Solar Power World

Intertek, a leading quality solutions provider to industries worldwide, and the Center for the Evaluation of Clean Energy Technology (CECET) have partnered to offer a first in the renewable energy industry in North America—a mobile platform for testing photovoltaic (PV) modules where they are installed. This mobile testing laboratory, known as the Mobile PV Testcenter complements Intertek’s wide range of quality assurance services for solar products and installations at fixed laboratory locations on the East and West Coasts of North America and around the world. The Mobile PV Testcenter targets a key PV installation challenge—underperforming modules—and brings a solution right to the source of where it is needed.

Solar Power World

Ideal Power  and KACO new energy have entered into an agreement that will allow KACO to resell Ideal Power’s products under the KACO label. In addition, KACO will utilize Ideal Power’s patented Power Packet Switching Architecture (PPSA) to develop its own differentiated products and integrated energy storage system solutions.

KACO new energy is the one of the world’s largest manufacturers of solar inverters with more than 8 GW of installed systems. This agreement gives KACO access to Ideal Power’s market-ready bi-directional power conversion systems for the battery energy storage and micro-grid markets. KACO intends to initially sell the systems in North and Central America, targeting both standalone energy storage, as well as solar plus storage system applications. The agreement also enables KACO to design and launch their own products using Ideal Power’s technology.

“This alliance represents an important expansion of our business, starting with a global power conversion partner, to increase our market presence,” commented Dan Brdar, CEO of Ideal Power. “The inevitable convergence of solar and storage is drawing leading companies in the solar market to develop storage based solutions. We believe that partnering with a solar market leader such as KACO gives us access to a large, established customer base and provides established solar providers a high performing energy storage solution. This agreement is an important milestone in the evolution of our company and we expect it will significantly expand our footprint.”

“Ideal Power’s technology is a truly outstanding solution for storage based applications. This partnership allows KACO and Ideal Power to take a strong leadership position and offer full solutions in a nascent market where others present mere prototypes,” said Jurgen Krehnke, CEO for the Americas, KACO new energy. “Our customers have come to expect the most advanced power conversion systems on the market and the combination of Ideal Power’s and KACO’s capabilities delivers precisely that for the renewables plus storage space. We believe this to be a significant addition to the KACO product line that will further our competitive advantage in the market.”

At one-quarter to one-eighth the size and weight of conventional solutions, Ideal Power’s systems result in significantly lower installed costs. Ideal Power’s patented PPSA technology provides electrical isolation while eliminating the need for a transformer, making them smaller, lighter and more cost effective than traditional systems. Its patented technology, which increases round-trip efficiency, resulting in lower operational expenditures, combined with the reduction in material, manufacturing, shipping and installation costs, greatly improves return on investment for Ideal Power’s systems.

Solar Power World

The Exotrack HZ is a horizontal single-axis tracking system that can boost utility-scale plant output by 25% in comparison to fixed-tilt installations.

Its new version, to be unveiled at SPI in Anaheim, has been perfected to meet client needs. Thanks to its short rows, Exotrack HZ v2 smoothly follows undulated topography, drastically decreasing land grading works.

Furthermore, optimized DC wire management reduces wiring costs by 50% compared to other single-axis trackers. The system’s intelligent design, which integrates self grounded module clamps, significantly minimizes installation costs and time, representing less than 400 man-hours per MW.

What’s more, its linked-row architecture and grease-free, balanced structure make it a reliable solar tracking system, reducing O&M actions to an absolute minimum for 25 years.

Its unique centralized control system can pilot up to 10 MWp of trackers and allows on-site or remote actions on the trackers thereby significantly reducing frequency of site visits.

While maintaining the highest quality standards, this new version now also allows Exosun to propose a ‘local content’ compliant solar tracking solution to meet local manufacturing requirements in countries such as South Africa and Brazil.

Highly flexible and adaptable, Exotrack HZ is a genuine revenue booster for utility-scale solar plant owners and developers. Exosun has supplied more than 220 MW of solar trackers worldwide and has designed more than 2GWp of pre project studies.

Solar Power World

Join us for this exclusive live webinar on August 27, 2015 at 2pm EST, featuring guest presenters Mara White from OutBack Power and Elise Murphy from Fire Mountain Solar.

Storage is critical for solar’s growth, whether used in off-grid or battery backup applications. To stay ahead, solar contractors must understand basic storage system design and installation, as well as how the inverter works to manage storing and drawing power. Join us in a special 1-hour presentation to find out how inverters work in a storage system, best practices for installation and learn from real project examples.

Attend this webinar to learn:

• Why storage is so important to solar
• Best practices for solar storage system installation
• Considerations for choosing an inverter and battery

Solar Power World

Enphase Energy and Sunrun, the largest dedicated residential solar company in the U.S., have entered into a strategic supply agreement to provide Enphase solar energy systems to Sunrun for its home solar installation business.

While AEE Solar and Sunrun’s network of Certified Partners have long sold and installed Enphase systems, this agreement marks the first time that Enphase will provide its module level power electronics (MLPE) systems to Sunrun’s direct installation services business. Enphase will continue to work with Sunrun across its multi-channel platform, strengthening its relationship with Sunrun’s wholesale distribution business, AEE Solar, and collaborating on operational efficiency-focused product development with SnapNrack, Sunrun’s solar photovoltaic (PV) racking and mounting systems group.

