran, President of PartnerRe Principal Finance Inc.  “PartnerRe is impressed with the quality of consumer loans in Mosaic’s portfolio.  We look forward to beginning our financing arrangement and facilitating greater access to capital for the solar market consistent with our investment objectives.”

Solar Power World

Enphase Energy, announced the Enphase Energy Management System for energy management that delivers on the vision of enabling large-scale implementation of solar power integrated with the grid.

The Enphase system intelligently integrates the critical technologies needed to solve solar energy challenges at scale: smart grid intelligence, communications, big data analytics and storage. The energy management system offers the next-generation, smart-grid ready Enphase microinverter, plug-and-play storage, advanced control capabilities and load management. The new system has three distinct advantages: it provides a better return on investment for system owners, expands the range of profitable business models for installers, and provides broader insight into and control for utilities.

“Enphase is taking a fundamentally different approach to energy management,” said Paul Nahi, Enphase CEO. “The solar industry is dominated by static, isolated systems that do not integrate, communicate, scale or adapt quickly to changes in power generation. Our energy management system is designed to accelerate mass penetration of solar globally and make mainstream access to clean, affordable energy a reality.”

Benefits for Solar System Owners
Building on the company’s track record of disruptive technology innovation, the Enphase Energy Management System is a leap forward in reliability, productivity, cost savings and total energy management. By making solar energy more affordable today and reliable for the future, Enphase is providing owners with more choice and control to optimize and manage their energy.

Benefits for Installers and Distributors
Solar installers and distributors are faced with a rapidly changing energy landscape. With the seamless integration of solar generation, storage, cloud-connected communications and load management on a unified, future-proof platform, installers and distributors can more easily manage the design, installation and management of solar arrays. This higher level of efficiency helps installers and distributors operate more profitably.

Benefits for Utility Companies
The Enphase Energy Management System provides utilities with a higher level of visibility, insight and control over the energy grid. The smart-grid ready system shares information, and in some cases control functions, with the utilities over the cloud. By making it easier for utilities to integrate and sustain solar energy on an optimized energy grid, Enphase systems help maximize their profits and their infrastructure.

The Enphase Energy Management System components will be available on a rolling basis beginning in the third quarter of 2015.

Also, Enphase offers its AC Battery, a storage solution with a modular, plug-and-play storage device fully integrated with the just-introduced Enphase Energy Management System. Based on a distributed architecture, the AC Battery is a safe, reliable and easy-to-install storage solution, designed for residential and commercial applications. The modular battery provides system owners with the ability to store solar energy for nighttime or future use, optimizing solar power consumption and giving owners greater energy independence.

“Storage is going to be a multi-billion dollar market and will be essential in helping solar gain broader acceptance and higher penetration,” said Raghu Belur, co-founder and vice president of products and strategic initiatives at Enphase. “It provides benefits for the system owner, while also helping with grid stability. We are bringing the same technological innovation to storage that we brought to solar, by pairing our innovative distributed architecture with the best-in-class battery chemistry in the industry.”

The AC Battery and Enphase Energy Management System will provide new opportunities for the company’s strong sales channels. As part of the AC Battery rollout, Enphase has engaged several installation companies for pilot projects, including Lennar Homes, Hawaii Energy Connection and Vivint Solar in the U.S.; Pretty Green Energy, CJ Electric and Domuneo in Europe; and Metro Solar in Australia.

“Lennar and Enphase have developed a strong relationship that helps enable our groundbreaking Solar 20/20 Plan™ to bring clean energy and monthly savings to buyers of our new homes,” said David Kaiserman, president of Lennar Ventures and CEO of SunStreet Energy Group. “We are pleased to be selected as a participant in the Enphase AC Battery beta testing program and recognize the importance of energy storage to expanding solar further into the mainstream.”

Enphase has selected ELIIY Power, a Japanese battery manufacturer backed by Daiwa House, as the chemistry provider for Enphase AC Battery. Daiwa House is Japan’s largest homebuilder. ELIIY Power is dedicated to the development and manufacturing of large-sized stationary batteries, putting safety above all else.

“We wanted to find a battery partner that would provide us with the right technology for stationary storage, especially around performance and safety,” continued Belur. “After an extensive evaluation of different energy storage companies and battery chemistries, we chose lithium iron phosphate and ELIIY Power. The batteries’ long cycle life, high performance and safety features, as well as the company’s impeccable quality standards, fit in well with Enphase’s strong commitment to reliability, performance and continuous improvement.”

