Supported by both business and environmental groups, hundreds of thousands of people from across the United States and around the world are expected to take part in the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) 2nd annual National “Shout Out For Solar” Day – set for Friday, January 16, and taking place on Facebook, Twitter and other social media venues.

The event coincides with SEIA’s 41st anniversary as a national trade association and the “voice” of solar energy in America, as well as the release of The Solar Foundation’s “National Solar Jobs Census” report on Thursday, January 15.

“With the U.S. solar energy industry coming off a record-shattering year, next week’s ‘Shout Out For Solar’ Day is the perfect time for Americans to voice their support for increased development of solar resources nationwide,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. “In a short period of time, solar has become a true American success story, benefitting both the U.S. economy and our environment, and we need to be shouting that news from every rooftop.”

According to estimates, the United States now has more than 20 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity, enough to effectively power nearly 4 million America homes – or every single home in a state the size of Massachusetts or New Jersey – with another 20 GW in the pipeline for 2015-16.

What’s spurring this rapid growth? For one thing, solar energy is now more affordable than ever. According to SEIA/GTM Research, national blended average system prices have dropped 53 percent since 2010.

Today, the solar industry employs 143,000 Americans and pumps more than $15 billion a year into the U.S. economy. This remarkable growth is due, in large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Net Energy Metering (NEM) and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).

“By any measurement, these policies are paying huge dividends for both the economy and environment,” Resch continued. “Yet despite all of the progress we’ve made, solar faces an uncertain future in Washington and in some state capitals. It’s more important than ever for the voices of our supporters to be heard.”

Resch urged people to visit SEIA’s educational website, America Support Solar, to learn more about how solar is powering America. Participants can upload pictures to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #GoSolar. Supporters can download and print signs for their pictures here. SEIA is also hosting a Thunderclap, which will send out coordinated Tweets and Facebook posts from hundreds of supporters on January 16.

Solar Power World

Solar SpeedRack has announced that its SpeedMount racking system has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) as fully compliant with its standard 1703.  The standard regarding module mounting and Fire Rating Classification was updated in October and the Company is among the first racking systems providers to be certified under the requirements of the new standard.

The company had previously announced that its SpeedMount racking system had been certified as fully compliant with its standard 2703.

“This certification along with our 2703 certification assures us that our SpeedMount is among the best available residential racking systems,” said Shane Shamloo, president and CEO. “We are confident that it will meet all requirements in any jurisdiction.”

The SpeedMount is a shared-rail system with integrated grounding.  The rails are fully adjustable to fit over 95% of the solar panels on the market.  The rails are shipped to the customer pre-assembled with all the necessary hardware necessary to mount the rails to any stand-off chosen by the customer.  SpeedMount uses significantly less material than most other available racking systems and is among the fastest to install with all connections made with a single standard socket.

A companion product to the SpeedMount is the QuickFoot which utilized a floating block to spread load and thus reduce the number of roof penetrations required which will add additional cost reductions for installation.

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Sapa Building Systems today sold its HatiCon operations to the German solar mounting company Mounting Systems GmbH. HatiCon produces, markets and sells aluminium extrusion-based mounting systems for the solar industry.

The agreement means Mounting Systems GmbH will immediately take over operations for HatiCon Germany GmbH, including the U.S. company HatiCon Solar.

“Combining Mounting Systems and HatiCon will be an opportunity to create on strong and competitive player in the photovoltaic and solar thermal mounting systems industry,” said Karsten Lundgaard, executive vice president and head of Sapa Building Systems.

Sapa delivers aluminium solutions to customers in the solar industry globally; however, HatiCon has been the only unit in Sapa delivering branded systems to this industry.

“Going forward Sapa will not be operating with branded systems in this industry but rather continue as a supplier of aluminum extrusions to companies like Mounting Systems,” Lundgaard said.

With acquiring HatiCon, Mounting Systems continues growing as a specialist for innovative and high-quality racking system solutions for photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, both nationally and internationally.

“Uniting Mounting Systems and HatiCon is an important milestone for our company,” said Stefan Spork, managing director of Mounting Systems. “With acquiring HatiCon, we gain valuable know-how in racking systems solutions, especially for on-roof systems. This fits perfectly in our product portfolio and the services we offer and will benefit our customers.”

HatiCon’s production activities and head offices are in Pinnow, Germany. The company also has offices in Güterfelde, Germany and Ontario, California. HatiCon employs about 100 people.

The companies agreed on keeping the purchase price confidential. The brand “HatiCon” and all associated functions, like administration, management and infrastructure, will be continued for now.

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Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) was among the first campuses in the nation to adopt a sustainability plan and now has approximately 1.7 MW of solar powering two campuses. Positive Energy Solar, a 2014 Top Solar Contractor, will cut the ribbon on the third solar project they’ve completed for SFCC at the Grand Opening of the new Higher Education Center (HEC) on Wednesday, January 14.

Two solar arrays installed in 2014 already save the college more than $200,000 per year. The new 156kW installation at the HEC combines a solar parking structure with rooftop arrays and will produce approximately 70% of the energy to power the new building.