“The market-proven, highly reliable Enphase technology will help Sunrun continue to execute its strategy around installation efficiency and system performance,” said Paul Winnowski, chief operating officer of Sunrun. “Adding Enphase’s high-quality solar energy systems to our current product suite enables Sunrun to deliver best-in-class service and long-term savings to our customers. It is a great partnership between two market innovators.”

“As the pioneer in providing solar as a service to homeowners, Sunrun recognizes that Enphase offers a smart, differentiated and financially compelling approach to clean energy generation that delivers cash flow savings and excellent system performance over the life of the project,” said Paul Nahi, president and CEO of Enphase Energy. “We look forward to working together with Sunrun not only as a preferred supplier, but as a partner in delivering intelligent energy solutions.”

Solar Power World

Trent Mostaert

Fostering customer relationships is critical to maintaining business. Solar EPC Mortenson Construction takes this seriously, even incorporating customer service into its mission statement. We spoke with Trent Mostaert, vice president and general manager of solar at Mortenson Construction (No. 2 on the upcoming 2015 Top Solar Contractor list), to find out how his company gets to know its customers’ needs.

Solar Power World: How has your relationship with customers been important to Mortenson’s success?  

Mostaert: Our company’s mission is to create an exceptional customer service experience. I believe that’s the No. 1 factor that’s helped us grow. Last year 100% of our solar projects were from repeat customers. We don’t work with a lot of customers, but we stay focused on those we do and delivering an exceptional experience. We take time to understand their business and how we can add value to their projects.

How do you understand the needs of your customers in solar?

Our project team is consistently in contact with them. On a higher level, we set up quarterly business reviews with our clients to understand where they’re trying to go and how we can help them get there, as well as maintain our alignment.

Also, each Mortenson businesses does research, from healthcare to sports. Solar is no exception. We did a large survey at Solar Power International, one of the industry’s largest trade shows, to help us understand the industry now and gain some insight into what’s to come.  We also publish what we learn, which helps our customers and others in the industry stay ahead of trends and get out in front of big industry issues.

You’re still publishing the results, but what are some of the things you’ve learned so far?

We’ve gained insight into how the industry is reacting to the phasing out of incentives and dealing with interconnection issues. We also compare survey data with past ones we’ve conducted. One thing that’s consistent is grid parity; we’re right where we should be.

Solar Power World

IPS installed tenKsolar panels made
in Minnesota at the Virnig Dairy Farm.

Eric Pasi, vice president of business development at Innovative Power Systems (No. 239 on the upcoming 2015 Top Solar Contractors list), has been with the company for nearly eight years, since he graduated from the University of Minnesota. But the St. Paul company goes back much further. Pasi explained how Ralph Jacobson founded IPS in 1991 with a goal to help customers save money and lead the local transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable power.

“Minnesota spends about $20 billion each year to import coal, gas and oil,”  Pasi explained. “We believe the state should invest that money locally into construction and infrastructure that benefits our local economy. Since I joined IPS, it’s been exciting to watch solar develop into a full-fledged industry to help achieve that.”

After 24 years and over 700 projects, IPS has played a major role in bringing renewable energy to Minnesota and the upper Midwest area. Jacobson was recently honored by the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA) with its first lifetime achievement award (named after Jacobson) for his long-term commitment to renewable energy and the solar industry. He’s worked with legislators, regulators and utilities to craft renewable energy policy. By doing so, he’s created opportunities in solar for himself and others.

Pasi explained that Minnesota is relatively progressive—the first state to enact a net-metering policy in the early 1980s. By 2020 Xcel Energy must generate 31.5% of its power from solar, while other investor-owned utilities in the state must hit 26.5%. Xcel has been a strong proponent of solar and renewables in the state, carrying expertise from its experience in New Mexico and Colorado. Minnesota’s rebate program in the 2000s and the 2013 Solar Jobs Act have also helped spur the industry.

“Governor Mark Dayton is extremely committed to renewables,” Pasi said. “There was a recent push by the state house to try and repeal some solar legislation, and he stood strong and vetoed that part of the energy bill so solar didn’t lose ground.”

A recent poll from the Minnesota Environmental Partnership also found strong public support in the state for renewables. About 90% of residents support renewable energy and solar specifically, Pasi said.

Other than state support, Pasi attributes the company’s longevity to its perseverance through lean times and creativity.

“We’ve developed innovative financing programs for homeowners, businesses and non-profits to help them move forward with projects they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to take on,” he said.
“We’re leading with our experience, contacts and existing customers, which is a huge asset for us,” Pasi added. “We’ve stayed committed to solar PV in a market where it wasn’t all that popular five or ten years ago.” IPS also works closely with other hometown solar companies such as panel manufacturer tenKsolar.

Even when it’s challenging, Pasi said he enjoys the business.

“I like sharing my passion, whether it’s with the people I’ve been in touch with for years or new faces,” he said. “I enjoy both the economics and stewardship aspects of solar, and seeing those resonate with customers too. I’m excited about the future of solar in Minnesota and the United States.” SPW

Solar Power World

Cost Less Energy’s storefront lets customers see solar products up close.