“We believe the intelligent combination of solar power and storage will be an increasingly important energy solution for the world,” said Hiroichi Yoshida, president of ELIIY Power. “We are so honored and excited about our partnership with Enphase, which is a testament to our batteries’ performance and safety. The combination of our leading battery technology with Enphase’s leading power electronics creates a truly innovative storage solution. We welcome the opportunity to deliver volume quantities of our high-quality batteries and to work together with Enphase to become a global market leader.”

The Enphase AC battery, equipped with the S-series microinverter, will provide 1.2 KWh of energy storage and 275W/550W power-output. Scalable and easy to install, the battery can also be monitored and controlled with the Enphase Enlighten software interface. The Enphase Energy Management System, including the Enphase AC Battery, will be available through authorized distribution channels in limited quantities in the second half of 2015.

To learn more about the Enphase AC Battery and the Enphase Energy Management System, visit Enphase at Solar Power International (Booth 812) in Las Vegas, October 21-23, 2014.

Solar Power World

Calling it “critically important to America’s future,” the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) launched a national campaign to extend the 30% solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) past 2016 by emphasizing tax fairness.

SEIA President and CEO Rhone Resch announced the campaign before a raucus crowd at the opening session of Solar Power International (SPI), the largest solar trade show in America, with nearly 20,000 people expected to attend. The campaign will begin in earnest in 2015, when a new Congress is sworn in.

“Since the United States first began incentivizing energy development, the average annual subsidy has been $4.8 billion for oil and gas, compared to just $370 million for all renewable technologies,” Resch said.

“How is this fair? How is this a leveling playing field? How does this kind of policy support an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy policy? Simply put, it doesn’t.”

Since the ITC went into effect in 2006, solar investment has exploded. Solar installations in 2014 will be 70 times higher than they were in 2006, and by the end of this year, there will be nearly 30 times more installed solar capacity. There are also more than 143,000 Americans currently employed in solar.

“We’ve gone from being an $800-million industry in 2006 to a $15-billion industry today,” Resch continued. “The price to install a solar rooftop system has been cut in half, while utility systems have dropped by 70 percent. It’s taken the U.S. solar industry 40 years to install the first 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar. Now, we’re going to install the next 20 GW in the next two years.

“And finally, during every single week of this year we’re going to install more capacity than what we did during the entire year in 2006. Tell me that’s not worth fighting for,” Resch told the cheering crowd.

To read the entire speech, go here.

Solar Power World

S&C Electric Company was awarded a contract by Ergon Energy, an Australian utility, to provide 20 S&C PureWave Community Energy Storage Systems for the utility’s Grid Utility Support Systems (GUSS). The storage systems will be used to improve the power reliability and efficiency on constrained single-wire high-voltage distribution lines, commonly known as single wire earth return (SWER) lines.  Ergon Energy will also be using S&C’s IntelliTeam DEM Distributed Energy Management System to optimize and control the fleet of CES units throughout their SWER network.

“This is a first for Ergon and Australia,” says Ergon Chief Executive Ian McLeod. “Using a battery-based system in place of traditional network augmentation will not only deliver better value for Ergon and our customers, but it will help drive similar technology adoption on the electricity network.”

Ergon operates about 65,000 kilometers of SWER network servicing more than 26,000 customers. SWER has proven to be a low-cost and reliable way of servicing customers in rural and remote communities around the world, but the lines are prone to capacity constraints. Customers on these constrained lines typically have to limit their electricity use during times of peak demand, and augmentation solutions to effectively increase capacity can be costly.

“SWER lines are used to support remote locations, and energy storage is an ideal solution for improving the power reliability, quality and efficiency for rural-area customers served by these networks,” says Troy Miller, manager – Business Development & Product Management, Power Quality Products, S&C Electric Company. “Alternatives to increasing line capacity rely on significant investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure, which can cost over $2 million AUD per line. Ergon is deferring those transmission and distribution costs and investing in an energy storage solution that provides a wider range of benefits for their customers.”

S&C’s PureWave Community Energy Storage System’s will charge lithium-ion batteries at night when demand is at its lowest, and then discharge them during the day to support peak load demands – reducing or even eliminating the need for Ergon’s customers to limit electricity usage during these times. Each 25-kVA unit will provide 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is enough energy to power the average home for up to five days if power is lost completely.

Additionally, CES units will help Ergon better integrate customer-owned rooftop solar photovoltaic installations by addressing issues with reverse power flow and voltage variability, both of which can significantly impact the power grid’s stability.  The CES units will also store excess energy generated by the rooftop solar and discharge it locally to lower peak loads on the SWER lines.