SFCC President Randy W. Grissom stated, “SFCC is deploying solar arrays to generate affordable, clean energy that at the same time provide state of the art educational platforms and reduce operating costs. The college’s commitment to solar creates local jobs, develops skilled workers to fill those jobs and makes more funds available for education- it’s a win win win. We encourage all institutions of higher education in New Mexico to take advantage of the solar opportunity.”

Schools and higher education institutions across the country are pursuing solar energy to combat shrinking budgets and projected spikes in grid energy. Solar installations protect school budgets against these spikes and offer hands-on learning experiences for students. The first array Positive Energy Solar completed for Santa Fe Community College consisted of three dual axis trackers that features prominently in the college’s Sustainable Technologies curriculum.

The solar array at the HEC features 444 SunPower high-performance panels, a Baja Construction carport using a Sunpower T10 racking roof mount, and Advanced Energy inverters. Bradbury Stamm Construction and Positive Energy Solar collaborated on the project. Positive Energy Solar, headquartered in Santa Fe, is the 2014 SunPower dealer of the year and is known statewide for their deep expertise in solar system implementation and 100 percent customer satisfaction. Bradbury Stamm Construction is based in Albuquerque and has been executing high quality building projects for over 90 years.

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Schneider Electric Solar Business has been named by GTM Research as one of the top five solar O&M (Operations & Maintenance) services provider worldwide.

Earlier this year, Schneider Electric announced that it had reached the 1GW milestone in service contracts around the world. The results of the report from GTM Research confirm the growth and presence of Schneider Electric Solar Business as a top global O&M services provider with over 1GW of PV power plants under contract.

In 2014, many additional customers around the world decided to select Schneider Electric as their O&M services provider including Russia, the Philippines, Japan and the recently announced 300MW PV project in Cestas, France, the largest PV power plant in Europe.

“The recent reports from IHS on market shares and from GTM Research on O&M confirm not only the growth of our operations and of our maintenance services, but also re-enforces the trust that customers have in Schneider Electric,” said Pierre-Emmanuel Frot, VP of the PV Power Plants business. “Our vast presence around the world, our ability to deliver a complete and optimized electrical solution, along with the financial strength and history of Schneider Electric, ensures that we will stand behind our solutions and will support our customers and partners for the long term.”

Schneider Electric O&M service offers ranges from remote technical support and spare parts management to preventive and corrective maintenance of the complete balance of systems. In addition, the service offers fully leverage the advanced features of Conext Control, Schneider Electric’s PV plant monitoring and control system. Customers choosing Schneider Electric for O&M services are often selecting the ‘’ULTRA’’ service offer which embeds performance guarantees on a long term basis in order to secure their return on investment.

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This article was written by Ken Kostok, Country Manager, US/Latin America, Alectris

If you are a solar plant owner, developer or investor there is one New Year’s resolution you can make to achieve a profound impact on your long-term asset profitability.

You can increase reliability and profitability of your solar PV power plants by…

Resolving to engage the operations and maintenance (O&M) professionals in the design and contracting phase of your PV solar power plants.

This one discipline, to involve solar O&M experts in the designing, building or acquiring of solar projects, will provide a financial return in at least these three areas:

1. Reduced construction costs and delays
2. Reduced annual maintenance expenditures
3. Increased kWh output

Source

Market Forces Compressing Solar Margins
Several market forces are contributing to the increase in size and geographic diversity of solar portfolios, the complexity of operating diverse solar assets and the downward pressure on margin from reduced PPA and other financial drivers.

This article provides some thoughts and insights into how including the O&M team or consultants into the beginning of the process will provide better financial results at the end of construction and over the life of the project.

1. Use O&M Professionals Early to Reduce Construction Costs and Delays

During the design and commercialization phase, utilizing the experience of the maintenance and asset management team will address areas where initial costs can be reduced and long-term annual savings can be designed into the project.

Poor or improper design is the cost that keeps on taking (profit margin squeeze) through:

• Increased construction costs
• Delays in going on line commercially to sell power
• Initial equipment failures early in the project’s life
• Higher periodic maintenance requirements and costs
• Not designing for local environmental conditions

Solar independent power producers (IPPs) and investors can ensure long-term profit preservation by taking these early steps involving seasoned solar operations, maintenance and management experts.