Cost Less Energy (No. 336 on the upcoming 2015 Top Solar Contractors list) has been in business in Yakima, Washington, for 36 years, consistently staying ahead of the curve. It hopped from one emerging industry to the next before confidently settling into solar a decade ago. Manager Don Mills said early adopters have been key to business as his company (originally known as Sights and Sounds) moved from installing cable television in 1979 to cell phones in the ‘90s and finally renewable energy today.

“We started off before most people in our area heard of cable TV,” he said. “We started by giving people something they wanted. A lot of times, it’s an early adopter thing—just people who wanted it or will pay a little more for it.”

Yakima is located near the center of Washington state, so often Mills’ storefront was the nearest place to find these futuristic technologies. He kept a stock of VCRs, beta players, cell phones and more for anyone interested. Since the store was the go-to spot for the latest technology trends, customers would come in with suggestions on products, and that’s how Cost Less Energy was introduced to energy efficiency products and renewable energy. Biodiesel was the company’s first major undertaking.

“We stocked and sold that, had some really good results,” Mills said. “People would come into our store to do their biodiesel class or buy their biodiesel processor, and they’d look around and ask if we had solar panels. After a few people asked about it—of course early adopters—here we are selling solar panels.”

Business transformed in the ‘90s to “anything that could save people money on their energy bill,” and Mills said today about 90% of Cost Less Energy’s sales comes from solar. Its storefront also helps gain customers, as it is one of the only places in the region where people can come in and see major brands of solar products and systems up close.

“[Staying ahead of the curve] has been our forte. It’s been really fun,” Mills said. “We’ve got a lot of wonderful customers that would bring ideas to us. We just took off with it. We’ve been doing solar longer than anything. It’s gone from early adopter to mainstream, and that’s what we really like.”

Originally installing maybe one system a month, Cost Less Energy has graduated to one or more a week and expects to hit the commercial market this year. Even if the ITC drops at the end of 2016, Mills said he’s not worried about business slowing down.

“We think we might be in sort of an early adopter phase again,” he said. “People need to be reacquainted with something that might cost a little more, but there are benefits over time. Because that has been our modus operandi for 36 years, we’re not worried about it.”

Solar Power World

CIR Electric

CIR Electric (No. 218 on the upcoming 2015 Top Solar Contractors list) has worked with electricity for nearly 40 years. Recently it won a GM contract to power robots in a $1 billion engine factory overhaul. It has worked for Verizon installing backup generators at its facilities, among countless other commercial- and industrial-scale projects.

But work with solar? Between the harsh Buffalo winters and an already successful business model, the idea was slow to take off, especially within a conservative company. Despite company-wide skepticism, CIR took a leap of faith into the solar market.

It was up to CFO Jeff Pedro, renewable project coordinator Ashley Regan, business development manager Darin Harzewski and NABCEP-certified designer Tracy Almeter to convince colleagues and counterparts that solar was a sustainable business. There was risk involved, but CIR was already an established company, ready with labor, trucks and ongoing relationships with vendors.

And, Almeter said, they already knew a lot about solar technology.

“At a basic level, when you’re talking about a solar PV project, you’re talking about electricity,” Regan said. “No one thinks of it that way. [Union electricians] are laying conduit, they’re pulling wire, they’re connecting back to the grid. All of that is electrical work.”

The company’s first solar job was a 5-kW system on a net-zero home built by local organization People United for Sustainable Housing (PUSH). Through an existing relationship with Natale Builders, CIR installed solar on 20 additional homes within a subdevelopment.

More recently, CIR Electric worked with national solar installers as a subcontractor, including work on a 1.1-MW project for Bausch & Lomb in Rochester, New York.

“This project was truly an eye-opening experience within CIR,” Regan said. “We were able to turn the naysayers within the company into solar yes-men.”

Three CIR employees have added solar to their own houses, including electrician David Naus. He installed a 28-panel, 7.8-kW ground-mount system in his backyard last November.

“A lot of people come over to my backyard and learn about it,” Naus said. “People didn’t understand the technology. They thought they would need batteries. They didn’t think they’d get money back from the utilities.”

Naus’ latest electric bill was $17. He said Buffalo gets as much sun as Orlando, Florida, and the cool weather is better for solar technology. It sounds like he’s sold, and so are many other skeptics at CIR Electric.

Solar Power World

RevoluSun and Surfrider pitch tents at the cleanup with educational displays and free giveaways for volunteers throughout the day.

The beaches of Hawaii are world-renowned, but like all natural wonders they are subject to the harms of human impact. When Honolulu solar contractor RevoluSun (No. 220 on the upcoming 2015 Top Solar Contractors list) saw trash collecting on a local beach, it stepped in to help.

In 2009, just two weeks after opening its doors for business, it partnered with the Hawaii Surfrider Foundation to host a cleanup of Sandy Beach on Oahu’s east side. It was such a success, the partners have made it an annual July event. Each year, RevoluSun staff members and volunteers remove about 900 lbs of trash from the shoreline. This includes everything from plastic bags, polystyrene from packaging, fishing nets and rope, batteries and even smaller items like bottle caps, cigarette butts and microplastics.

