The POWERHOUSE Solar System 2.0 (PH 2.0) combines the performance and protection of a conventional asphalt roof with an integrated photovoltaic (PV) system that powers the home. PH 2.0 is a higher energy density system that improves industry leading integrated aesthetics and delivers the same high quality you have come to expect in a Dow solution.

PH 2.0 has been developed with the professional roofer in mind, featuring robust waterproofing integration with common roofing materials and fewer roof penetrations than panels, all backed by a 20 year warranty. PH 2.0 gives homeowners the utility savings they expect while displacing traditional roofing materials for an additional savings that panels cannot offer.

PH 2.0 serves the need of homeowners who want to go solar, but aren’t willing to accept the complexity and sub-optimal aesthetics currently offered by bulky, rack-mounted systems.

POWERHOUSE Solar System 2.0 Product Details

The POWERHOUSE Solar System 2.0 (PH 2.0) operates as both a roof and solar product, and is installed directly onto the roof deck along with standard asphalt roofing shingles. PH 2.0 is both the roof and the solar energy generator, and has a uniform appearance for superior aesthetics. PH 2.0 has projected lower installation costs and eliminates the need for specialty underlayments. PH 2.0 has easier removal and the replacement of the solar PV insert provides flexibility in system maintenance and replacement. The PV material used in PH 2.0 is a thin CIGS (Copper indium gallium selenide) technology produced by NuvoSun called NuvoSun Flex PV cells.

Complete Solar Solution

Recognizing that consumers also need solar to be an easy choice, Dow has designed the POWERHOUSE™ Solar System 2.0 as a “complete solar solution.” It includes a custom designed array that fits the homeowner’s goals and complements the home’s style; an inverter that converts the Direct Current (DC) into Alternating Current (AC) to power the home; and a monitoring showing how much energy your system is producing. POWERHOUSE™ has the safety backing of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and is certified to withstand rain, hail and wind.

Made in the USA

The POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle is Made in the USA at Dow’s large-scale manufacturing facility in Midland Michigan.

Solar Power World

The short answer is: it depends.

Ground-mounted arrays penetrate the ground-surface to stabilize the rack structure and have a variety of foundation types. Soil composition, local climate conditions, module size, array tilt and other features of the proposed site and array influence what makes a ground-mount foundation the right fit for an individual solar project.

“Arrays may be mounted on driven beams, anchor systems, ballasts or hybrid racking systems,” said Andi Speedy of DCE Solar.

Driven beams are support beams, usually made of steel, that are driven into the ground at a pre-determined depth. The superstructure of the rack and panels is then attached to those beams. The size and the length of the beam are determined by site conditions and array configurations, according to John Klinkman, Vice President of Engineering at AET. Driven beams are inexpensive, and may be constructed more quickly and simply than other foundation methods. However, unpredictable subterranean conditions can cause issues and impact performance.

In locations where soil is not well-suited for driven beams, an anchor system may be used instead. Examples include helical piles, expanding anchors and ground screws. “This type of system allows for an improvement in the ground mount’s ability to handle vertical loads at relatively shallow depth,” Klinkman said. “However, anchor systems are more expensive and take longer to build.”

A ballast system uses a man-made foundation to hold the rack and panel in place. Ballasts are most often used in commercial installations where ground penetration is not advised or permitted. A ballasted system usually has two vertical posts connected to a single concrete block approximately 2 ft. x 2 ft. x 8 ft, whereas a driven system would only require a single post. While completely controllable, ballasts can be very expensive and are not typically suitable for smaller installations. Precast pavers are less expensive, can save on labor costs and install more quickly, according to Speedy.

A hybrid system is an absolute “must” when dealing with multiple support methods, variable site conditions or unknown soil issues, said Speedy. These systems are comprised of a mix of ground-mount types, including driven beams, anchor systems and ballasts. Hybrid systems are used to address the specific needs of an installation with more than one type of terrain.

Ground-mounted systems can be installed on almost any type of land or soil, Klinkman said. North American examples include bedrock, clay, sand and even cobblestone. The most popular land types for installations are farm fields, empty lots, commercial parking lots, landfills and simple open spaces with minimal shading.

“The best way for a contractor to determine the ideal foundation for a given soil type would be to conduct a proper subsurface investigation,” said Klinkman.

“A qualified geotechnical firm is a good method to evaluate the existing soil types on any site,” said Speedy. “A detailed report will include prevailing soil types present on the property, as well as any obstructions, rock formations, drainage considerations and other challenges present on the site.”

Knowing the results of a proper geotechnical investigation will allow contractors and installers to select the most appropriate mounting approach, as well as the type of racking necessary to work with the mounting system.

Other considerations a contractor should be aware of are installation costs and time, rack maintenance requirements, quality of the racking system, site accessibility, weight restrictions and classification and history of the property.

“The goal is to spend the correct amount of resources at the beginning of the project to properly understand the site conditions and constraints. The foresight produces the most effective foundation design,” said Klinkman.

“Like all construction projects, the right answer is usually a mix of considerations that vary depending on the individual client and project,” Speedy added.

Solar Power World

Bay Area solar installer and 2015 Top 500 Solar Power World Contractor Clean Solar announced the expansion of its residential solar division into San Joaquin County to include the regions of Tracy and Mountain House. To better serve this area’s solar power needs, the company has increased staff levels and the number of dedicated Sales Site Analysts serving this region.

Previous Clean Solar residential solar installations in Tracy and San Joaquin County were installed on a case-by-case basis. The company is familiar with the local jurisdictions and permitting requirements to expedite the installation process for clients in this area.

Tracy and Mountain House residents, as all Bay Area homeowners, will continue to have multiple solar panel, inverter, and mounting technology options. San Joaquin County’s available solar financing options are nearly identical to Bay Area counties. PACE Financing is being adopted rapidly and is currently available in the City of Tracy and portions of Mountain House.

Further punctuating the company’s growth, Clean Solar announced last month the expansion of their commercial installation division to include the North Bay cities of Vallejo, Fairfield, and Vacaville.

Also, for the second consecutive year, Inc. magazine ranked Clean Solar, a residential and commercial solar panel installer, on its annual, exclusive ranking of the nation’s 5,000 fastest-growing private companies. Clean Solar ranked #55 for the fastest-growing company in the energy industry, also the fastest-growing industry this year. Clean Solar also ranked in the top 400 for companies in California, the fastest growing state this year. In fact, for the second consecutive year, Clean Solar is the only energy industry company in the San Jose-metro area to make the list.

Solar Power World

Ginlong Technologies will be presenting exciting inverter innovations at Solar Power International, the largest solar trade show in North America, held September 14-17, 2015 in Anaheim, CA.