Fulfillment Steps:

1. Strategize team structure – As you construct your team, be strategic in your choices. In teams which I have led, members have included internal and external designers, the project development lead, O&M and a few builders/EPC companies.
2. Task the team with goals up front – Goals should include a metric related to reduction of construction costs. For example, the team could target a reasonable reduction of construction costs by 10%. This can be achieved through value engineering the preliminary design. Similarly, metrics should address reducing annual O&M budgets by focusing on design, process and key components with the highest O&M costs. It is not unreasonable to expect a 20% reduction in annual O&M costs with upfront value engineering of operation and asset management factors.Wikipedia defines Value Engineering as the systematic method to improve the “value” of goods or products and services by using an examination of function. Value, as defined, is the ratio of function to cost. Value can therefore be increased by either improving the function or reducing the cost. It is a primary tenet of value engineering that basic functions be preserved and not be reduced as a consequence of pursuing value improvements.
3. Systematically fish for best ideas – Individually and as a team, brainstorm reduction concepts. Start with a large pool of ideas and work through the most promising opportunities. Positive results will be gained by reviewing materials, methods and processes. Take the results and build them into the design drawings, material specifications, construction plans and contracts.
4. Implement “best practice” standards in construction plan – With your best ideas now filtered into the construction management plan, work the plan. The plan will minimize delays in commercial operation and early equipment failures. Quality installation and commissioning is key to overall, long-term performance. Manage the site team to ensure work is completed per design and best practices. Commissioning and documented to a standard such as the IEC 62446, grid-connected photovoltaic systems, minimum requirements for system documentation, commissioning tests and inspection, is a must do activity.Plants which meet these requirements reach commercial operation quickly and efficiently with minimal site failures effecting the initial availability and performance.Typically the O&M team is skilled and proficient in providing this service or oversight of third party commissioning agent. Being independent from the EPC with long-term view and skin in the game, O&M oversight has the vested interest in making sure the plant comes on line, producing the proper energy output from the start.

2. Early Use of Solar O&M and Asset Management Expertise to Reduce Long-term Maintenance Expenditures

In addition to the reduction of initial construction costs, you can reap long-term margin contribution from reducing annual maintenance costs by taking early steps to address asset maintenance and management.

Early engagement by providers of services needed for the next 30 years can utilize their expertise and commitments for “right sizing” the O&M plan. Too many plant owners and financiers utilize a standard check list of services to be effected on the PV plant. These services are drilled down to monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual service. Historically, if operated in this mode, there is no opportunity to set a cost-effective O&M plan in place backed by performance guarantees of the O&M provider. Significant annual cost reductions can be achieved for power plants by setting performance-based goals for availability, performance ratios and kWh output, then putting the burden onto the O&M professional to set maintenance cycles based upon OEM equipment requirements, real-time monitoring and predicative maintenance algorithms.

Fulfillment Steps:

1. Analyze your company needs – Use O&M expertise to analyze your site needs and the type of service that will work best with your organization. To best adopt solar O&M into your company, review your resourcing strategy during this phase. Skill sets needed in management of solar plants include asset management, electrical testing, monitoring, grounds maintenance, panel cleaning, networking and database administration. Next, develop a list of factors which define success for the company while developing the plant-level strategy for O&M. Some of the key factors to review include contractual obligations for the asset, internal commitments such as O&M budget, revenue projections and key performance indicators (KPIs).Third, for the company, review operating philosophies for solar, who and how maintenance will be performed, determine if O&M service provider(s) will be bid or negotiated and if a longer-term “partner” in operations will make sense for solar O&M.
2. Analyze plant level requisites – During the plant level review each facility will be researched for permit, PPA, landowner and interconnection obligations, equipment and EPC warranties, contract requirements and external stakeholder reporting. For the equipment under operation, spare parts requirements, manufacturer recommended and required maintenance are identified. An easy way to document these items is with the use of a spreadsheet table with listing of equipment, quantity, OEM recommended maintenance cycle. This provides for the start of scoping the work requirements at each site.

3. Source

   Utilize Pareto chart cost comparison strategies – Develop a Pareto chart of the historical costs of O&M for the plant type and location under review. Develop a second Pareto chart for the construction budget/historical costs. Typically the largest cost buckets provide the opportunity for the biggest opportunities for savings.

4. Set solar O&M reduction cost targets – Set realistic targets for the reductions—10% to 20% should be easily achievable. If reductions are too aggressive, it will be difficult to gain buy-in on from the team.

3. Increase kWh Output with Early Utilization of Solar O&M Expertise

Input during design and construction phases of solar O&M expertise can and should yield an increase in energy production long-term. One vital area to review is monitoring.

The monitoring and “big data” gathering of solar assets worldwide is undergoing a major transformation. Solar PV monitoring, the suite of hardware, software and services that allows stakeholders to track and assess the production and performance solar PV systems, is a burgeoning global market with 39.7 gigawatts installed in 2013, according to GTM Research and SoliChamba Consulting’s most recent report. Solar monitoring is a complex variable to be addressed early in the development phase.

Smarter Solar Monitoring = Solar ERP
Moving away from monitoring of small sets of data, the management of solar assets is increasingly complex, thus necessitating the evolution of how, why and for what purposes we are gathering information. The development of solar enterprise resource planning tools is emerging now.