“Our goal is always to walk the walk of sustainability,” said Revolusun Chief Innovation Officer Eric Carlson. “We believe in being stewards of Hawaii’s environment, so not only do we provide solar power and smart home innovations, we strive to participate in as many community stewardship efforts like this as possible. This allows us to give back by physically getting dirty and being caretakers of this place we love so much. It allows our community and clientele to see that we don’t just sell renewable energy and talk about caring for the environment, we live that lifestyle.”

RevoluSun provides free T-shirts and lunch to thank cleanup participants. Carlson said the time and expense of running the event is worth it.

“Participating in something like this is part of our company philosophy of cleaner, smarter living,” he said. “It’s a way to connect personally with the more than 5,500 RevoluSun customers we have already connected to solar power. We don’t look at this beach cleanup as an expense, but a way to give back.”

The event is now in its sixth year. Each time, RevoluSun strives to improve organization so that more people can volunteer and more trash can be removed from Hawaii’s beautiful shoreline.

Solar Power World

Kathie Zipp is managing editor of Solar Power World.

What would a visitor say about your website? Have you really looked through it lately? Do you have one?

Today, a website is most likely the first place people come to learn about your company. A visitor’s experience with your website could greatly impact his or her view of your company and whether they proceed with your service. As an editor, and consumer, I’m constantly exploring websites and working on our own site. I’d like to share some basic best practices to ensure your website represents your company the best way possible.

Eye-appealing and easy to navigate

Your website is the face of your business. If it looks thrown together, cluttered with information and poorly designed, customers may see your business as unprofessional, inexperienced or even untrustworthy. The best websites are user friendly with a clean, professional design. Start by choosing attractive, high quality photos that reflect the work you do, especially for your homepage. Text color is also important. It may sound obvious, but you want the visitor to be able to read your material. Ensure there is contrast between the text color and the background (no bright yellow on fuchsia!). Make headlines and sections clear by using bolded or larger font.

On that note, organization, structure and content should all be catered to your target audience. Consider who you are trying to reach and what kind of information they’re looking for. Then, ensure that information is accessible and easy to find. Most people don’t read websites; they scan them. If they can’t find what they need quickly and easily, they will get frustrated and leave. Structure your content in a hierarchy for easy navigation. Also, when was the last time you checked links on your site? Links that don’t work or take a long time to load can deter visitors. This goes for videos and other multimedia as well.

Who you are and how to contact you

The answers to these questions should be the easiest to find on your website. Most visitors either want to learn about what you do or how to contact you. Including clearly marked “About us” and “Contact us” pages is a great way to do this. Then, make sure these pages have adequate information. Your About page should clearly state the services you provide and for whom (this is also something to consider saying on your homepage in a short line or slogan). Other great information to include on your About page is a brief explanation of how and when your company was founded, as well as a company mission statement.

It’s also nice to add some faces, whether it’s on the About or Contact page. Headshots with titles and brief bios for key executives and departments, if not your whole company (depending on size), can add a nice human element to a visitor’s experience. Including contact information, such as name and email, is helpful. Specific email addresses to real individuals are always preferable because they can direct people to the right person (I’m obviously overjoyed when companies have a specific media contact). However, if your company prefers to keep this information private, at the very least the visitor should be able to find a general name, address and phone number or contact form under the contact page. But contact forms and info@xyz.com email addresses are only as good as the person checking them. Ensure someone does and responds to all inquiries promptly!

Create content

Your website’s focus should be on meeting your audience’s needs, not just selling to them. Quality, consistent content can help attract and engage with your audience. I think, at the very least, it’s a good idea to include a news section and project portfolio. Again, selfishly as a member of the press, I want to see what’s new, and your visitors do too! Sharing releases with updates on projects, changes in your business or anything else new keeps you looking relevant and active. Don’t forget to include a contact for more information on the bottom of every release, if not also on your news page.

Including a project portfolio on your website is a great way to demonstrate what kind of work you do and showcase your experience. Whether this is accomplished through simple posts, a slideshow, or clickable thumbnails with captions, each project should include the name, location, commissioning date and size. Portfolios I find most impressive include additional project partners and component brands and models. Some great websites even link to more information about the project.

I see the next level of content as blogs, videos or other multimedia. If your company has the resources, these can be great tools for attracting and educating visitors. The keys to producing these effectively are to keep them relevant and consistent. Publishing one blog every six months isn’t going to impress anyone, but every month or week could. Consumers are more wary of a sales pitch than ever, so keep your content relevant to your audience. A good place to start is considering your audience’s pain points and creating content to educate them on how to resolve them.

Another good place to share educational content is on a “Why solar” or “Solar FAQ” page. One of our industry’s greatest challenges is educating the consumer. Many homeowners and businesses still need to be taught about the benefits of going solar and why it may be right for them. Having a page with FAQs and posts about why solar makes sense or links to additional solar resources helps visitors feel comfortable with the idea of going solar. Delivering this type of relevant content to your audience can help position you as a thought leader and develop trust with visitors.

Other things to include on your website include memberships, awards and social media icons (linked!). We want to follow you!

These are just some basic tips. There are many aspects of website design and performance I didn’t touch on, such a mobile optimization, but there’s a plethora of additional resources and services available to help you create the best website for your business. Your customers will thank you!