“The PureWave CES has been used in the United States and the United Kingdom, but this is the first time it is being used in Australia, demonstrating how S&C is applying its global expertise to important utility projects in Australia,” says David Myers, Vice President – Asia Pacific Business Unit, S&C.

The IntelliTeam DEM Distributed Energy Management System will be used by Ergon Energy to centrally control the 20 CES units throughout its system by optimizing the state of charge to match grid conditions. Able to control up to 1,000 CES units, the DEM will allow Ergon Energy to scale its use of storage on the SWER networks in the future and provide added benefits through the optimization of multiple energy storage resources.

Ergon Energy estimates these systems will reduce network augmentation costs by more than 35 percent.  The first deployment of the GUSS units is expected to be complete by early 2015, with the possibility of hundreds more being used across Ergon’s network in coming years.

“We’ve worked closely with Ergon’s engineers for years to merge our field-proven PureWave CES system with their vision for the GUSS units,” says Myers. “We are eager to see the project unfold in Australia, and believe this will be an economical solution for SWER lines worldwide.”

S&C Electric Company, with offices located throughout Australia, offers smart grid solutions for utilities and large-scale power users to improve power reliability, expand grid infrastructure, and reduce carbon footprints. S&C Australia previously provided a 1MW/.5WMh energy storage system tied to a wind park in Hampton, Australia, and continues to expand its portfolio to meet the growing grid reliability and stability needs within the country.

Solar Power World

Solectria Renewables introduces installation accessories for the PVI 3800-7600TL and PVI 14-36TL transformerless inverters. The value-add accessories reduce overall installation costs and time.

• Shade cover – especially designed for inverters mounted at a 15 degree tilt angle; it protects the inverter from harsh weather and direct sunlight/extremely hot temperatures while reducing thermal gain on the inverter and increasing energy harvest.
• AC & DC Disconnect Covers – tamper resistant cover for AC & DC disconnects; for customers that have inverters in public places so the disconnects cannot be turned while inverter is running.
• Simple and Easy Mounting Bracket – a ballasted mounting system with no roof penetration; inverters may be mounted at 15 or 30 degree angle; simple, quick and easy way to mount inverters with a PV array.

Solar Power World

In an increasingly cost-competitive solar market, residential solar installers are capturing higher profit margins and lowering costs through their choice of power electronics, as reported in a new nationwide study by SolarBridge Technologies.

Surveying 32 residential solar installers in 16 key solar states over a two-month period, SolarBridge asked participants to compare soft costs associated with string inverters and several types of power electronics, including DC-to-DC optimizers, detached microinverters and integrated AC modules. In so doing, SolarBridge sought to confirm findings in recent studies conducted by Rocky Mountain Institute/Georgia Tech Research Institute and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that separately identified non-hardware “soft costs” such as labor, permitting and customer acquisition as the next frontier of PV cost reduction.

“Installers today are overwhelmed with the array of hardware choices in modules, inverters and power electronics.  SolarBridge customers have been telling us that they are achieving significant cost savings with TRUEAC modules, and this study was commissioned to shed some light on the soft costs associated with these hardware decisions,” said Bill Mulligan, president and chief executive officer, SolarBridge Technologies.

Overall, respondents reported that TRUEAC modules reduce soft costs by 24 percent compared to string inverters, 33 percent compared to  DC-to-DC optimizers, and 18 percent compared to detached microinverters.

Study participants answered a series of questions about the installation practices involved in the use of string inverters, detached microinverters, optimizers and AC modules. Installers reported a 34 percent reduction in total labor costs with the use of AC modules compared to string inverters, 35 percent compared with detached microinverters, and 48 percent compared with DC-to-DC optimizers. The time it takes to install each type of system also varied widely, from 2.4 days for a string inverter system (average 5kW system size) to 1.88 days for the same type of system using integrated AC modules.

Respondents also reported lower customer acquisition costs associated with the use of microinverters and AC modules, since more bids can be converted into sales with the use of these more flexible systems. Specifically, installers reported that 25 percent of the systems they sold would not have been economically feasible without the use of microinverters or AC modules.

“Installers told us that, quite literally, they would have had to walk away from 1 out of 4 jobs without the use of microinverters or AC modules,” Mulligan continues.  “This highlights the clear advantage of ACPV technology in making an installation business more productive and profitable.”

The study, Measuring the Effect of Module-Level Power Electronics on Soft Costs, can be downloaded on the SolarBridge web site.

Solar Power World

Some fliers landing at the Las Vegas airport will see a view of Mandalay Bay that looks much like this rendering. A 6.2-MW array includes components from Unirac, JA Solar, Hanwha QCELLS and SMA America.