Ginlong Technologies will be presenting the industry first four (4) MPPT 36kW Solis Three Phase String Inverter products, which maximizes the energy harvest through optimizing the power production at each MPPT level. The Solis inverter has outstanding energy yields thanks to its high efficiency (98.6%) and outstanding low irradiation performance for long working hours. Its ultra-wide DC input voltage range (200V-800V) and unique string mismatch features give engineers design flexibility. It has the latest 1000Vdc design to reduce Balance of System cost and Installation Cost. The Solis inverter is compact and light weight (less than 120 lbs). With NEMA 4X / IP65 enclosure that is hose-down and salt spray tested for outdoor installations, Solis inverters can operate reliably at virtually any site. The Solis inverter comes with 7″ LCD display on the inverter, and remote data monitoring solutions for any project size. Ginlong Solis 36kW three phase inverter is ideal for large complex solar installations from small solar projects to several mega watt projects, such as different roof sizes and pitches, solar module orientations, mismatched solar module strings and shading conditions.

Ginlong Technologies will also be presenting the innovative Solis 6kW and 10kW low voltage (208/220/240V) inverter, which eliminates needs for transformers for low AC voltage applications.

The Solis Single Phase Inverter 1kW to 5kW and Three Phase String Inverter 6kW to 20kW are UL 1741 certified and CEC listed.

Solar Power World

It’s been just six years since APS was a Silicon Valley startup – and how far we’ve come in that short time. Founded with the goal of bringing the most advanced microinverter technology to the solar PV market, we’ve passed one milestone after another en route to ranking no. 2 in global market share among top microinverter suppliers by shipments in 2013 (source: GTM Research). Last year was even stronger still.

And we’re not slowing down – demand for our microinverter line is growing month over month in all markets. As we look toward even greater achievements on the horizon, we’re pausing just long enough to reflect on who we are and what we’re about.

With that reflection comes a refinement of our brand: APS will become APsystems.

The new trade name highlights our commitment to powerful alternative energy solutions, and our evolution from a product-oriented portfolio to a whole-systems innovator. The phrase “Altenergy Power,” a nod to the company’s original legal name, will appear beneath APsystems in our new mark.

The new name will launch August 31st. With the brand refinement, we’re also launching a new website, apsystems.com, an online nexus for our worldwide operations with links to offices in each regional market. We hope you’ll visit the site and see the APsystems big picture.

What’s next? Big things. We’re making a strong push into new markets worldwide, and rolling out even more powerful solutions to accommodate new and emerging technologies. Expect more announcements throughout the coming year.

Our name has changed, but our values are the same. We remain passionate about solar power and advancing our clean, renewable energy future. We offer maximum value to customers through excellence of products, pricing and support. Honesty, professionalism and teamwork define our company. Add them up, and we believe an informed customer will always choose APsystems.

We’re excited about this moment, and we want to share the news with our valued solar partners like you. We look forward to a bright future together.

-Andrew Lonseth, President, U.S. Operations

Solar Power World

Ideal Power released a white paper describing a new power semiconductor switch called the Bi-directional Bipolar Junction TRANsistor (B-TRAN) and its method of operation as well as the implications of the B-TRAN as a replacement for conventional power switches. The technical whitepaper describing the device structure and operation of the B-TRAN is available at B-TRAN White Paper.

Ideal Power was granted five U.S. patents, patent numbers 9,029,909; 9,035,350; 9,054,707; 9,054,706 and 9,059,710, for the B-TRAN device and its methods of operation. Additional U.S. and international patents are pending.

The B-TRAN device has a simple, 3 layer, 4 terminal, vertically-symmetric double sided structure which presents unique opportunities for high current density operation at high efficiency. B-TRANs have potential uses in a wide range of power conversion and control applications, including low-loss AC power control, and power converters. Based on a recent study by Yole Development, power semiconductor switches are a $10 billion per year addressable market currently served by conventional devices such as Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs).

“Given the performance predictions for this new power switch topology, the B-TRAN may be the most significant new type of power semiconductor since the introduction of the IGBT,” says Dr. Richard Blanchard, a B-TRAN co-inventor and holder of over 200 patents primarily related to power semiconductors, including the widely-used MOSFET.

“These B-TRAN patents, along with other pending Ideal Power patents covering methods of double sided power switch manufacturing and operation, extend our intellectual property portfolio into power semiconductors, which we believe could significantly improve power conversion efficiency in a wide range of applications. These include AC power control, Ideal Power’s Power Packet Switching Architecture (PPSA) topology, conventional power converters and non-conventional power converters,” stated Bill Alexander, Chief Technology Officer, founder of Ideal Power and a B-TRAN co-inventor. “High-efficiency power converters deliver more power for the customer, resulting in potentially lower cost, and more reliable and smaller products.”

Ideal Power’s current products using standard IGBTs deliver some of the highest efficiencies for energy storage applications. The company believes that future Ideal Power products using B-TRANs could have full power conversion efficiencies equal to or exceeding 99%, as compared with conventional power conversion systems with typical full power efficiencies of less than 95%. Third party simulations show that, when applied to AC power control, the B-TRAN is predicted to operate with less than 20% of the conduction losses of conventional solid state AC power control devices while providing valuable fault control capabilities such as current limiting and fast turn-off during fault conditions, which are lacking in such conventional devices. The B-TRAN could also potentially replace electro-mechanical contactors in many applications where fault limiting and explosion-proof operation is required.

The development of the B-TRAN has been supported by a U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) award to create new bi-directional IGBT (BD-IGBT) power switches. Unlike conventional uni-directional power switches, bi-directional switches conduct current and block voltage in both directions.  As part of this advanced research, the company patented the B-TRAN, which combines the bi-directional functionality of the BD-IGBT with exceptionally low losses.

Both the BD-IGBT and the B-TRAN have been extensively studied in detailed, physics-based simulations, and the semiconductor processes to build prototype devices are in development. These simulations show a 0.2 V drop on a 1200 V B-TRAN at high current density and gain greater than 10, as compared to a typical IGBT with series diode voltage drop of 4.5 V, for a factor of 22 reduction in conduction losses in IGBT AC switch applications. B-TRAN switching losses are predicted by these simulations to be significantly lower than IGBTs.

Solar Power World

Google announced its plans to determine the planet’s solar potential though what it calls “Project Sunroof.” Here is a piece published on the company’s Green Blog explaining the project. 

The cost of solar power is at a record low. A typical solar home can save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year on their electricity bill. But, as a volunteer with the Boston-based solar program Solarize Massachusetts and a solar homeowner myself, I’ve always been surprised at how many people I encounter who think that “my roof isn’t sunny enough for solar,” or “solar is just too expensive.” Certainly many of them are missing out on a chance to save money and be green.