Solar Power World

Steven Bushong is associate editor of Solar Power World.

In North Carolina, lawmakers want to reverse renewable energy mandates and kill solar tax credits. In Nevada, a 3% cap on net metering is frustrating residential installers. In Colorado, the major utility wants to place prohibitive fees on customers going solar. In California, the public utilities commission is considering changes to net metering. Nationally, the ITC is in severe danger.

Clearly, solar installers have plenty to do to improve the market and political landscape in which they do work, but how does a political novice begin to make a difference? First, he or she must understand the challenge.

Entrenched interests

For a century, U.S. consumers have received electricity by way of a low-competition utility market. If you’ve ever bought electricity for your house, your selection of power providers was probably limited to one or two utilities. Solar—which generates electricity on your own roof—disrupts the utility-centric model for getting power. Currently, more than 200,000 solar arrays are challenging a standard that once seemed permanent.

The problem is that utilities have a long-cultivated, entrenched relationship with their local legislators and regulators, two groups that wield tremendous power over the solar industry. Legislators write laws and taxes; regulators approve fees and promote competition within the generation industry, when they deem appropriate.

Many of the aforementioned utilities either oppose or don’t understand the rise of distributed solar (though some progressive utilities have embraced the technology). Feeling threatened, they are visiting halls of power and using their lobbying prowess to oppose legislation and policies that would be supportive of our industry.

Prudent contractors, which should be any contractor planning to stay open beyond 2017 (when the ITC for residential solar likely disappears), will take an interest in visiting these places of power and shaping the decisions made there, too. Laws and policies impact bottom lines, and your efforts can make a difference.

In Tennessee, for example, the comptroller’s office proposed an increase in the tax valuation of solar property from half a percent to 33%, the same valuation as wind turbines. A year later, solar advocates had succeeded in reducing the valuation to 12.5%.

“[The 33% valuation] was such a deal-killer,” said Mary Shaffer Gill, president of TenneSEIA. “Obviously, we’d love to have it at half a percent, but we felt satisfied with the result.”

Step one

The work will continue for advocacy groups across the country because threats to solar business surface all the time. More than a dozen states have issues in contention now, and contractors must bring a dose of their reality—that solar is good, and this is why—to the insular halls of legislators.
The most basic way to get involved is to sign up for alerts from regional or national solar advocacy groups, or become a member of one. SEIA hosts a directory of regional chapters on
its website, seia.org.

“These groups will let you know when your voice will matter most, and they will give you the tools you need to take action,” said Rosalind Jackson, director of external relations at Vote Solar. “It could be a couple clicks, but it will have an impact.”

Legislators

But maybe you want to be more involved and come face-to-face with your elected officials. All the experts interviewed agree on this fact: More than anything else, legislators are driven by job creation and economic growth in their districts. But they also want votes. Therefore, communication should come from someone who matters to them—in other words, someone who can vote for them—and the constituent should offer just the facts that matter. Legislators are busy people, and you may only have a few minutes to share your point and secure support.

“Good things don’t happen because of luck,” said Jason Rooks, a professional lobbyist who works with GASEIA. “I spend a lot of time making sure the right person is communicating the right thing to the right legislator.”

Advocating for Tennessee installers, Gill traveled to Washington, D.C., twice last year. She and her party stressed numbers.

“We talked jobs, talked dollars and shared an inventory of the solar assets in the state,” Gill said. “With those numbers, we can show the economic impact of the industry here, up and down the
value chain. Turning it into a business case is extremely important.”

Solar is a big business today. More than $71 billion in solar investment was deployed in the U.S. in 2014, and more than 174,000 Americans are employed in the solar industry, according to SEIA.

Regulators

Talking to regulators is a bit more nuanced than sharing information with legislators. Whereas a lot of what lobbyists do with legislators is educate, regulators already know the details. Still, their details come from a small group of interests that often have a strong connection to utilities. They are accustomed to a utility-centric electricity model.  They need to hear from contractors and others outside their comfort zone.

“Regulators are more well-versed in electricity than the typical legislator,” Jackson said. For regulators, she said, “it’s really making the case for rethinking the whole relationship between the customer and the utility and the value local solar power brings to a grid.”

For contractors interested in lobbying regulators, IREC has developed a guide specifically for regulators on assessing the costs and benefits of distributed solar (available at tinyurl.com/IREC-Solar). Bring this with you. But at the end of the day, Jackson said, local and regional issues come down to one stakeholder versus another.

“What solar really has going for it is public support and a vision that inspires people,” she said. “You want to report a fact-based case, but also remind regulators about what their consumers want.”

Polling consistently puts consumer support for all forms of solar power at over 80%, and support comes from across the political spectrum. The trick is getting policy makers to also see the tangible benefits of the technology.

Solar Power World

Clenergy has confirmed its role as the main sponsor of Australia’s premier solar racing team for the 2015 World Solar Challenge. The Queensland team, officially named Clenergy TeamArrow, is set to be a strong contender for this year’s solar vehicle race.

Clenergy TeamArrow is a collaboration of highly skilled and dedicated technology experts, engineers, technicians, designers and mechanics, all with a passion to create a cleaner future. TeamArrow was ranked the highest Australian finisher in the last World Solar Challenge and won the mechanical design award at the recent Abu Dhabi Solar Challenge.