Fulfillment Steps:

1. Determine needs for solar maintenance and management reports – Determine reporting needs for your solar operations, maintenance and management results including what metrics are needed, the list of stakeholders and reports needed for each; and the timing of the reports. Use automated Solar ERP (enterprise resource planning) to initiate early alarms for loss of kWh from the design model.
2. Get warranty reporting on “radar” early – Quickly engage suppliers and EPC firms on warranty issues to ensure all deadlines and requirements are built into the maintenance plan from the beginning. Solar ERP contains all pertinent contractual requirements and escalation paths to gain a resolution of problems causing a restriction in generation. Where warranties are not at issue, the O&M provider fulfills the repair task(s) to restore full service in minimal time.
3. Ensure robust KPI reporting from the start – Document key performance and testing from commissioning and periodic maintenance in Solar ERP. This provides for early identification of trends and components not performing to expectations. Solar ERP should keep records of availability, performance ratios and string testing, visual and thermal inspections.

Early engagement and smarter use of operations and maintenance professionals leads to a winning formula for the PV solar fleet. If you’re not already doing it, resolve to include the only group who is aligned with the long-term needs of the owner, the operations and maintenance group.

About Ken Kostok
Ken Kostok leads U.S. and Latin America activities for Alectris. He has managed the company’s U.S. solar operations and maintenance (O&M) program to date, including 24 MW on the Georgia Power grid. With more than 20 years of experience with U.S. utilities, Kostok has overseen the development and asset management of more than 1,500 MW of solar and wind clean energy generation. He can be reached at Ken.Kostok@Alectris.com and at the upcoming Solar Asset Management NA event, April 1-2, 2015, in San Francisco.

Solar Power World

Moore Energy, a Pennsylvania-based solar installer, has completed installation of a 78-kW system on the rooftop of Fidelity Alarm in Philadelphia. The solar array will offset virtually all of the customer’s electricity bill.

“After installing a solar power sytem on my home in 2010, I was anxious to bring the savings benefits to my business,” said Paul Hillier, owner of Fidelity Alarm.

Fidelity Alarm’s system was designed using tenK Solar, a PV kit solution with a low voltage design that optimizes the commercial rooftop space while delivering the highest reliability and safety standards.

The tenK Solar system utilizes reflected light energy through reflectors that capture available light and reflect it back on the modules. In addition to increasing the yield of the system by up to 20%, the reflector has the added benefit of improving system aerodynamics. This is the first tenK Solar system installed in Philadelphia.

Barry Moore, President at Moore Energy, commented, “We are excited to have completed a very successful year with this solar system at Fidelity Alarm. The tenK Solar system was a great fit for the unique project. We are working with the customer now to plan an expansion project in 2015.”

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One of UCAR’s facility buildings has a unique, parabolic layout. The inside of the curve faces both west and south, exposing to the building to a significant amount of sun. The radius of the inside of the curve combined with the anti-reflective coating on the windows created an unexpected concentrating solar collector producing irradiance levels of up to 6500kW/m2. At times, the heat became so intense at the apex of the curve that it was damaging plastic components on cars parked in front of the building. After considering a number of solutions, UCAR and Lumos landed on a custom awning design that would break up the concentrating effect, provide shade and produce renewable energy for the facility all at the same time.

• Location: Boulder, Colorado
• Modules: (180) LSX 250 clear backsheet
• Racking: LSX Rail and custom awning array

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Two Mounting Systems products, the Alpha+ pitched roof system and the Lambda Leight EW+, were rated in ETL fire tests as Class A with Type 1 PV modules. What does all of that mean? Product manager Don Massa breaks it down for us in this Solar Speaks podcast.

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SunEdison and Indian port Adani Enterprises have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint venture to build the largest vertically integrated solar photovoltaic manufacturing facility in India with an investment of up to $4 billion USD, or Rs. 25,000 crore. The facility will create enough solar panels to fuel substantial solar growth in India, furthering India’s goals for clean, renewable energy independence, and will add up to 20,000 jobs to the local economy.

“We are proud to partner with Adani Enterprises to build the largest solar photovoltaic manufacturing facility in India. This facility will create ultra-low cost solar panels that will enable us to produce electricity so cost effectively it can compete head to head, unsubsidized and without incentives, with fossil fuels.” said Ahmad Chatila, President and Chief Executive Officer of SunEdison. “By pairing SunEdison’s solar technology expertise with Adani’s extensive experience in the creation of infrastructure, we will be able to transform the region into a solar production powerhouse, creating 4,500 direct jobs and over 15,000 indirect jobs in the process.”

“India has embarked on an ambitious program to become a world leader in power generation from renewable technologies, and sees solar as a key part in realizing that goal,” said Vneet S Jaain, Chief Executive Officer of Adani Power Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd. “The development of the largest integrated solar manufacturing facility furthers the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. We are happy to partner with SunEdison, a leading solar technology manufacturer to build this facility which further integrates our power – renewable business value chain and has significant socio-economic benefits.”

The new facility will be constructed in Mundra, Gujarat, India, over a three year period. This facility will vertically integrate all aspects of solar panel production on site, including polysilicon refining, and ingot, cell, and module production.

During the first half of 2015, SunEdison and Adani will complete a comprehensive analysis of the joint venture opportunity and business plan. Pending successful outcome of the study, construction of the facility will begin shortly thereafter. As the facility is built, certain portions will be completed first to allow key production lines to come online before the entire facility is finished. This allows the joint venture to ramp up production quicker, and creates more jobs sooner.