Another Las Vegas landmark is going solar, and this installation is much larger than the 18-panel system at the famed “Welcome To Las Vegas” sign. Sunora Energy will outfit Mandalay Bay Resort Convention Center with a 6.2-MW system. The 21,324 solar modules are expected to provide 20% of the resort’s power demand.

MGM Resorts, which owns Mandalay Bay, chose the resort for its new solar array for its large sun-oriented rooftop, which spans about 20 acres. Mandalay Bay is buying the energy created from the project, designed and developed by NRG Solar, though a power purchase agreement.

Solar Power World asked the project’s developers to tell us more. Here is what they said:

Question: A 6.4-MW rooftop array is very large, as rooftop arrays go. What challenges are inherent in such a large rooftop project and how has Sunora Energy overcome them?

Answer: Among the many challenges a project of this scale, the most significant would be the logistics of delivering and staging material at one of the largest and busiest convention centers in North America. We were not able to store material on the property, and were required to deliver everything “just in time.”

Communicating consistent and methodical coordination of material deliveries with Mandalay Bay’s engineering group allowed us to mitigate logistical delays, safety hazards and impact to the guest experience. Providing an accessible worksite, craft facilities and break areas is a difficult task for any large rooftop project, but doing so without impacting the properties operations or guest experience was an added challenge on a day-to-day basis.

Q: Thousands of people stay at the Mandalay every week. What impact will this array have on the public’s perception of solar?

A: With such a large rooftop installation taking center stage on Las Vegas Boulevard, the perception of application and viability of distributed generation will certainly shift from a “maybe” to “definitely” in Nevada. Not only will guests in the adjacent Mandalay Bay tower be able to see the array, but it will be highly visible to travelers arriving and departing from McCarran Airport, which is across the street.

Q: Are there any special considerations during the construction of this project?

A: Absolutely. Engineering a project of this scale across six different rooftops, each with their own elevations, topography and existing obstructions is a feat in itself. The primary consideration for NRG is keeping the men and women who are building the project onsite safe. Working in Las Vegas through the summer months presents a significant heat and sun exposure hazard that is mitigated with plenty of shade, defined rest/work cycles, cooling vests, buddy system and eight hour shifts allowing our people to get out of the heat in the early afternoon.

Q: What suppliers will be used?

A: EPC: Sunora

Racking: Unirac

Panels: JA Solar and Hanwha QCell

Inverters: SMA America

Monitoring: Locus Energy

Q: Will there be a public education component?

A: As the largest employer in the state of Nevada, MGM Resorts is dedicated to educating its 52,000 employees in Las Vegas. The company is committed to extending its philosophy of environmental responsibility into the community through targeted awareness and engagement campaigns surrounding all sustainability initiatives. SPW

Solar Power World

Solar Performance Maps of the United States, recently released by Vaisala, reveal considerable solar irradiance variability during the summer months, even in desert locations, such as Nevada. Furthermore, these findings have, in turn, demonstrated the need to make more informed use of long-term data to guarantee the ongoing performance and profitability of sites. At the 392 MW Ivanpah Solar Power Facility site in Nevada, solar irradiance has been shown to have either exceeded or fallen short of expectations in 10 out of 15 summer months over the past five years — leading to annual performance fluctuations potentially worth $440,000.

Vaisala 3TIER Services measures and studies solar irradiance across the globe. Making use of this extensive dataset, over the past five years, the company has produced a Summer Solar Performance Map of the United States, analyzing solar irradiance variability during the three-month period when peak production is commonly expected.

These maps serve to graphically illustrate fluctuations in solar irradiance from long-term average levels, giving an indication of the inherent variability of the solar resource and demonstrating the influence of monthly weather patterns on project performance. Combined, they provide a tool developers can use to analyze and quantify the causes of over- or underperformance.

Solar Performance Maps show high variability throughout June, July, and August based on 15+ year records and illustrate associated impact on project profitability.

“The impact of solar variability on the balance sheet can and will make the difference between profitability and loss,” says Richard Pyle, Energy Segment director at Vaisala. “It therefore has a significant influence not only on individual project sites, but also on the international standing of solar energy as a viable investment proposition, particularly as the industry expands into emerging markets overseas.”

During the 2014 study, for analysis purposes, the area surrounding the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in Nevada was chosen as a case study. While desert regions typically enjoy more consistent solar resources, this year’s figures indicate a clear fluctuation in solar irradiance — 5% above average levels in June, but 5 to 8% below average in July and August.