The two year sponsorship is indicative of Clenergy’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gasses and make the world a cleaner and safer place for future generations through sustainable transportation, innovation, team spirit and local support.

The biennial World Solar Challenge has attracted teams from around the globe since 1987. Cars must trek the 3,021km from Darwin to Adelaide across Australia’s outback using only 5kW hours of stored energy with all other energy sourced from the sun or kinetic energy from the vehicle. In a competition designed to promote research on solar-powered cars, Clenergy TeamArrow is determined to show the world what can be done with home grown expertise and local support.

In strong alignment with this vision, Clenergy’s VP of International Sales and Marketing, Mario Guzzi, believes a small incremental change from many local and global citizens can result in large emission reductions overall.

“Electric vehicles charged with clean renewable energy are at the forefront of sustainable transport solutions,” he said. “Significant carbon emission reduction is only achievable when everybody contributes.”

Watch the team in action in this video.

Solar Power World

The new SunPort Internet of Things (IoT), smart device is bringing the solar energy revolution to an electrical plug near you. Giving people the power to choose renewable energy, SunPort is the world’s first smart grid, solar delivery, plug-in device. It allows anyone to instantly use 100% grid-connected solar energy just by plugging it into a common wall socket. Whenever users plug in their devices with the SunPort, the power they use is recorded and automatically upgraded to solar through the company’s proprietary smart grid technology.

The SunPort Kickstarter campaign launching today seeks to raise $75,000 for commercial production of the device and development of gamified iPhone and Android mobile apps for end users. Backer levels include pre-orders of production SunPort models and an “Alpha Club” testing team, among others.

“SunPort drives us to think differently about what it means to go solar. It gives anyone the ability to use solar energy without having to own a rooftop or install panels,” said SunPort creator Paul Droege. “Since SunPort enables drastically increased personal use of solar, it serves as a new mechanism to create and aggregate demand for solar energy. Our hope is that widespread adoption can increase the value of solar energy to the point it unleashes much more solar development across the country. Even moderate use can show our leaders that people are demanding a shift to renewable sources of energy.”

SunPort mimics methods large corporations have used for years to upgrade their energy use to solar and reduce their carbon footprints. SunPort has adapted this process to fit the energy demands, ease of use and affordability preferences of average consumers. With the SunPort, they can easily plug into the existing multi-million dollar solar infrastructure network, without owning panels themselves.

“Other industries, such as telecommunications, have packaged complex, costly technology as an accessible service for consumers” said Droege. “Similarly, by leveraging solar’s existing network of infrastructure, SunPort now brings a new level of simplicity and affordability to the solar industry.”

SunPort’s system guarantees new solar energy is fed into the grid, by matching tracked energy usage against current vintage solar credits. The system is set up with regular third-party audits that verify matching claims. The solar credits originate from real panels and are certified by a third-party organization for authenticity. As the company further develops its system and apps, transparency features will add greater social and community visibility. The SunPort user community will be able to verify the authenticity of SunPort’s actions and claims directly, while also easily tracking individual and collective impact.

Solar Power World

Rooftop PV array installations are very common. Photo courtesy of Baja Construction.

Pro-Tech Energy Solutions recently announced it has been selected by A.C. Moore, a specialty retailer offering arts, crafts and floral merchandise, to install a 3.48 MW rooftop solar installation. The rooftop array will be installed on the A.C. Moore distribution warehouse and headquarters in Berlin, New Jersey. Part of a cost saving and sustainable energy initiative, the rooftop array will cover approximately 432,000 square feet and utilize string inverters to provide maximum control over energy supply.

Pro-Tech Energy Solutions will deliver a turnkey solution to A.C. Moore for the planning, design, development, management, installation and construction of its rooftop solar project. Paramount to the project’s success is Pro-Tech’s proven ability to complete the installation without delay or interruption to A.C. Moore’s day-to-day business. The project will commence this month and is expected to be completed in the fall.

“Increasingly, companies such as A.C. Moore are turning to solar energy to help reduce their energy costs and fuel operational efficiencies,” said Rich Cooper, President of Pro-Tech Energy Solutions. “Moreover, A.C. Moore can take advantage of unused corporate space to generate power on site and fuel positive financial outcomes. Rooftop installation in particular allows for a simple, spread-out configuration and is ideal for the purposes of design and cost efficiency.”

A.C. Moore recognizes that by managing its own energy supply, it has the potential to reduce energy costs by as much as 50%. Additionally, the funds saved from self-generating power can go to support other A.C. Moore company directives. Through this sustainable energy initiative, A.C. Moore can improve its bottom line results and reduce its impact on the environment.

“Being good stewards of the environment is a priority for our company and installing solar panels was an important step in the launch of A.C. Moore’s solar energy initiative,” said Pepe Piperno, CEO, A.C. Moore. “Leveraging solar energy is good business. It positively impacts the environment, while helping to maintain financial stability, so our company is able to deliver the best quality products, service and price to our customers.”

Solar Power World

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced today that the three state operated ski resorts at Belleayre, Gore and Whiteface Mountain have committed to using solar power to operate their ski lift and snowmaking operations.