Enter Project Sunroof, my recent 20% project. Project Sunroof is a new online tool we’re testing to help homeowners explore whether they should go solar. Available in the San Francisco Bay Area, Fresno (in central California), and the Boston area for now, the tool uses high-resolution aerial mapping (the same used by Google Earth) to help you calculate your roof’s solar energy potential, without having to climb up any ladders.

If you’re in one of our test regions, simply enter your address and Project Sunroof will crunch the numbers. It first figures out how much sunlight hits your rooftop throughout the year, taking into account factors like roof orientation, shade from trees and nearby buildings, and local weather patterns. You can also enter your typical electric bill amount to customize the results. The tool then combines all this information to estimate the amount you could potentially save with solar panels, and it can help connect you with local solar providers.

Google has always been a big believer in zero-carbon energy, and solar power has been a central part of that vision — from accelerating the growth of rooftop solar, to helping finance the largest solar farm in Africa, to building one of America’s biggest campus solar arrays here in Mountain View. While Project Sunroof is in a pilot phase for now, during the coming months we’ll be exploring how to make the tool better and more widely available. If you find that your address isn’t covered by the tool yet, you can leave your email address and we’ll let you know when Project Sunroof is ready for your rooftop!

Posted by Carl Elkin, Engineering Lead for Project Sunroof

Solar Power World

SMA has been chosen to supply 700 MW of central inverters for seven utility-scale PV plants in California. Swinerton Renewable Energy—a San Diego-based engineering, procurement and construction company—selected the Sunny Central 2200-US, one of SMA’s newest utility-scale solutions, for all of the systems. SMA will deliver the 317 inverters as construction commences.
The first project—the 108 MW AC Springbok 1 Solar Farm in Kern County, California—is already under construction. All of the systems, which range from 50 to 150 MW each, are expected to be complete in 2016.

“We are honored to help Swinerton bring such a significant amount of PV to California,” said Marko Wittich, SMA executive vice president of sales for the Americas region. “The Sunny Central 2200-US is part of our most technologically advanced central inverter line and will provide the reliability and efficiency that these utility-scale systems require.”

The Sunny Central 2200-US was specifically designed for the U.S. market and is fully UL certified. Boasting 2,200 kVA of output power at 1,000 VDC, it offers the industry’s highest power density and market-leading efficiency, minimizing the total installed cost while maximizing the energy production of the power plant. The Sunny Central 2200-US reduces installation and transportation costs with up to four inverters fitting in a standard shipping container or on a flat-bed truck. It also provides grid management and ancillary services such as Q-on-Demand, permitting usage in a variety of large-scale applications.
Enabling even more efficient PV power plant design, the flexibility of the Sunny Central 2200-US allows for implementation with any module while providing the highest DC-to-AC design ratio in the industry and nominal power operation from -25 to 50 C.

The Sunny Central 2200-US is also highly integrated with standard DC and AC disconnects, self-derived control power, options for various managed network switch configurations, and an optional NEC 2014 compliant DC recombiner, dramatically increasing the speed to energization. It also offers integrated zone monitoring and on-board 120 VAC auxiliary power for miscellaneous loads. The included customer installation area provides an ideal environment for integration of SCADA equipment, if required.

Suitable for any outdoor climate around the globe, the Sunny Central 2200-US is equipped with OptiCool®, a proven air-cooling technology that ensures smooth operation under extreme environmental conditions.

“SMA offers the highest quality, most reliable products in the industry,” said George Hershman, vice president and general manager of Swinerton Renewable Energy. “We are pleased to partner with them and deliver a significant portfolio of projects for our clients and clean, reliable energy throughout the U.S.”

Solar Power World

Attendees of SOMO, the Solar Mounting Conference, get an up-close look at a mounting product from IronRidge.

Daniel Schippers, the owner of Solar Solutions AZ, made a good point to me at SOMO this week. He said anyone can install a solar system according to code, but what sets an installation company apart is installing to code and best practice.

“Code is a minimum standard,” he said. “It’s the worst acceptable way you can do a project and get away with it, while best-practice is the best way you can do it. Best practice is I would do that for my roof, or for my grandfather’s roof.”

Schippers and more than 200 other solar installers spent three days learning best-practices for solar mounting installation from the people who know best: the companies that design and manufacture the systems used in the field. SOMO, which is short for Solar Mounting Conference, brought together many of the top solar mounting manufacturers for a three-day, hands-on conference and workshop in Las Vegas from August 16 to 18.

“At a big show like SPI you walk by and get pitched, but here you walk by and get trained and receive more in-depth information,” Schippers said. “The training sessions had knowledge that I can take home.”

The brain-child of metal roof attachment manufacturer S-5!, SOMO is the first and only conference exclusively dedicated to solar mounting. Multiple classrooms featured demonstration roofs, where mounting experts and attendees tried their hands at solar installation.

From attendees and manufacturers alike, I heard that the show was useful.

“I think SOMO is a needed show,” said Wayne Lee, a regional sales manager at mounting provider Renusol, one of the participating companies. He said you can only connect with a customer so much through a webinar or at a large conference, where customers have limited ability to interact with a product.

“Racking is a hands-on component” Lee said. “It’s a completely different experience handling it yourself.”

Solar design engineer Karen Gygi said she attended SOMO to see how the mounting components she regularly prescribes for projects fit together.

“I’m not on the job site—I do visits so sometime, but I don’t see all the parts and how they go together,” Gygi said. “SOMO is really informative in that way.”

Bonding manufacturer Wiley was among the event sponsors that were not mounting manufactures. Others included Interplay Learning, SolarWorld, Clean Energy Distribution, Civic Solar and Kaplan. Wiley does, however, often partner with mounting manufacturers and has products that are connected to racking.

“A lot of people here use our products,” said Sarah Parsons, product specialist at Wiley. “SOMO is good for us because it’s an intimate setting and a good way to receive feedback on products from the mounting companies and installers.”

In addition to class time and hands-on workshops, which earned attendees NABCEP credit, the conference included two keynote addresses. Jeff Spies, senior director of policy at Quick Mount PV, discussed UL 2703 as well as the push to keep net metering at the full retail rate in California. Yann Brandt discussed the top stories that appeared on his blog, Solar Wakeup, and what issues are ahead for the solar industry.

During an address to the crowd, Keith Lipps, vice president of marketing and sales at S-5!, said a second SOMO is currently in the works.

Presenting companies at SOMO 2015 included Solar SpeedRack, IronRidge, Quick Mount PV, Mounting Systems, S-5!, Sollega, Unirac, Everest Solar, Roof Tech, SolarEdge, PanelClaw, Renusol/RBI Solar, SolarWorld, Burndy, SunLink, Zilla, DPW Solar, Anchor Products, Clean Energy Distribution, Pegasus Solar and Enphase.