“It is critical that developers acknowledge that resource variability occurs not just from month to month, but also from year to year,” says Gwendalyn Bender, Energy Assessment product manager at Vaisala. “BrightSource Energy [the developer of Ivanpah] was ahead of its time when it first approached us in 2009 to help address this resource assessment issue. They took the long-view and saw a clear requirement to use more sophisticated long-term solar data and modeling techniques to guarantee ongoing site performance.”

Industry wide figures suggest that a 5% negative anomaly in solar irradiation during the summer months for a CSP or PV site can translate to a 1 to 1.5% decrease in annual revenue for a solar developer or operator, highlighting a clear industry requirement to take a more comprehensive approach to gathering long-term weather data.

Variations in solar irradiance caused by anomalous weather patterns are proven to have a substantial impact on the monthly and annual outputs of an asset and must be accounted for in early stage and ongoing performance estimates. However, the quantity and quality of irradiance data, traditionally gathered by developers for this purpose, has often proven inadequate.

It has become common practice to base long-term financial and operational decisions on one-year’s worth of TMY (Typical Meteorological Year) data. This strategy fails to account for inherent climatic variability over the project lifetime and puts assets at considerable risk of underperformance and subsequent loss of profitability in the long-term, especially considering that TMY data sets are based on a “normalized” year and actually screen out both extreme highs and extreme lows.

As the global PV and CSP industries mature and seek to become cost competitive with conventional energy sources, developers, operators, and lenders are increasingly required to make critical investment decisions which, ultimately, have a bearing on the future success of their expanding portfolios. Informed siting choices, resource assessment, and long-term energy modeling are a crucial part of ensuring profitability and return-on-investment.

Want more? Try these articles:

Locus Energy Launches Irradiance Solar Analytics Tool

Vaisala Earns Spot On Global Climate Performance Leadership Index

Energy Secretary Moniz to Dedicate Ivanpah Concentrating Solar Project

Solar Power World

PureWave Community Energy Storage System

S&C Electric Company recently deployed six 25-kW PureWave Community Energy Storage (CES) systems at its global headquarters in Chicago. The 150-kW energy storage system provides fast-response frequency regulation for the PJM market, the world’s largest competitive wholesale electricity market serving over 61 million people in 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Ancillary grid services, such as frequency regulation, are crucial for maintaining the stability and reliability of the power system. Frequency regulation is used to minimize the mismatch between generation and loads by quickly adjusting generation output to maintain the grid’s ideal frequency – 60 Hz in parts of the world and 50 Hz in others. Historically, fossil-fueled fired generating plants have provided a majority of such services, but response times often exceeded 20 minutes.  In 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order 755, which mandated higher rates for fast-responding frequency regulation sources.

“Energy storage is the ideal solution for providing frequency regulation within seconds rather than minutes,” says Troy Miller, manager, Business Development and Product Management, Power Quality Products, S&C Electric Company. “Selling into the fast frequency regulation market gives customers another way to monetize energy storage benefits, ultimately making a strong business case for energy storage investment.”

S&C is selling its CES-stored electricity to PJM through Intelligent Generation, which offers a networked software platform that facilitates optimization and bidding of distributed energy resources into wholesale electricity markets.

“Unlocking the value in energy storage is the key to a cleaner, more efficient grid,” says Jay Marhoefer, CEO and co-founder, Intelligent Generation. “Our patented software enables S&C’s PureWave Community Energy Storage system to operate as a virtual power plant, and help system owners, like S&C, create new revenue streams for their assets.”

In order to sell into the fast-response frequency regulation market, PJM requires systems to pass a series of tests that measure the accuracy, delay and precision between PJM’s regulation signal and the system’s output. PJM rejects any system that does not meet a minimum of 75%; S&C’s system passed with an average performance score of 97%.

“The system is now participating in the market on a daily basis,” says Tim Qualheim, VP, Strategic Solutions, S&C. “Our doors are open, and we are excited to welcome customers, industry professionals and regulators to see how we are making this system work for the grid and how to maximize the multiple benefits of energy storage.”

Want more? Try these articles:

Storage Used For For Peak Shaving And Voltage Support In Remote Areas

S&C Case Study: Picture Rocks Solar Farm

S&C Rapidly Completes Collection-Point Substation For Solar Farm In Hawaii

Solar Power World

ModSolar is presenting their platform and services at 2014 Greenbuild Conference and Expo, Wednesday, October 22nd and Thursday, October 23rd at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The team from ModSolar will be exhibiting in booth #2176, with demonstrations and presentations throughout the conference.