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A new partnership will bring an innovative, award-winning solar energy system to homeowners in the greater Hartford area consisting of the towns of Windsor, Windsor Locks, East Granby, and Suffield.

The partnership between C-TEC Solar of Windsor, Ct. and solar tracker manufacturer AllEarth Renewables of Williston, Vt., was announced today.

C-TEC Solar recently won the ability to serve the four-town coalition for the Solarize Connecticut program.  The 18 week program began December 2 and offers progressing discounts to homeowners looking to go solar based on community adoption.

Solarize Connecticut, a partnership between the Connecticut Green Bank and SmartPower, has resulted in over 1,800 new residential solar installations, totaling 14 MW of clean, renewable energy in the state.

The partnership provides homeowners in the program the choice of a ground-mounted solar array with AllEarth Renewables’ innovative solar tracker.

Designed and manufactured in Vermont, AllEarth Solar Trackers use innovative GPS and wireless technology to follow the sun throughout the day to boost solar energy production by up to 45 percent over roof-top installations.  The pole mounted solar systems are designed for homes, businesses, non-profits, and commercial-scale installations.

A single 6 kW solar tracker will produce enough energy to power most of an average Connecticut home.

With 30 years of expertise in the industry, C-TEC Solar is one of the most experienced solar contractors in the northeast specializing in solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.  Fully licensed and insured, C‐TEC Solar aims to provide complete, affordable, start-to-finish solar project services with flexible solar financing solutions for clean energy projects.

“We are committed to meeting our growing customers’ needs and the AllEarth Solar Tracker is an excellent addition to our installation options, particularly for homeowners with some land to go solar.  More and more people are excited about creating their own source of energy and with a solar tracker they can optimize their production and get a better return on investment,” said Mickey Toro, owner of C-TEC Solar.

The AllEarth Solar Tracker is a “Top-10 Green Product” by BuildingGreen magazine.

AllEarth Renewables, a previous Inc 500 company for fastest growing businesses nationwide, has designed, manufactured, and installed over 2,800 solar tracker systems.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with C-TEC to offer our product for the exciting Solarize program in the Windsor area.  Designed to produce more energy from the sun and withstand tough northeastern climates, our trackers make solar practical and affordable for homeowners and businesses with a little available land to produce renewable, on-site solar,” said David Blittersdorf, president and CEO of AllEarth Renewables.

For interested customers in the participating towns, local workshops are being held to educate residents about solar in the coming weeks.  More information can be found at: http://solarizect.com/our-towns/solarize-east-granby-suffield-windsor-windsor-locks

Solar Power World

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings retailer, today announced solar energy plans for its St. Louis store opening Fall 2015. Panel installation will begin this Spring, with completion before the store’s opening, making the project the largest rooftop solar array in the State of Missouri. Under construction on 21 acres along Interstate-64 at Vandeventer Avenue, the 380,000 square-foot future IKEA St. Louis, and 1,300 parking spaces, will open Fall 2015 in the City’s Cortex Innovation District. Until then, customers can shop at the closest IKEA stores: Chicago-area IKEA Bolingbrook and IKEA Schaumburg; the Kansas City-area store in Merriam, Kan.; or online at IKEA-USA.com.

Solar Power World

Eaton’s Bussmann business, specialist in critical circuit protection, power management and electrical safety, has been awarded TUV Rheinland certification for its combiner box range. It is the first manufacturer to gain full certification for both product safety and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) for this type of product.

To achieve the TUV-Type Approval Mark the combiner box underwent comprehensive review including testing for electrical safety, vibration, damp and dry heat, as well as mechanical reliability. The EMC-Mark Approval also certifies that the product meets the requirements in regard to electromagnetic compatibility for emissions and immunity.

In addition to the comprehensive testing the TUV certification also included factory inspection and audit ensuring the processes and procedures used for manufacture are robust and consistent.

Commenting on the achievement, Simon Bircham, product manager said: “Overall this is a lengthy process which demonstrates our commitment to designing and manufacturing safe and reliable product for use in the harsh environmental conditions of PV installations.”

Eaton’s Bussmann combiner box range sets new standards in protection, switching and monitoring of PV systems. Designed for system voltages from 600V DC to 1,000V DC the range combines the latest in overcurrent, overvoltage and monitoring technology in one robust, custom-built package.
Ends.
Eaton’s Bussmann division develops and manufactures critical circuit protection, power management and electrical safety products designed to provide innovative circuit and power electronics protection. The Bussmann business serves customers in the industrial, commercial, alternative energy, high reliability and other markets.

Eaton’s Electrical Sector is a global leader with expertise in power distribution and circuit protection; backup power protection; control and automation; lighting and security; structural solutions and wiring devices; solutions for harsh and hazardous environments; and engineering services. Eaton is positioned through its global solutions to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges.

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Nextronex Ray-Max inverters feature distributed architecture.