Sponsors included SolarWorld, Clean Energy Distribution, Kaplan, Interplay Learning, Civic Solar, SEIA and NABCEP.

Solar Power World

Tim Kubes told a crowd at the SOMO Conference that the solar industry has electrons and financing, and everything else fits between. He said having a good finance product is key to being successful in the industry, allowing customers to install solar with a minimal amount of money down.

Kubes, vice president of sales and business development at Clean Energy Distribution, said thats why his company introduced a finance product in May. The program equips installers with lease and loan products to help them reach a wider customer base and secure more business. Clean Energy Distribution’s installers gain access to a suite of online sales tools to give them better visibility into the financing process and streamline communications to fast-track business.

This week, he introduced his company to installers at the SOMO conference in Las Vegas. While the conference focused primarily on mounting technology, Clean Energy Distribution was a sponsor of the event.

Kubes said Clean Energy Distribution can play the traditional developer role and typically focuses on commercial PV projects between 200 and 500 kW, though it will investigate options for projects as low as 30 kW. Construction financing is included, along with pre-selected technology options and logistics.

“Our objective is to support the local folks with a product that allows them to compete with the biggest companies,” Kubes said. Once the company receives credit documentation from a customer, a financing decision can be made in about a week, he said.

Commercial prospects with a good chance of receiving financing have roof or ground space with good solar resources. The business will be profitable, Kubes said, and in operation for at last three years. The business’ assets are owned and greater than two times the projected cost of the PV system. If the project will be for a non-profit organization, it must have little to no debt.

Kubes also said the final Installation cost must be less than $2.50/watt in California, Hawaii and the Northeast and less than $2/watt elsewhere.

“You must really understand your costs, and that’s something we can help you with if you’re doing commercial systems,” Kubes said.

Kubes said a lot of projects don’t get across the finish line because installers don’t have the financing expertise required to complete a project. Clean Energy finance can offer support in writing proposals and agreements, and they’ll consult with customers directly.

The process begins with information gathering. Installers enter basic information to determine credit worthiness and develop an energy analysis. The installer also lists preferred component manufacturers and an estimated construction start date. Once the information is analyzed, Clean Energy Finance will return a proposal, which can be customizes by the installer in their own format and presented to the customer.

“We believe with this product you can install more solar systems,” Kubes said. “We’re happy to help make sure that’s done in a streamlined way and everyone is happy with the result.”

Solar Power World

The Pegasus Solar mount for sloped asphalt shingle roofs.

Pegasus Solar was among the solar mounting manufacturers that exhibited at SOMO, the solar mounting conference. Relatively new to the market, this was the company’s second conference appearance. As such, Solar Power World caught up with CEO Kai Stephan to ask a few questions about his product offering.

What is your product?

We manufacture rail-less solar mounting systems for composition and tile roofs.

What’s the history of Pegasus?

We were founded in 2012. We have launched our LightSpeed Residential Mount in the US with the goal of standardizing the industry with a truly easy, fast, and lower cost rail-less mounting system. We are currently supporting a very large number of installations with top installers across the country.

Do you do your own installations?

We do not install our own system but training and supporting our installation partners. We are helping them with our best-practices so they are as happy and successful as we are with our system. It’s innovative and intuitive but may be unfamiliar with some people. We want everyone to understand our mesh grounding technology and how to use our online design tool.

What is the Pegasus value proposition?

Our product is at or below comparable rail cost, and substantially lower when including the labor and logistics since we offer free shipping to continental US. We are half the weight and no rails everywhere so the guys on the roof are getting off and going to lunch early.

What’s different about your technology?

We have 1 standard tool top down on 2 SKUs: flashing and mounting assembly. Our flashing stack extremely compact and our mounting assemblies do 3 things at once: attach the modules to the roof, easy leveling with 1/8” turn per rotation, and capping the lag screw to the rafter.

We have developed a proprietary corner hinge system that are installed on standard module frames at the panel manufacturer, and delivered to the installer fully ready to install out of the pallet. Our corners add a substantial amount of strength to the module yet do not trigger an onerous UL relisting.

Our system allows for portrait, landscape, or mixed orientation, with row-to-row terracing since our rows are independent from one another. We also have the industry’s first self-aligning system since our corner hinges perfectly align modules in a row and the rows are aligned by the mounts.

Where did the idea for Pegasus come from?

I was working at SoCal Edison on the Prologis multi-MW project and decided that there had to be a better way to install solar. We came up with the revolutionary LightSpeed Mount Residential design after years of prototyping iterations and rooftop solar best practices.

What did you think of SOMO?

It was very impressive. The ability to talk to both installers and other manufacturers gives us a good idea of where we stand in the market and we are confident of the industry adoption for our new solution.

Solar Power World

Moxa recently launched the ioLogik 2542-HSPA and ioLogik 2512-HSPA cellular remote I/O modules. Both feature High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) five-band cellular, in addition to Ethernet and serial ports, to provide users with reliable access to remote field devices.

“Cellular communication technology is making it possible to connect many types of remote field devices and equipment to the cloud. However, common issues like unstable connectivity, and high data usage fees have limited its usefulness and prevented more widespread adoption,” explained Paul Wacker, Product Marketing Manager at Moxa Americas. “Moxa addressed these challenges in the ioLogik 2542-HSPA and ioLogik 2512-HSPA by offering Dual SIM Failover that automatically switches to a secondary SIM when communications over the primary SIM fails. In addition, we’ve implemented a 3-step cellular reconnection function to further enhance communications reliability.”

Both ioLogik units feature automatic tag generation and reporting for connected sensors and devices, which allows operators to monitor a large number of field devices with great efficiency. This feature can work in conjunction with Moxa’s MX-AOPC UA Server on the cloud to further minimize network bandwidth and latency, an increasingly important consideration for cellular data users.

Wacker notes that Moxa’s ioLogik line has been designed for easy management and configuration. The patented Click&Go Plus logic provides local datalogging and controls using an intuitive IF-THEN-ELSE framework. Custom real-time alerts are easily configured with notification by SMS, email, or SNMP trap. Users can also create configurations offline and upload the settings to an online device with Moxa’s IOxpress software, greatly reducing the time and cost of deployment and management.

