DC solar panels have dominated the solar market since the discovery of functional terrestrial solar panels in 1953. Now the old technology is being replaced in the market by the next evolution of the solar panel: the integrated AC solar module.
This article is contributed by Robert Onofrey, Vice President of Sales in North America at Phono Solar.
The greatest advantage of AC modules is that they don’t require high-voltage DC wiring, which make them safer to install than traditional models. This ensures that there will be a lower risk that an installer will be hurt through an accidental encounter with a DC wire, the potential for fires will also plummet — giving installers, inspectors and end users confidence in array’s safety.
As a self-contained power source, AC modules ensure the maximum amount of power from each module and, unlike traditional DC modules, AC modules monitor themselves. Armed with real-time production data, consumers and installers can ensure the array is actually producing the amount of power it promises.
Operators can also determine if specific AC modules are struggling and deal only with them, allowing the rest of the array to keep producing power. DC modules are incapable of providing precise monitoring because their central/string inverter connections only collect information about the entire array.
AC modules are gaining traction as a popular panel solution. According to Solar Server, IHS predicts that in 2017 AC modules will reach 32% of all microinverter shipments, becoming the fastest growing microinverter type to reach 800MW in 2018.
Combined with the explosive growth of the solar industry, AC modules are replacing outdated technology with better technology that serves the installers and end users with more effective electricity generation. This is why AC modules are rapidly replacing DC modules in the market — and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Robert “Bob” Onofrey is the Vice President of Sales in North America at Phono Solar, a global company that manufacturers crystalline photovoltaic modules and energy storage solutions. He has more than two decades of experience in solar energy, semiconductors and chemical industries. Bob has a B.S. in Science, Petroleum and Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and a M.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston. He currently resides in McKinney, Texas with his wife.
