Microinverters are driving sales in the MLPE segment to year-over-year highs. These powerful little boxes are the hot technology for both residential and commercial solar.
Their popularity starts with solar harvest, safety and ease of installation when compared to string and even optimizer systems.
The first advantage lies in module-level harvest and tracking, a distinct advantage over conventional string systems. Particularly in any environment where shading poses a challenge–such as in a moderately-treed suburban neighborhood, or an urban setting with tall surrounding buildings–microinverters’ ability to independently serve and monitor the performance of each individual panel ensures maximum harvest throughout the day. Meanwhile, a single shadow or even debris would reduce output across an entire string.
This distributed harvest also means there’s no single potential point of failure in the array. Even if one component goes down, the rest of the array will still function at top power. Compare that to a string system in which, again, a single technical issue can sideline whole groups of modules.
Another often overlooked point of distinction for microinverters is low-light performance. With a lower startup voltage than string systems, microinverter arrays will begin producing energy earlier in the day, and stretch that production deeper into twilight—built-in optimization that matches technology with the diurnal cycle, wherever you might live.
Microinverters are also extremely safe by design—a paramount concern under evolving NEC standards meant to protect homeowners, emergency responders and others who may venture onto the roof. For example, when an AC circuit goes down for any reason, each unit in a microinverter array performs its own rapid shutdown function in just 100 milliseconds. That’s 100 times faster than the current code-specified standard of ten seconds for shutdown. System voltage at shutdown is about 30 Vdc, meeting stringent NEC requirements, and well below the 80-V threshold generally considered safe for contact.
There’s no high-voltage DC running across the roof with a microinverter array. Also, any low-voltage lines present will be located beneath solar modules, eliminating the chance of contact during rooftop activity. This safety by design makes microinverters essentially “future proof,” not only meeting today’s stringent codes, but anticipating and easily programmed to meet tomorrow’s.
Microinverters are also making strides in the growing arena of storage. For example, APsystems has teamed up with Sensata and their Magnum Energy brand to offer an integrated microinverter-and-battery charger/controller package, extending MLPE’s market reach to this dynamic new segment.
MLPEs have come a long way since the first generation products many years ago. The new generation of microinverters are producing more power than ever before. Meeting the latest regulatory standards, they have shown their reliability in challenging environments, extreme temperature ranges and in every conceivable application on each continent. Microinverters continue to be one of the fastest-growing segments in the solar industry and will continue to be for years to come.
By: Jason Higginson, senior director of marketing for APsystems