The Indiana Municipal Power Agency (IMPA), a wholesale electric power provider serving 60 municipally-owned electric utilities in Indiana and Ohio, has selected the Nextronex Ray-Max Inverter system for various member’s sites as they expand their solar photovoltaic generation capacity. The sites are two (2) 2.41 MW DC solar projects to be located in the cities of Crawfordsville and Peru, Indiana and four (4) 1.23 MW projects to be located in other Indiana cities throughout the IMPA system.

Jay Troger, CEO of Nextronex, Inc. observes, “As a result of the successful installation and operations of our patented Distributed ArchitectureTM inverter system during 2014 at two IMPA sites in Frankton and Rensselaer, IMPA chose Nextronex again for their utility scale projects in 2015. It is always gratifying when our customers are satisfied with our performance and continue to order from us. We will be providing our plug-and-play Power PodiumTM solution which is skidded, pre-wired and tested, saving construction time and labor cost, as well as assuring factory level quality control.”

The projects are scheduled to be commissioned in the middle of 2015. Crawfordsville and Peru will be the largest solar project installations to date within IMPA’s service territory.

Nextronex is a manufacturer of commercial and utility scale proprietary solar inverter systems for applications 150 kW and larger. The company is focused on solar energy optimization through its patented Distributed Architecture design for 1,000 V DC solar array configurations. Nextronex also offers patent pending technology to substantially reduce the cost of installing solar with battery storage.

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A new study released today by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center finds that investing in a 5 kilowatt solar system can be a better deal than investing in a stock market index fund in 46 of America’s 50 largest cities. Funded by the Department of Energy (DOE), the study concludes that solar is a “real opportunity for anyone looking to take greater control over their monthly utility bills and make a long-term, relatively low-risk investment.”

“This study proves once again that solar makes great financial sense for a large number of Americans,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “Every 3 minutes of every single day, the U.S. solar industry is flipping the switch on another completed solar project, benefitting homeowners and businesses nationwide.”

Today, the U.S. has an estimated 20.2 GW of installed solar capacity, enough to effectively power nearly 4 million homes in the United States – or every single home in a state the size of Massachusetts or New Jersey – with another 20 GW in the pipeline for 2015-16.

What’s spurring this rapid growth? For one thing, solar energy is now more affordable than ever. According to SEIA/GTM Research, national blended average system prices have dropped 53 percent since 2010.

Today, the solar industry employs 143,000 Americans and pumps more than $15 billion a year into the U.S. economy. This remarkable growth is due, in large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Net Energy Metering (NEM) and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS).

“By any measurement, these policies are paying huge dividends for both the economy and our environment,” Resch added.

The residential market has now grown by at least 50 percent in each of the past three years, largely due to continued decreases in the price of a solar installation. Through the midway point of 2014, the price to install residential solar had fallen to $3.92/watt – more than 41 percent lower than 2010. When combined with increased market competition and new financing options, solar has never been more cost-effective for the residential consumer, Resch said.

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American Solar Direct (ASD), a residential solar energy provider in California, is now offering homeowners the opportunity to own their solar systems through zero-down loans with Mosaic.

The American Solar Direct Solar Ownership Program Powered by Mosaic enables American Solar Direct to continue offering customers the simplicity of a one-stop source for all their needs – from installation, long-term maintenance, and world-class customer service – now with the added benefit of owning their own system.

“Homeowners seeking a home solar solution should be able to rely on a trusted company to provide a full suite of options and high-touch personal service,” said American Solar Direct CEO Brennan Mulcahy. “American Solar Direct has always been that full-service provider, and is very excited to provide customers the option to own an ASD home solar system through our valued partnership with Mosaic.”

Mulcahy said that while American Solar Direct continues to offer customers the option to lease their solar system, the company has seen a recent strong interest in direct ownership. The American Solar Direct Solar Ownership Program Powered by Mosaic provides ASD customers an affordable option to own a home solar system with little or no money down.

“We are proud to work with American Solar Direct, one of the nation’s leading residential solar providers,” says Billy Parish, CEO and Co-Founder of Mosaic. “Our financing portal is extremely fast and makes it easy for more homeowners to get financing to own their solar and reap long-term financial benefits.”

Homeowners can easily and quickly complete an online loan application that provides immediate answers. In the vast majority of cases, ASD customers are able to take advantage of a 20-year term, with some of the lowest monthly payments of any home solar loan on the market.

There is also a prepayment option that enables homeowners to pay off their loan early and enjoy years of free energy from the sun.

In addition to the ownership option, American Solar Direct also provides its customers with several other industry-leading features, including a 20-year energy production guarantee and a long-term warranty and maintenance agreement.

“Our focus is on customer service. That positive experience begins with a comprehensive in-home consultation, then handling local permitting needs, assisting with rebates and an installation by our own highly-trained team of highly trained technicians,” said Kevin Bauer, President of American Solar Direct. “Having a home solar system can create immediate benefit by lowering energy costs.”

Solar Power World

The Sunible team.