“By using renewable energy to power major operations at these world-class ski resorts, we are making the region a cleaner and greener place for people to live and work,” Governor Cuomo said. “This is a perfect example of how our administration is jumpstarting New York’s clean energy economy and reducing the state’s carbon footprint – which is good for all New Yorkers. I am pleased to see this excited announcement come together, and I encourage people to check out one of New York’s premier ski resorts this winter.”

The 25-year power purchase agreement with Borrego Solar is the most recent of several environmental initiatives the state and ORDA have undertaken to run its business units with increased sustainability and efficiency.  It is also in keeping with Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision’s NY-Sun initiative, a $1-billion initiative to advance the scale-up of solar and move the state closer to having sustainable, self-sufficient solar industry as New York builds a clean, resilient and affordable energy system.

Gore Mountain is home to the most skiable terrain and largest lift infrastructure in New York State, and its massive snowmaking system, lift operations, and other electrical equipment use about 13-million kilowatt hours of power and cost approximately $1-million in utility costs each year.  The solar energy for Gore, produced at a location in Washington County, is expected to reduce Gore’s energy bill by over $213,000 during the first year. Borrego’s projections indicate that the three ski resorts could save as much $14-million over the 25-year period, utilizing more than 10 megawatts of solar power.

The solar projects received support from NY-Sun through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which administers the initiative.

“With this initiative ORDA will substantially reduce its carbon footprint essentially akin to removing over 46,000 cars from the road over the life of the agreement,” said ORDA chairman Pat Barrett.  “We want to make sure that this wonderful recreational sport stays around for generations to come.”

“These projects demonstrate an innovative use of solar energy, which is helping a wide range of businesses across New York State reduce electricity costs and preserve the environment,” said John B. Rhodes, president and CEO, NYSERDA. “They are examples of tangible State actions under Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision strategy to build a clean, resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers.”

The solar power project is the latest sustainable endeavor for all three resorts.  Over the past two years, Gore Mountain has added 260 low-energy, high-efficiency guns to its snowmaking fleet, along with a several powerful fan guns, while Whiteface has added 100 guns to its fleet. Meanwhile Belleayre, began transitioning away from diesel air compressors to electric, as well as adding energy-efficient guns to its fleet of 600 guns that are responsible for covering the Catskill region resort’s 55 trails.

Low-energy, high-efficiency guns use the same amount of water as a traditional gun, but the air that these guns use is 25-percent of a traditional gun. The energy savings come from running compressors for a shorter period of time, while making more snow in less time and shortening the snowmaking season.

All three resorts have modernized their pumping systems and/or compressors to further offset energy use, and over the last two seasons Gore has operated more lifts for more days than ever before, while using less energy than in past.  ORDA mountains have been presented with four international “Silver Eagle” awards, one to Whiteface for Excellence in Environmental Education; and three to Gore for Excellence in Environmental Group Relations, Environmental Education, and Excellence of Visual Impact Resources.

Solar Power World

Day after day, we see headlines showing the growth of solar photovoltaic energy across the globe, from China to India to Germany to the United States. The rising demand for solar power is fueling advances in research and development of solar PV technology. However, in many ways, fundamental solar energy generating technology hasn’t changed much since the introduction of the monocrystalline solar panel in the 1950s. It’s only gotten better, as improvements in efficiency, quality and versatility continue to develop.

Solar PV Technology

The monocrystalline panel may be the original solar PV technology, but it’s being challenged by both established and emerging new technology on factors like price, efficiency and versatility. Solar PV modules made from polycrystalline silicon, as well as new generations of thin-film solar PV technology, are giving residential, commercial, industrial and utility clients a variety of options to fulfill their solar energy production requirements.

The variety of solar power technologies available run on a scale of efficiency, price, durability and flexibility, depending upon the need of your project. PV solar technology generates power because substances like silicon generate an electrical current when they absorb sunlight, in a process known as the photovoltaic effect. Like semiconductors, solar PV technology needs purified silicon to get the best efficiency, and the price behind PV solar manufacturing is often driven by the crystalline silicon purification process.

A monocrystalline panel

Monocrystalline Silicon Solar PV: most efficient

Generally, monocrystalline silicon solar PV is the best technology to deliver efficiency, as measured by wattage output related to the panel’s size. But this efficiency can come with costs. The best value is solar PV technology is polycrystalline silicon, offering efficiency levels close to monocrystalline panels, but at half the costs in some cases.

Monocrystalline solar is made by growing a single crystal. Because these crystals are usually an oval shape, monocrystalline panels are cut into the distinctive patterns that give them their recognizable appearance: the sliced silicon cells expose the missing corners in the grid-like structure. The crystal framework in a monocrystalline is even, producing a steady blue color and no grain marks, giving it the best purity and highest efficiency levels.

A polycrystalline panel

Polycrystalline Silicon Solar PV: best value

Polycrystalline solar is made by pouring molten silicon into a cast. However, because of this construction method, the crystal structure will form imperfectly, creating boundaries where the crystal formation breaks. This gives the polycrystalline silicon its distinctive, grainy appearance, as the gemstone type pattern highlights the boundaries in the crystal.