“ModSolar is changing the way the solar industry works,” says Mike Dershowitz, co-founder. “We are bringing efficiency to previously time-consuming processes, with an all-in-one, comprehensive platform that features our patent-pending, solar panel layout technology, and a growing software offering that now includes financing options and contract generation.”

The software enables solar providers to produce solar proposals and contracts in less than five minutes, including the placement of panels on an image of the prospect’s roof, as well as the calculation of the return on their solar investment. ModSolar develops software that dramatically reduces the “soft costs” involved in solar sales, solar system design, production of high-quality solar proposals, and all the paperwork surrounding solar installations.

Currently, $20 million per day in solar contracts are being generated through ModSolar’s software platform, says the company, representing an estimated 5% of the solar market in the United States.

For more on ModSolar, check out these articles:

ModSolar Expands To Germany, Australia And The UK

ModSolar And Enphase Energy Join Forces

ModSolar: Emerging Software And Technology Leaders

Solar Power World

Siemens, in partnership with 1st Light Energy, has installed its M250 solar microinverters and VersiCharge universal electric vehicle (EV) charging unit for residential use, resulting in a zero-emission home energy environment.

The company says the advanced microinverters are its most efficient and improve the effectiveness of the residential PV solar installation. In conjunction with the solar array installed by 1st Light Energy, the system can deliver enough electricity for a home to achieve net-zero energy consumption. Net-zero energy consumption means the total amount of energy used in the home is equal or less than the power generated by the on-site renewable sources.

“Siemens microinverters paired with intelligent EV charging infrastructure, like the VersiCharge universal unit, is a powerful combination for today’s zero emission households,” says Barry Powell, head of Siemens Low Voltage and Products.

Siemens microinverters installed in solar arrary

Siemens M250 solar microinverters are installed beneath each PV solar panel and convert dc to ac power. Each microinverter ensures the maximum power available from each PV solar module is transferred to the home or back to the utility grid regardless of shading or orientation of specific panels. The microinverters can be installed in multiple orientations with different module brands and wattages. The new M250 microinverters feature integrated grounding, saving money on labor and raw material costs, and also come with free monitoring, which allows both the contractor and homeowner visibility to the array, saving money on annual maintenance.

The installation also included the first residential demonstration of Siemens VersiCharge universal unit for electric vehicle (EV) charging, a unit that features shorter EV charging times that result in greater energy savings. The VersiCharge universal unit also includes a delay feature allowing homeowners to charge at off-peak utility rates. The unit can be installed either indoors or outdoors by a simple, removable bracket for use in multiple locations.

“The microinverters have given us more flexibility in our designs that we cannot normally get with string inverters,” says Justin Krum, CEO of 1st Light Energy.

For more microinverter news, check out these articles:

APS Microinverters Featured In Next Generation Energy Solar Solutions

KACO Ultraverters Combine String And Microinverters

The Future Of Microinverters Shines Like The Sun

Solar Power World

As inverter manufactures complete preparations for complying with NEC 2014, another rule, and amending standards to fulfill it, are right around the corner. Here’s a brief explanation of what’s coming up.

California Rule 21: Gigawatts of solar have been added to the California grid, but as more and more come online the grid must become smarter to handle the increased capacity. This means instating better communications and automated control to manage voltage fluctuations that could result from distributed-generation resources, such as solar. Utilities are looking to inverters as the “brains” of PV systems to provide this expanded grid functionality.

This type of smart inverter functionality already exists in Europe. The Smart Inverter Working Group (SIWG) was formed by the California Public Utilities Commission and California Energy Commission, and includes over 50 organizations including inverter manufacturers. Its purpose is to provide recommendations to revise California’s Rule 21. The rule concerns the technical requirements for interconnecting solar to the grid.  Revising the rule means amending UL and IEEE standards concerning testing and certifying smart inverters.

IEEE 1547 and UL/ANSI 1741: IEEE 1547 states that inverters connected to the grid may change DC power to AC power and turn off when they sense that the voltage or frequency of a circuit moves outside normal parameters. An amendment (known as IEEE 1547 a) is under development to widen the range of grid voltage and frequency conditions under which inverters may remain connected. This would allow inverters to actively contribute to voltage and frequency regulation. For utility-interactive equipment, UL/ANSI 1741 is intended to supplement IEEE 1547, and the standard for conformance test procedures for equipment interconnecting distributed resources with electric power systems IEEE 1547.1.

SIWG has assembled a three-year plan to achieve smart inverter adoption. Recommendations for automated functions will be made in the first year. Then communications capabilities will be addressed and finally implementing smart inverters is slated for 2016.