Sunible is an online platform for solar that makes it easy for homeowners to see installations in their area, compare firms, get quotes and go solar. Installers benefit from high-quality leads, lower customer acquisition costs and market intelligence. Sunible has been acquired by solar pioneer Tom Dinwoodie’s new venture, Domino, a one-stop site that makes it easy for consumers to achieve clean, low-carbon living–and save money in the process. Dinwoodie is a leading expert in solar power with over 25 years of experience in renewable energy. He built his Berkeley-based PowerLight Corporation from a one-man shop into a profitable multi-million-dollar company that merged with solar giant SunPower where he served as both CTO of the acquired subsidiary and CEO. Dinwoodie serves on several boards and has a number of solar patents to his name.

Dinwoodie and Domino are now joining forces with Sunible to bring solar and other clean energy solutions to millions more people around the world while drastically reducing global carbon emissions.

“We’re excited for Sunible to join the growing Domino community,” said Dinwoodie, Domino founder and CEO. “The Sunible team’s solar knowledge and deep understanding of data, user behavior, and product development will help realize the vision of Domino. Together, we’ll show consumers how low-carbon living can be lower-cost, healthier, lifestyle-enhancing, and lead to a world of abundance for ourselves and our children.”

Sunible’s mission was to put solar on 5 million more roofs by 2018. In order to do that, the company tackled customer acquisition from both the consumer and enterprise sides. For consumers, Sunible built an online service that lets homeowners discover their solar options and make decisions faster. On the enterprise side, Sunible created an on-demand prospecting and market intelligence service.

Domino is expanding on the Sunible platform to not only take solar mainstream but also provide individuals everything else they need to go 100% carbon-free.
Stephen Torres, founder and CEO of Sunible, will serve as COO at Domino. “At Sunible, we love data. We’ve been putting together a proprietary set of data to build a platform like no other that connects homeowners and solar installers quickly and easily. For installers, that means much lower customer acquisition costs. For homeowners, we’ve greatly simplified the process of going solar, removing the hassle and stress. Now we’re taking that to the next level with Domino, by adding a host of other actions anyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Torres.

“One of the first things we learned at Sunible was that residential solar’s biggest problem was not the cost, but the decision-making experience. The cost of solar has dropped 90% over the past 25 years, but the average decision still takes 9 months. If we took the friction out of the decision, people would make more decisions!” said Dhanur Grandhi, co-founder of Sunible and now Head of Product at Domino. “Our consumer site enabled our first homeowner to go solar in 8 days, and our enterprise service helped installers find or qualify solar prospects in 6 seconds or less. By making it easier for buyers to buy and sellers to sell, the industry wins. Domino represents a natural extension of what we’ve been doing at Sunible.”

Sunible was one of the original solar startups in the SfunCube, the world’s only incubator and accelerator for solar startups. One of Sunible’s key features was developed at a SfunCube hackathon, for which it won Best Technical Accomplishment. Now, Sunible is the first startup from the incubator to make a successful exit with an acquisition.

“It’s gratifying to see one of the first SfunCube startups get acquired,” said Danny Kennedy, President and co-founder of SfunCube, and co-founder of solar provider Sungevity. “Stephen and Dhanur have been part of the SfunCube community from the beginning, and we’ve seen them grow their company from an idea into something that could be a major force in the solar industry.”

“SfunCube is thrilled for Sunible, and we can’t wait to see what they do with Domino,” added Emily Kirsch, co-founder and CEO of SfunCube. “This is what SfunCube is all about – nurturing solar startups so that they can grow and succeed, and make a difference in our industry.”

The terms of the Sunible acquisition were not disclosed.

Solar Power World

Delta Electronics, specialist in power and thermal management solutions, said Japanese firm Takara Leben has selected its 20-kW photovoltaic (PV) inverters for Japan’s first large-scale distributed solar PV power plant connected to an extra-high voltage power transmission line using string PV inverters. This 15-MW solar project is expected to generate approximately 21,000,000 kWh of electricity per year, enough to power 3,700 homes.

“Delta’s corporate mission is ‘To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow’ and for the last 25 years we have been providing our long-term partners in Japan with innovative and state-of-the-art solutions. In addition to the integration of large-scale PV systems, Delta also provides PV inverters with high energy efficiency, salt water anti corrosion and easy-to-install features. In the renewable energy field, Delta offers PV inverters with energy conversion efficiency as high as 98.6%”, said Mr. C.H. Ko, General Manager of Delta Electronics (Japan).

The solar power plant, located in a former golf course covering about 400,000m2 in Nakagawa-machi, Nasu-gun, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, is being developed by Takara Leben which procured 750 units of Delta’s RPI-M20A PV inverters due to their flexibility over traditional centralized PV inverters. This proves that Delta’s technology suits different system design requirements and offers flexibility and ease of maintenance.

This solar installation in Japan will benefit from Delta’s 30+ years of experience in energy conversion efficiency. The RPI-M20A PV inverters are able to withstand adverse environmental conditions thanks to their IP65 waterproof casing, dust detection mechanism and salt water anti corrosion structure, highly necessary in areas such as Tochigi Prefecture. In addition, their versatility for this Japanese distributed solar PV project is significant given the particular shape of the old golf course land where the number of solar panels that can be installed in each hole area differs from one another.