Because of these impurities in the crystal, polycrystalline silicon is less efficient when compared with monocrystalline. However, this manufacturing process uses less energy and materials, giving it a significant cost advantage over monocrystalline silicon. (Polycrystalline and multicrystalline are often synonyms, but multicrystalline is often meant to refer to silicon with crystallites larger than 1 mm.)

A thin-film installation

Thin-Film Solar PV: portable and light weight

The technology with the lowest market share is thin-film, but while it has several disadvantages, it is a good option for projects with lesser power requirements but needs for light weight and portability. Thin-film technologies have produced a maximum efficiency of 20.3%, with the most common material amorphous silicon at 12.5%.

Thin-film panels can be constructed from a variety of materials, with the main options being amorphous silicon (a-Si), the most prevalent type, cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIS/CIGS). As a technology that’s still emerging, thin-film cells have the potential to be less expensive. Thin-film could be a driver in the consumer market, where price considerations could make it more competitive.

Solar PV Efficiency

According to the U.S Department of Energy, polycrystalline silicon is leading the market share with 55% of PV technology shipments in 2013, compared with 36% for monocrystalline. So far, research has produced polycrystalline cells with a maximum efficiency of 20.4% with monocrystalline technology pushing the boundaries at 25%.

Whether it’s the rooftop of a home or a solar farm for a grid-connected utility, space and area are often a key component of any solar power project, which often makes module efficiency a critical element for project developers. Most solar panels range in efficiencies of 13 to 16%, though some high-end model modules can reach percentages as high as 20%.

For most applications, a mono- or polycrystalline solar PV solution is usually the best option, as these established technologies generally provide the right balance of price, efficiency and reliability. For most commercial and industrial use, the crystalline silicon is still the standard and stands to be for years to come. Vasari Energy has found that the polycrystalline product offers our clients with the desired match of efficiency, durability and price.

This article was written by Sam Lipman, executive vice president of business development at Vasari Energy

Solar Power World

Photo by Todd Coleman

The fifth annual Solar Battle of the Bands, a solar industry party and musical competition presented by Quick Mount PV, took place Wednesday, July 15, during the 2015 Intersolar North America trade show. Attended by an overflowing and enthusiastic crowd of nearly 1400 solar professionals, the after-hours event at the Mezzanine featured bands from SolarCity, Inovateus Solar, Sungevity and Quick Mount PV. Attendees voted for their favorite band in four unique categories, allowing each band a chance to be recognized for certain aspects of their performance.

In a Solar Battle of the Band’s first, every band wrote and performed an original song. But the prize for Best Original Song went to SolarCity’s, PV Wonder, for their fun, ska-inspired, “We’re SolarCity”, which got the crowd dancing. The award for Best On-Stage Costume went to the always creative and good-humored Inovateus Solar’s, Rev. Ray and the Everlasting Incentives. The band went with a country-themed set, complete with light-up cowboy hats and leather chaps. Returning champions Sungevity’s, The Killa Watts  won the well-deserved award for Best Solo Performance, as well as Best Overall Performance. The night’s official line-up ended with Quick Mount PV’s energetic, Northerner and the Rafters, featuring an impressive horn section.

To finish the evening, musicians from each band got on stage together to perform a multi-band encore.  A cherry on top of what was truly a Solar Battle of the Band’s all-star event!

Solar Battle of the Bands was made possible by company sponsors Inovateus Solar, Wiley, AEE Solar, Mounting Systems, SolarEdge and media/nonprofit sponsors SolarPro, Solar Power World (that’s us!), Solar Energy International (SEI), Intersolar North America and NABCEP.

Solar Power World

Your average solar farm won’t get very far if the task at hand is to change the way in which energy is generated for 50 million Japanese households – here, you have to think big. That’s why the Hosoe solar project in Japan, planned to be in service by 2018 and equipped with GE Power Conversion technology, will be anything but average.

Located on Kyushu Island, the 96.2-megawatt (DC) photovoltaic solar plant is set to be one of the largest in Japan, and is expected to generate clean energy for up to 30,000 households, delivering annual CO2 emission savings of 68,200 tons. To enable this operation with enhanced efficiency, the developer of the project, Pacifico Energy K.K., selected GE Power Conversion to supply its Brilliance inverters for the mega solar project.

50 of GE Power Conversion’s 1.26 MW Brilliance solar inverters meet the customer’s requirements for both reliability and cost competitiveness. Along with the inverters, GE is also supplying transformers, Ring Main Units and Recombiners, all of which are to be preassembled and optimized for flawless integration.

GE Power Conversion’s involvement with the project does not stop with the delivery of the equipment. In also providing a 20-year LTSA (Long Term Services Agreement) which includes an availability guarantee on the inverter equipment, GE is helping to ensure the performance of the plant is maintained throughout the life of the project.

The Hosoe project has also received support from GE Energy Financial Services, which invested equity in the project in March. GE Energy Financial Services has previously invested in two other Pacifico Energy projects in Japan – Kumeana and Mimasaka Musashi – to help the country meet its target to generate 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

“The fact that we can harness solar energy on a mass scale goes to show how far innovation has come in recent years, and this venture with Pacifico is one of many that we will be seeing in Japan and across the world,” said John Chatwin, Power & Industry Segment Leader, GE Power Conversion. “GE is dedicated to enabling renewable energy production because we know that these projects are shaping the future energy landscape.”

Solar Power World