The ioLogik 2542-HSPA offers 4 channels for analog input and 12 channels for user-configurable digital input or output, whereas the ioLogik 2512-HSPA offers eight DIs, eight DI/Os and no analog inputs. Both models provide highly flexible I/O and cellular connectivity, with 5-band UTMS/HSPA communication that supports up to 5.76 Mbps upload/14.4 Mbps download, 2 RS-232/422/485 ports which support Modbus RTU, and 4 Ethernet ports. Critically, the devices are designed for rugged industrial use and can withstand -30° to 70°C (-22° to 158°F) operating temperatures while consuming only 13 watts with HSPA enabled. Moxa is backing both models with a 5-year warranty.

Solar Power World

SolarWorld announced its alignment with an industry trend away from use of long rails in mounting solar panels and toward rail-free racking in light of the latter’s cost savings in materials, labor, storage and shipping.  Innovative rail-free racking attaches the solar panels directly to individual roof mounts, instead of conventional, long rails.

“Rail-free residential racking fits well into SolarWorld’s portfolio of the best solar products on the market,” said Ardes Johnson, U.S. vice president of sales and marketing for SolarWorld.  “Our rail-free racking systems offer lower material costs, reduce installation time on often hot roofs, take up a much smaller warehouse footprint, cost significantly less to ship and, at the end of the job, look better.”

In SolarWorld’s drive to bring the market’s best products to installers, SolarWorld announced an alliance with Quick Mount PV, a leading U.S. manufacturer of solar roof mounts based in Walnut Creek, Calif. Quick Mount’s patented Quick Rack rail-free system upholds the company’s standards of quality and customer experience.

“Quick Mount is honored to be a part of this select group of racking vendors and industry elite,” said Anne Wright, vice president of sales for Quick Mount. “SolarWorld and Quick Mount have the same values and standards that installers can bank on:  made in America, commitment to quality, customer support, training and manufacturing excellence.  With simplified ordering from SolarWorld, we believe installers can save time and money on every installation, and sell more solar.  When good companies work together, the industry moves forward.”

As a result of the alliance, SolarWorld will offer the Quick Rack rail-free systems alongside other best-in-industry residential, commercial and utility-scale solar products.

“SolarWorld is carrying out its history of providing products that live up to the high expectations and requirements of its customers and partners,” Johnson said.  “We are committed to providing whatever level of support that our customers need to help them have more success in an increasingly competitive landscape.”

Solar Power World

Applied Energy Technologies (AET), a preferred supplier of commercial and utility-scale racking systems and one of the top 10 solar racking companies in the United States, was selected by JK Mechanical to supply its Rayport-G ECO ground mount for a 1 MW project in York, Pennsylvania. The project is currently being installed. AET’s racking system for the project will support a total of 3,116 solar panels.

“We are happy to be working with JK Mechanical for this project,” said Aaron Faust, VP of Business Development at AET. “Having had the opportunity to work with them on other projects, we knew the quality they expect.”

AET’s Rayport-G ECO is UL listed and is rapidly becoming an industry standard for developers and EPCs looking for a ground mount system that is easy to install, scalable and delivers a significant savings on total installed costs.

“We have relied on AET in the past for smaller projects,” said Ken Craul, Operations Manager of JK Mechanical. “Once we knew we had a ground mount system of this size, it was clear to us that the Rayport-G ECO would be a perfect fit.”

AET’s Rayport-G ECO is strong and durable, having been engineered to withstand the most challenging environmental conditions, as well as light and compact, allowing for high shipping density, significantly reduced freight costs and easier handling on the job site.

Solar Power World

SolarReserve has received environmental approval from the Chilean government to develop one of the world’s largest solar projects with energy storage. Utilizing SolarReserve’s proprietary solar thermal energy storage technology, the Copiapó Solar Project, scheduled to reach commercial operation in 2019, will deliver 260 megawatts (MW) of reliable, clean, non-intermittent baseload power 24 hours a day to consumers of the central interconnected system (SIC). The project technology is based on SolarReserve’s successful Crescent Dunes project in the U.S., which is complete with construction and is currently in final commissioning.

As part of SolarReserve’s project development and permitting process for the Copiapó project, the company collaborates with stakeholders and local communities to ensure minimal environmental impact. This process includes careful site selection, low water use systems, and extensive environmental studies prior to starting construction. The Copiapó project underwent comprehensive environmental assessment under the Chilean Impact Assessment System (Sistema de Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental – SEIA) administered by the Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA), and as a result was successfully awarded an environmental qualification resolution (Resolución de Calificación Ambiental) (RCA), which is the name for the Chilean environmental permit.

“One of the fundamental goals for SolarReserve is minimizing the environmental impacts of our projects at every stage – from site selection and construction, to full operational use,” said Kevin Smith, SolarReserve’s CEO. “Sustainability is the focus of our business. Our proprietary solar energy storage technology provides a viable and cost competitive alternative to fossil-based electricity generation, with the potential to meaningfully reduce reliance on fossil fuels and associated carbon pollution that is contributing to climate change.”

The Copiapó project, located in the Atacama Region, consists of SolarReserve’s industry leading concentrating solar power (CSP) tower technology with molten salt thermal energy storage combined with solar photovoltaic panels (PV). This hybrid concept will maximize the output of the facility, delivering over 1,800 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually, while providing a highly competitive price of power. It will produce up to 260 MW’s of firm baseload power which is critical to Chile’s industrial sector, particularly the mining companies; operating at a capacity factor and availability percentage equal to that of a coal fired power plant. No other proven renewable energy technology can provide this cost competitive energy solution to meet the needs of Chile’s largest and most important industries.

“SolarReserve is the industry leader in baseload solar power solutions, due to our proprietary solar thermal energy storage technology with over 100 patents,” said Tom Georgis, SolarReserve’s SVP of Development. “This technology realistically has the potential to power the entire country of Chile using two phenomenal Chilean resources, salt and sun.”

Solar Power World

We spoke with Teri Carter, a consultant for global sustainable solutions and community development. She discussed how USOL Energy is making solar panels in Mexico for Mexico, how her non-profit Power of Green L.A. is training and retraining the solar industry, and how she’s making solar fun and attracting youth by merging it with entertainment. Listen to learn more.

Solar Power World

Batteries in solar applications have to meet the demands of unstable grid energy, heavy cycling (charging and discharging) and irregular full recharging. There’s a variety of battery types fitted for these unique requirements. Considerations for choosing a battery include cost, cycle life and installation and maintenance.

Here’s a look at these aspects of each technology, as well as some best practices when selecting batteries for a solar installation.

Solar battery technologies

Jim Biden, Vice President Joe Biden’s brother, has a vacation home on an island off the coast of Naples, Florida. There is no utility power available, but thanks to a solar installation with storage the home functions off-grid. -Lithionics Battery

Lead acid
Deep-cycle, lead-acid batteries have been employed in renewable energy and reliably used in off-grid applications globally for decades

Cost: Typical deep-cycle, lead-acid batteries cost about half as much as lithium-ion.