Key features of Delta’s RPI-M20A PV inverters include:

– High energy conversion efficiency (Japan Industrial Standard-JIS: 97.5%) resulting in higher power output and higher electricity sales by the PV plant.
– Suitable for installation in outdoors without the need to invest in shelter infrastructure.
– No need for additional cooling equipment. This results in better OPEX and CAPEX savings.
– Helps maximize system power generation via the built-in string monitoring mechanism, saving the cost of monitoring equipment
– No need for DC string combiner box, diversifying electronics malfunction risks while improving easy maintenance.
– Compact, easy to install, versatile and eco-friendly design suitable for installation in a wide range of areas and systems.

Solar Power World

Hybrid inverters are commonly used in the developing world, but they are starting to make their way into daily use in certain areas of the U.S due to their ability to stabilize energy availability.

A solar inverter’s main job is to convert DC power generated from the array into usable AC power. Hybrid inverters go a step further and work with batteries to store excess power as well. This type of system solves issues renewable energy variability and unreliable grid structures.

A hybrid inverter system in a residential installation. Hybrid inverters work with batteries to store power.-OutBack Power.

“Inverters for grid-tied applications can only provide power based on what the array can immediately generate from the sun,” explained Bryan Whitton, product manager at Darfon. “Hybrid inverters can store power in batteries and then drawn upon it as needed for energy stabilization.”

Hybrid inverters can vary in size, performance and features. But Mara White, product manager for OutBack Power, said most models usually operate bi-directionally, meaning they can convert DC power from modules to usable AC power and then convert stored AC from the batteries to power loads when needed. “Hybrids can also remain grid-connected and use a mix of renewable and non-renewable energy to charge batteries and offset loads,” White added.

Some contractors have used hybrid inverters in the residential, remote home applications for the past decade or two. But Allan Gregg, VP of applications engineering at GreatWall—which manufactures Satcon inverters—said the range of applications has expanded over the past few years to include large capacity microgrids as well as grid-connected systems.

Historically, hybrid inverters have been used more frequently in developing countries that do not have access to a reliable power grid.

“In North America and Europe, hybrid inverter-based systems are usually elective,” White explained. “Users choose to use them for storing energy for self-consumption or provide back-up power during emergencies. But in the developing world, hybrids are more of a necessity to compensate for weak or intermittent grids or a lack of grid electricity all together. Microgrids in places such as India, Asia and Africa are also driving hybrid inverter adaptation.”

An example of power flow in a hybrid inverter system. The inverter can direct power to a load or the grid if needed, or store it in batteries if not. It can also use power from the grid if needed. -GreatWall

Still, Whitton said hybrid models are beginning to be used on a more daily basis in areas of the U.S. where the grid is unpredictable, such as Hawaii, or in states where net-metering has been widely supported. “Applications with less than ideal solar characteristic are also good for hybrid-based systems because they can store power and redistribute it during peak times, improving payback,” he added. “Basically, if the site has the potential for losing the grid frequently, you should consider a hybrid for off-grid operation.”

Having the flexibility of a hybrid system can add initial cost to a project, though experts say this can be offset by the ability to self-consume all of one’s available PV electricity.

There are also important design considerations when using hybrid inverters. For example, Gregg warned that the battery bank voltage should be compatible with the DC input requirements of the inverter, and there should be enough solar capacity to supply the load as well as charge the batteries.

Wiring can also be more complex when using hybrid inverters, especially when panels are dedicated for critical backed-up loads. “And as with any device that does several jobs at once, a hybrid inverter is usually slightly less efficient,” White added, “although, improvements in other balance-of-system components can compensate for that slight loss easily.”

There are also specific electrical safety issues with any type of energy storage, so White recommended getting specialized training in energy storage techniques and design. “Most available training is focused on simple grid-tied systems because they have been the majority of U.S. solar installations until now,” she said. “But with incentives changing and the surge in energy storage interest and applications, it’s important to get ahead of the curve and get advanced training quickly.”

Andrew McCalla of Austin, Texas-based Meridian Solar, a Solar Power World top contractor, said he commonly used hybrids in the mid to late ’90s when the now standard grid-tie inverter sector was just a glimmer. “I can imagine that, when regulatory hurdles are fabricated to limit the consumer and societal benefits of bi-directional power flow from distributed generation, these battery-based platforms will become far more common. What is old is new again!” SPW

Another breed of hybrids
Another segment of hybrid inverters includes inverters that can use two energy sources. For example, Ginlong offers a PV / wind hybrid inverter that has inputs for both sources, instead of having to use two inverters. In much of the United States, wind speeds are low in the summer when the sun shines brightest and longest. The wind is strong in the winter when less sunlight is available. Therefore, because the peak operating times for wind and solar systems occur at different times of the day and year, such hybrid systems have the potential to produce power when it’s needed, and reach a higher return on investment.

Solar Power World