Additional resources:
ISO www.iso-ne.com

NREL www.nrel.gov

California PUC www.energy.ca.gov

Solar Power World

We’ve always been fascinated by the poster sections of trade shows. When we heard that UL (Underwriters Laboratories) was presenting four posters at SPI, we asked them to share what you could have learned if you’d had the chance to attend them all:

BoS Is No BS — You Must Install Them Properly

By Christian Storbeck, Staff Engineer at UL

The recent proliferation of solar installations across the U.S. means balance-of-systems (BoS) components (everything other than the panels and inverters) are coming under wider scrutiny during risk-mitigation inspections. Poorly functioning BoS parts have less-obvious — but equally detrimental — effects on system performance.

In this poster, UL identified common problems caused by poorly installed BoS components and the effects they have on plant availability and yield.

Inverter Certification Standards Must Change To Meet New Demands

By Tim Zgonena, Principal Engineer at UL

Change comes quickly in all equipment segments of the U.S. PV industry, and nowhere is this more clear than in inverters. The demands placed on these vital PV array nerve centers were unimaginable even five years ago.

But those increased demands have put immense pressure on testing organizations like UL (Underwriters Laboratories) to keep pace with these changes to ensure the inverter is safe involved and can be easily integrated into the grid.

UL recently published in July the new US standard ANSI/UL 62109-1 — “Safety of power converters for use in photovoltaic power systems.” This standard is integrated with the international IEC 62109 standard that established the foundation for globally transportable PV inverter safety certifications.

This poster discussed the new certification and standardizations that meet these rapidly changing needs.

The Lowdown On LCOE

By Bengt Jaeckel and Kenneth P. Boyce, Principal Engineers at UL

In recent years several thousand global photovoltaic installations were built, with the 100GWp milestone reached in 2013. Nominal power (kWp) is important to sell photovoltaic power, but the nominal watts peak value is not as important as produced energy. The single most important figure for installations is the yearly energy production (generally reported in kWh).

There are a number of technical values that may be used to describe a PV plant, but misusing them can lead to surprises, disappointment and significant practical problems.  Understanding the proper role of the different technical values is critical.

Living In Harmony: How To Keep Panels Safe Around The World

By Christopher Flueckiger and Kenneth P. Boyce, Principal Engineers at UL

It’s been a long time since the safety regulations photovoltaic (PV) flat-panel modules were published.

IEC 61730-1 and IEC 61730-2, which set international standards for panel safety, were published a decade ago. In the United States, ANSI/UL 1703 was first published in 1986 (almost the last time the Kansas City Royals made the World Series), although it has been updated frequently (most recently in May).

This poster explored the current standards (both internationally and in the United States) and what steps are being taken to establish one universal standard which would, we believe, bring down the installed costs of solar worldwide.

The full papers will be posted on the UL website soon. When they are, we will link from them here.

Solar Power World

The Zilla Phantom XL

Zilla Corporation has developed what it calls the “next generation” of solar mounting systems, the Phantom XL System. A pitched roof flush mount system that attaches directly to sheathing or structure, the Zilla Phantom XL is a fully flashed, waterproof, self-grounded compact attachment solution that reduces installation time and provides more flexible layout options.

Phantom XL builds on the popular Zilla Double Stud XL Flashing to provide a completely watertight rooftop installation that attaches anywhere on a composite roof. The Phantom XL features a patented base plate design that allows for quick installation into sheathing or structure, while the Zilla Top Clip provides module-to-module grounding, requiring even fewer materials for your installation.

The Phantom XL allows for module layouts in either landscape or portrait orientation – or a combination of both – with the ability for modules to be easily added or relocated within your array to avoid rooftop obstacles.

Combining the low-profile, watertight sealing of the Zilla Double Stud XL Flashing with innovative Phantom design, this compact solution provides ease in shipping and transport, while still allowing for superior strength, flexibility and field adjustability.

This addition to the new Zilla XL line of products aims to facilitate the fastest and safest installations anywhere, any time.

“The Zilla Phantom XL system is designed to be one of the fastest, safest and strongest solar mounting systems on the market,” Zilla Corporation CTO, Dave Kreutzman said. “Our years of experience working with installation professionals drives our goal of delivering flexible, timesaving solutions like the Phantom XL to meet the needs of this dynamic marketplace.”

Zilla
www.zillarac.com

Solar Power World

Executive Editor Lee Teschler took to the SPI show floor with his camera and captured several sights he found particularly interesting.

A compact way of tracking the sun

Solar Power World

Solar Grid Storage has been awarded U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative Incubator funding of $968,120 aimed at streamlining solar storage interactivity with the grid and accelerating deployment of innovative solar storage systems. Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz announced the latest round of SunShot Incubator awards during his keynote address at Solar Power International 2014 in Las Vegas.