Cycling: Valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries include absorbed glass mat (AGM) and gel models. Many AGMs batteries available in the market are primarily built for dual-purpose or standby applications like emergency backup, but not deep cycling. However, new deep-cycle AGM designs have increased performance and total energy output making them a good choice for renewable energy applications at a lower price point than gel batteries.

Replacement/maintenance: Many factors including initial design and ongoing maintenance influence battery life so it’s difficult to put a time frame on when the batteries will need replacement. Flooded lead-acid batteries have to be refilled regularly because the electrolyte that fully submerges the battery plates evaporates during charging. The battery enclosure needs ventilation to keep hydrogen gas from accumulating to dangerous levels.

AGM and gel technologies, however, are recombinant, meaning they internally convert hydrogen and oxygen into water and do not require maintenance. As there is no free acid inside these batteries, they can be installed in any position other than upside down. Because solar applications can be in hard-to-reach or remote areas, the ability to install the batteries and let them operate over long periods without maintenance is a benefit.

Disposal: Proper disposal of lead-acid batteries is important because they are toxic. Thankfully, the automotive industry organized to recycle lead early on. Plastic containers and covers of old batteries can also be neutralized, reground and used in new battery cases. In some cases, the electrolyte is cleaned, reprocessed and sold as battery-grade electrolyte. In other instances, the sulfate content is removed as ammonium sulfate and used in fertilizers. The separators are often used as a fuel source for the recycling process. Old batteries may be returned to the battery retailer, automotive service station, a battery manufacturer or other authorized collection centers for recycling.

Lithium-ion
According to a U.S. Solar Energy Monitor report, lithium-ion batteries are the most common storage technology, regardless of application. There are three types: pouches such as in smartphones and tablets, cylindrical such as in power tools, and prismatic (which come in various shapes) such as in electronic vehicles. Prismatic types often have corrugated sides, which create air gaps between adjacent cells and can aid in cooling. The prismatic can have applications in solar energy storage, specifically lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries.

Cost: Deutsche Bank analysts estimated lithium-ion batteries at about $500/kWh at the end of 2014, but one manufacturer said it’s closer to $750 to $950/kWh. Part of this cost comes from needing a battery management system to monitor the voltage and temperature of each cell to prevent excessive charging and discharging. However, some manufacturers note that, if sized correctly, lithium-ion cells can reduce the cost of peripheral devices like charge controllers, offsetting its higher initial price and lowering cost-of-ownership.

Cycling: Lithium-ion batteries can typically deliver more cycles in their lifetime than lead-acid. This makes them a good choice for applications when batteries are cycled to provide ancillary services to the grid. The most important benefit lithium-ion provides for solar is its high charge and discharge efficiencies, which help harvest more energy. Lithium-ion batteries also lose less capacity when idle, which is useful in solar installations where energy is only used occasionally.

Replacement/maintenance: Lithium-ion batteries can be lighter and more self contained than lead-acid batteries, so may be easier to install and change out. They can be wall-mounted and located indoors or outdoors. They are solid, so don’t require refills or maintenance.

Disposal: Lithium-ion batteries can use organic or inorganic cells. Organic-based batteries are free from any toxins. Inorganic-based cells are much more difficult to dispose of. Inorganic lithium-ion is toxic so it must be disposed of properly. Manufacturers encourage recycling, but there is often a price. Spent lithium-ion cells have little commercial value. Lithium-ion manufacturing involves lengthy preparation and purification of the raw material. In recycling, the metal must go through a similar process again, so it’s often cheaper to mine virgin material than retrieve it from recycling.

Flow batteries
Redox flow batteries are emerging as another storage option. Lux Research reports that falling costs will lead to a 360-MWh market in 2020, worth $190 million. The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is the most mature technology in this area.

Cost: VRFB developers say that sourcing vanadium from flyash (a by-product of coal-fired electric generating plants) will reduce costs from over $500/kWh to $300/kWh at scale by 2024. VRFB developers are developing ways to boost power density, which will further drive down costs. Integrated power electronics manage the charging and discharging processes, providing a low cost-of-ownership. But the complexity of flow battery chemistry often requires ancillary equipment such as pumps, sensors, control units and secondary containment vessels. This infrastructure takes up appreciable installation space.  However, one manufacturer has eased the complexity of ancillary equipment by including all required components within the container itself thereby offering a complete built-in solution.

Replacement/maintenance: VRFB manufacturers note the vanadium electrolyte doesn’t degrade over time, so they can last much longer than other technologies. With other technologies, adding more batteries is the only way to increase hours of storage. A benefit of VRFB architecture is that you can increase battery size by simply adding more electrolyte.

Cycling: VRFB developers say the technology has no cycling limitations, and batteries can be charged and discharged completely without impact on their lifespan.

Disposal: The recycled vanadium in flow batteries is not toxic and can be reused repeatedly for other purposes, such as in making steel. Flow batteries contain an aqueous-based electrolyte that can’t get hot or catch fire and thus are intrinsically safe.

Choosing the right battery

Use a sizing calculator
Battery sizing is essential but often overlooked by users and installers. Batteries in PV systems are routinely undersized due to cost or because the system loads were underestimated. It’s important to know the customer’s power needs and correctly plan. Many online calculators provided by battery manufacturers and other software simplifies determining battery capacity for load requirements.

Consider cost of ownership
There are several factors that should be taken into account when determining the total cost of ownership over the life of the battery.
• Price: A battery with a low price is always attractive, but if low price comes at the expense of quality and battery life, the need for frequent battery replacements could boost the cost over time. That’s why it’s important to consider issues other than price when making the decision.
• Capacity: Battery capacity is important because it’s a measure of the amount of energy stored in the battery.
• Voltage: The battery bank voltage must be considered to ensure it matches the system requirements. The battery bank voltage is often determined by the inverter specifications if installing a DC-to-AC system or by the voltage of the loads in a DC system.
• Cycle Life: The most critical consideration is cycle life, which provides the number of discharge/charge cycles the battery can provide before capacity drops to a specified percentage of rated capacity. Batteries from different manufacturers may have the same capacity and energy content and be similar in weight. But design, materials, process and quality influence how long the battery will cycle.

Battery ratings
The nameplate rating on a battery is the fully developed capacity, so it can be misleading to test a battery immediately after it is purchased because it may take up to 100+ cycles for it to reach its full capacity. Beware of batteries that promise full capacity at the time of purchase or those that reach full capacity after only a few cycles. Batteries with a 100+ cycle warm-up will always outlast thos touting a high initial capacity.

This article has been compiled with help from VARTA Storage, Lithonics Battery, Imergy and Trojan Battery Company.

Solar Power World

Solar Power International offers events specifically for women each year. Perhaps one of the longest running is a panel discussion and reception put on by the Professional Women in Solar Group.

Isabelle Christensen founded the group organically about 10 years ago in an effort to meet other women when she first joined the industry. “I could basically count the number of women in solar on both of my hands,” she said. “That’s how few we were back then.” They met over breakfast and continued to gather unofficially at SPI until the group became larger and was able to organize an official event at the show about five years ago.

Christensen expressed her gratitude to SEPA CEO Julia Hamm for being an early supporter of the group and volunteers from Solar Energy Tradeshows (SEIA and SEPA’s management company) for making the event possible

Christensen worked in social media marketing for a high-tech company about the time Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger developed his Million Solar Roofs Program in California. She recalled attending some of the earlier SPI shows which were much smaller. “All the exhibitors had table tops instead of the big booths you see at SPI now,” she said. “There I met the CEO of a solar installation company who offered me a position by asking if I’d be interested in changing the world.” She accepted.

Through the last decade Christensen has experienced the ups and downs of the solar market first hand. She watched the installation company grow successful and then go bankrupt. She then worked for a module manufacturer until it went out of business, then another and another. “It was a roller coaster, but I refused to give up,” she said. She now works for a European module manufacturer where she said she is excited to experience stability—not only in the company but in the solar industry.

Christensen’s involvement with Professional Women in Solar also remained stable through her solar career. Now in its ninth year, the group has grown, along with the number of women in the solar industry (from tens to thousands). But the group remains a grassroots organization totally supported by volunteers, and Christensen said it’s designed to stay that way. “Other women’s groups have been formed and also hold events, which is excellent,” she said. “Our focus has always been to provide more of a social gathering for women rather than an organized membership group where we have to solicit sponsorships and funding—that’s not what we do. We provide a social platform for people to form partnerships outside of their companies.”

For example, outside of her day job, Christensen runs nonprofit Green Ocean Ventures. The group helps finance female entrepreneurs starting solar businesses in developing countries like Tanzania and Afghanistan. She said many volunteers from Professional Women in Solar have participated in the nonprofit.

As the group has grown, so too have the discussions. Christensen said in the past they’ve had California Congresswoman Maxine Waters speak about fighting for women’s rights, and companies discuss their leadership training programs for women. This year’s focus will be on how women are contributing to the global solar industry. The panel will include Leslie Labruto of the Clinton Foundation.

“This event is a great venue for women to expand their network, not just professionally but also in terms of social contribution and how to give back,” Christensen said. “They can find similar people who want to change the world through solar, not just in U.S. but globally. Solar has given me so much professional and personal fulfillment, and this is a great way to give back and encourage other women to join the industry all over the world.”

9th Annual Professional Women in Solar: Panel Discussion and Reception

Date: Tuesday, September 15
Time: 4 – 6 p.m.
Place: Room 303AB
Price: $50 per person

Register at solarpowerinternational.com

Listen to the full interview in our podcast with Isabelle Christensen.

Solar Power World

When the triumvirate of solar analysis—Bloomberg New Energy Finance, GTM Research and Mercom—all revised their initial forecasts to predict a “new era of solar PV competitiveness” (GTM Research), it was like a piñata of sweet, wonderful solar data had exploded. While 2015 and 2016 will very likely be the “best two years for solar PV in North America” (Mercom) and a $3.7 trillion investment in solar energy is about to take off globally, one of the biggest winners of this solar revolution is smaller PV, which is expected to see a 17-fold increase from 104 GW last year to 1.8 TW by 2040 (BNEF). Consumers, this message said, very much want to be in control of their power and the way it is generated. This shift in behavior is paired with an increased awareness of climate issues.

As solar PV moves into the energy mainstream and is set for unparalleled growth, we are also moving away from perceiving the technology as primarily a retrofit option to a building’s energy profile. The majority of new building construction is designed with a sustainable—or at least improved—energy footprint in mind. Cost developments as well as improved conversion efficiencies, innovative materials and production processes make building-integrated and bifacial photovoltaics an increasingly attractive move that goes far beyond mere energy generation.

Reputable domestic BIPV manufacturers offer 25-year linear warranties and 80% power guarantees on their high-quality products along with many of the same specs you can expect from regular PV panels. Besides being every bit as reliable and efficient as their PV siblings, BI and BF (bifacial) PV bring additional advantages to the solar table:

The (sunny) sky is the limit (and then some): With BI and BF PV panels, they’re not limited to rooftop or ground-mount systems. The modules bring a fresh “third dimension” to solar PV, which makes them a perfect mediator between straightforward PV installs and aesthetically pleasing ways of integrating energy generation into buildings. In addition to their task as power plants, BIPV and BFPV modules serve as construction materials that replace conventional, single-function building materials with powerful insulation, heat absorption and cooling qualities.

BIPV can be used as roof or exterior walls, either over the entire façade or specific accents. Solar awnings provide shade while soaking up the sun and converting it into energy. Curtain walls provide great architectural accents while supporting the ventilation capabilities of the building. Skylights and windows allow for daylighting but also reduce glare and heat loading. The combination of being architectural building blocks as well as passive and active solar components make BIPV and BFPV exciting for property owners, developers and builders alike.

Sun protection, thermal insulation, noise protection, privacy screens or certain safety features—it’s all in the job description for BIPV.

More is more: Roof space and areas qualifying for ground-mount installs can be limited, especially in crowded urban centers. Because BIPV and BFPV have the capability to transform surfaces previously unfit for solar into high-yielding power plants, it will play an increasingly important role in sustainable urban development. As end-users become more familiar with solar technology, solar contractors can expect a more demanding clientele, and BIPV and BFPV may just give them a business advantage to “sniff out” solar opportunities where competitors cannot.

On top of that, bifacial panels will give up to 30% more power as reflected sunlight is absorbed by cells on the back of panels.

The total transformation integration: Because BIPV and BFPV are usually conceived with initial design of the building rather than as a retrofit approach to energy efficiency, it makes for a more holistic solar design. By fulfilling a double function as outer building envelope and power generator, these technologies save time during the construction process as well as money on material and installation costs.

In the hands of a sensitive architect or developer, building-integrated and bifacial panels are optimally integrated into the building’s function, which translates into a maximized energy efficiency regular PV applications can’t match. New construction buildings with a clear energy efficiency mandate (as many federal and municipal buildings have) will rejoice at the opportunity to combine energy conservation and building envelope design with one technology that maximizes energy savings and operational costs. Getting down to net-zero is the perfect mission for the BIPV-BFPV team.