With this grant, Solar Grid Storage will develop a Solar Storage Operations Center (SSOC) to address the unique needs of managing grid-connected PV storage assets. The SSOC will make it possible to bring together multiple storage sites and enhance grid stability with every new PV storage resource installed, all the while reducing deployment costs. A scalable solution, the SSOC will help mitigate concerns about high-penetration PV deployment by enabling cost-effective control of residential, commercial and utility-scale PV storage systems.

“We are honored that Solar Grid Storage has been selected by the Energy Department’s SunShot Incubator program for this award,” says Solar Grid Storage CFO Dan Dobbs. “We’re focused on taking the solar industry to the next level, which requires cost-effective addition of energy storage. With the award, we will be able to aggregate various-sized storage systems into larger virtual-energy assets, making the assets much more valuable for grid operators who call on them to balance power on the grid.”

The company’s offering and business model incorporates batteries into commercial PV installations while lowering costs and introducing new benefits. With the SSOC, Solar Grid Storage will group residential PV storage systems with its commercial and utility-scale systems so they too can participate in ancillary service markets, earning new revenues to make the overall system even more cost-effective. Furthermore, with added batteries the PV systems will work during power outages, something existing PV systems cannot do.

“We appreciate the administration’s focus on strengthening and ensuring our nation’s electricity supply, especially as we witness an increase in extreme weather events,” says Solar Grid Storage CEO Tom Leyden. “Providing reliable backup electricity during power interruptions is crucial to emergency operations at hospitals, schools, first-responder facilities and shelters. PV storage systems will provide emergency power when needed, and ongoing resiliency to help operators maintain balance on the grid.”

Want more? Try these articles:

DOE SunShot Awarded To QBotix Robotic Solar Tracking System

Clean Power Research Helps Reduce Solar Interconnection Soft Costs

New DOE Measures Advance Renewable Energy Deployment

Solar Power World

Locus Energy, a solar monitoring and data analytics platform provider for the solar PV market, recently announced that Swinerton Renewable Energy, a turnkey engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and operations and management (O&M) provider for the utility-scale and distributed PV markets, will standardize its entire solar fleet on Locus Energy’s SolarNOC monitoring platform and PVIQ analytics suite as part of its SOLV enterprise solution for optimizing and managing plants.

Locus Energy’s SolarNOC platform will assist Swinerton’s SOLV solution to provide best-in-class monitoring, analytics and O&M services for both its utility-scale and commercial customers. Swinerton’s PV portfolio totals over 400 MW, with an additional 600 MW under construction. In 2013, Swinerton was ranked the nation’s top commercial solar contractor by Solar Power World.

“Swinerton Renewable Energy is known for its depth of understanding of the utility solar sector and its ability to respond to market demands by staying ahead of the curve in terms of technological innovation,” says Adrian P. De Luca, Locus Energy’s VP of sales and marketing. “In light of Swinerton’s position at the forefront of the industry, we consider it a testament to the value of our monitoring and data analytics products that they have been chosen by Swinerton as the standard for their entire fleet.”

By leveraging Locus Energy’s web-based SolarNOC software as part of the SOLV solution, Swinerton’s fleet operators will be able to more efficiently organize and assess performance data over a diverse set of solar PV assets spread across a wide geographical area, as well as streamline O&M workflows. In addition, Locus Energy has expanded its data acquisition and presentation capabilities, enabling Swinerton to integrate data from its industry-leading SCADA system.

Locus Energy’s SolarNOC (Network Operation Center) is a cloud-based software application providing enterprise-class tools for fleet managers to collect, organize and assess performance data from a diverse set of solar PV assets.

Swinerton Renewable Energy will also integrate Locus Energy’s PVIQ analytics suite, a set of advanced data analytics services that allows PV system managers to analyze system and fleet level performance and quickly identify any causes of underperformance.

“Locus is uniquely positioned to provide the most advanced monitoring and analytics solutions across all segments of the PV market, at scale,” says Angelo Purpuras, manager of technical services at Swinerton. “The use of the SolarNOC to manage our fleet provides our technicians with unprecedented data visibility, and the PVIQ analytics will help us to continue providing premium O&M services to our customers.”

Want more? Try these related posts:

Locus Energy Launches Irradiance Solar Analytics Tool

Report Recognizes Locus Energy As Leader In Solar Monitoring

Command And Control: Why 24/7 Solar Monitoring Matters


Findings On Solar Irriadiance Demonstrate Need For Long-Term Data

Solar Power World