Bring on the beauty: BIPV and BFPV technology is the perfect answer to homeowner associations and other critics who have been dissing PV for its looks. Chances are even the biggest haters could walk into a net-zero building with BIPV curtain walls and solar awnings, admire its innovative design and not even notice that these “architectural accents” are some of PV’s finest. Seamlessly blending in with the environment is not just for chameleons anymore.

On the other end of the spectrum, both BIPV and BFPV provide a perfect and nearly unlimited canvas for companies who are looking for solar for its “prestige” and marketing opportunities. BIPV and BFPV cells and glass are highly customizable and can be tailored in shape and color to match corporate colors or logos. Besides being a building material and energy generator, BIPV and BFPV panels can also be utilized as branding and marketing tools of a whole new dimension.

Because both technologies have the superpower to turn surface areas into high-yielding power stations, they are a great way to achieve net zero energy consumption and LEED certification for buildings where rooftop or ground-mount PV alone won’t do.

This article is by Mikael Niskanen, director of manufacturing operations and development for Strathcona Energy Group.

Solar Power World

By Mark Snyder, Mark Snyder Electric

In a trend that’s sweeping the nation, California is eliminating net metering subsidies for grid-tied solar PV systems. Discover exactly what this means for you (regardless of where you live) and what you can do to keep costs down and business up.

In a major upset against grid-tied systems, California’s current net energy metering (NEM) program is ending on July 1st, 2017–or earlier, if the program reaches 5% of aggregated customer peak demand. After that, existing people are grandfathered in for 20 years. And new solar users will face a completely different tariff that’s predicted to strongly favor the utilities and be far less cost-effective for solar users.

It’s not just California either. Since it was first adopted in Idaho in 1980, NEM has spread to 43 states. And last year, the Washington Examiner said nearly half of them are trying to reduce NEM benefits and solar subsidies.

The federal law that made NEM possible, PURPA, was amended with utility companies’ input in 2005 to give states wide latitude on solar deployment caps (five states, including California, have already reached their caps). This ends the era of net metering as we know it.

That’s led more homeowners and small businesses to go off-grid, investing in batteries using the money they would have saved on utility bills. And as more renewable energy users leave the grid, traditional installers and manufacturers risk being left behind.

In this article, you’ll learn how net metering works, what these changes mean for you, and how you can make sure you don’t get hurt when they’re rolled out.

What is net metering?

Net metering is a special billing arrangement where customers with solar PV systems get credit–often full retail value–for electricity they add back to the grid.

For example, a residential customer’s solar system might generate excess electricity during peak daylight hours, when power plants often struggle to meet demand. The homeowner’s extra electricity is sent to local distribution facilities and returned to the power grid–and the homeowner gets a credit off their electric bill or their electric meter runs backwards. At night, the customer uses some of the power they sent to the power grid.

NEM stabilizes the power grid because residential solar systems typically put energy back into the grid at a time when the utilities need it most: mid-day at peak demand. It also lets RE users maximize ROI on their solar systems because they can zero-out their bills, get accurate performance data, and earn full retail rates for the electricity their solar panels put back into the grid.

And California’s NEM, which started in 1995, now leads the country with 247,041 solar installations generating 2,407 megawatts (MW).

What’s changing?

Under the current system, California’s power customers with PV systems sized 1 MW or less get financial credit for the electricity that their systems deliver to the utility grid. They can use those credits to offset power they get from the grid during the same 12-month period. If the customer produces excess power, then they get a check from the utility at a wholesale rate (which reduces utility companies’ profits).

But those benefits are coming to an end.

In October 2013, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 327, a bill designed to help California reach its mandate of obtaining 33% of its energy from solar and renewables by 2020.

With it came sweeping changes for the economics of consumer and commercial solar. AB 327 dramatically alters the current NEM structure, which California’s investor-owned utility company argue saddles them with more transmission and distribution costs. On July 1, 2017, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will be able to modify NEM contracts and tariffs for existing customers.

Anyone who isn’t grandfathered in will likely face drastically cut benefits, if NEM is available at all. New grid-tied customers with solar systems are expected to face a Feed-in Tariff (FIT) and pay a larger amount of the distribution infrastructure costs and monthly charges–even if they don’t use the power grid. And the major California utility companies are proposing paying NEM customers at a reduced rate, instead of the retail rate–roughly 50% to 60% of the current rate.

Changes in peak demand rates have hit commercial, industrial and institutional customers especially hard. Many California schools, for instance, adopted solar early and enjoyed net zero utility bills. But when demand rates started applying to all four seasons, they were forced to pay full demand rates–similar to a tax on every taxpayer.

At the same time, the Federal Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is scheduled to expire, dropping government credits from 30% to 10% for commercial systems and 0% for residential users.

What does this mean for you?

As grid-tied benefits such as NEM and PV subsidies dwindle, grid-tied systems become less cost-effective.

Now, many homeowners and industrial and commercial customers are going off-grid. They’re using the money they save on utility bills toward renewable energy batteries, especially lead-acid batteries that offer longer life, improved safety and recyclability, and a 100+ year track record.

With battery banks, renewable energy users never have to worry about the grid going down or subsidies disappearing. And backup systems using natural gas can offer an additional buffer during periods of low power generation.

Off-grid users are even protected from an unexpected threat: forest fires. In some areas, especially Southern California, power companies are turning off power when there’s a risk of forest fires during high winds. San Diego Gas & Electric routinely shuts off power to rural customer when it’s windy and dry. Homes that rely on water wells don’t have the electricity to pump water out–so homeowners can’t protect their property from fire by wetting it down.

What you need to know about off-grid

As subsidies and net energy metering for grid-tied PV systems go by the wayside, demand for grid-tied NEM systems will decrease. That’s why it’s time to start planning for more off-grid installations. Here are several keys.

Homeowners and commercial and industrial property owners:

• Reduce energy demand before going off-grid. Energy efficient electronics and gas fired air-conditioning, insulation, and electronics and lifestyle changes dramatically reduce system costs.
• Keep batteries in float during the daytime by producing additional solar electricity, provide larger battery band to manage demand.
• Check with an installer or consultant you trust to find the best system and approach for you.
• Consider using a natural gas backup generator to supplement your renewable energy and battery backup systems.
• Learn how to choose the right batteries for your system.
• Work with your installer to make sure you have large enough solar panels and batteries to handle low production days and beat demand charges.

Installers and distributors:

• Get training and education on how to properly design, install and maintain off-grid systems.
• Learn more about battery storage, which is one of the key differences between grid-tied and off-grid systems.
• Start adding more off-grid projects to your mix, so you’re protected as the market for grid-tied systems decreases.

By Mark Snyder, Mark Snyder Electric

Solar Power World