Solar Power World - MARCH 2014

Net Metering p.06

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MPPT Defined p.14

Remember The Roof p.40

March 2014

How To Choose The

Right

Battery page 20

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THE FIRST WORD Editorial Advisory Board Natalie Holtgrefe Solectria Renewables Jose Gomez Ingeteam Steve Hogan Spire Devon Cichoski SolarWorld Marcelo Gomez Unirac Justin Barnes North Carolina (State University) Solar Center Scott Wiater Standard Solar

What do you think?

Discuss this, and other solar issues at www.engineering exchange.com

Storage Breakthroughs Will Fuel Industry Expansion Everyone is waiting for the next game-changing industry innovation.

Will it be a new inverter? Could be, though as I look around at the efficiencies of the most popular products, I have a hard time seeing how they could be much more efficient. 1000V are already on the market in Europe, so it’s just a matter of time before they become commonplace the United States.

That may revolutionize the industry here, but it won’t revolutionize the way solar power is delivered.

You know what would transform the industry?

Battery storage.

Giles Parkison, writing for Australian-based RenewEconomy.au in July 2013, cited a EuPD Research (think of them as a European GTM Research) study on battery storage. It’s complicated, but the study concluded that renewable energy storage, particularly in the solar industry, doesn’t make economic sense yet.

This astonishes me. With all of the advances in batteries for other devices (my MacBook Air has a 12-hour battery now, and electric vehicle batteries are advancing at jackrabbit speed), why is the solar industry struggling so much to take advantage?

As yet, there’s nothing that meets the needs of people like me. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, where we get about three days of sun a year. I won’t be able to install a solar array on my house until I can use power from sunny days to make up for the cloudier times.

It’s not for lack of trying — and the industry is making strides. Companies like U.S. Battery, Trojan Battery, Crown Battery and Rolls Battery are furiously racing toward the goal of making effective battery storage for commercial and residential installations, and I receive announcements three or four times a month. But I believe we can do better.

This is the Holy Grail for the solar industry. If we crack this nut, new markets will open. We need to figure out how to fund the research on a massive scale now — not 10 years from now. Let’s push together for funds from the SunShot Initiative. Let’s crowdsource research. Let’s do more to help the hard-working researchers who are doing pioneering work in this area. They need our help to accelerate their work.

Otherwise, despite the spectacular growth numbers (and they have been spectacular over the past three years), the solar industry will always be selflimiting. That makes no business sense for anyone.

But this isn’t something anyone can do alone. We need everybody’s help to make battery storage a reality. I know we can accomplish anything if we work together — and this is no exception. SPW

Editorial Director fandorka@solarpowerworldonline.com

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[SOLAR WORKS]

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Solar Works Around The United States

Inovateus Solar (a 2014 Solar Power World Top Solar Contractor) has completed a 265-kW system at the Shedd Aquarium. The project, led

by Schneider Electric, consisted of the rooftop installation of 913 solar PV panels on the aquarium’s marine mammal pavilion. Schletter provided the racking systems.

New solar photovoltaic installations in the United States reached a record 4.2 GW during 2013.

Large-scale projects dominated the U.S. market, comprising 80% of new installations. Smallscale solar, mainly residential and small non-residential rooftops, comprised 700 MW in 2013, an increase of 10% compared to 2012. Here’s what else is happening:

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Kyocera As Developer, Too Somers, Conn.

Prime Solutions, a Connecticut-based EPC, designed and built a 5-MW project using 23,150 Kyocera solar modules. Kyocera International and CleanPath, a San Francisco-based clean energy project company, financed and developed Somers Solar Center, marking Kyocera’s entry into solar development.

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A Green Makeover Stow, Mass.

EPC firm Gehrlicher Solar America Corp. (a 2014 Solar Power World Top Solar Contractor) constructed a 2.5-MW project on a brownfield site in less than four months. The project is owned and operated by Main Street Power.

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Canadian Modules Head South Kenansville, N.C. Canadian Solar will supply 84,480 solar modules to National Renewable Energy Corp. (NARENCO) for four utility-scale solar projects totaling 25.3 MW in Wayne and Duplin counties of North Carolina. Canadian Solar’s CS6X- 300W max power modules will power all of the ground installation sites.

Hotel Seeks Environmental Hospitality Koloa, Hawaii CitiGreen Solar and Haleakala Solar (a 2014 Solar Power World Top Solar Contractor) will build a 300-kW solar system at Koloa Landing at Poipu Beach Wyndham Grand Resort. The system will connect to the grid with Enphase microinverters. “Installing one of the largest solar projects on the island is a testament to our commitment to environmentally friendly living,” says resort representative Todd Hadley.

Mid-Way On Massive Array Los Angeles MidAmerican Solar and SunPower Corp. say the first portion of the 579MW Solar Star development — two projects co-located in Kernand and Los Angeles counties — is delivering energy to the grid. Construction on the projects began in early 2013 and is expected to complete by year-end 2015.

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Utilities Watch The Weather El Centro, Calif.

Trimark Associates has installed the Lufft WS500-UMB Weather Station to monitor real-time meteorological data coming from the 200-MW Imperial Valley Solar 1 array. Data such as solar irradiance, air temperature and wind speed help utilities more accurately predict the availability of energy, avoid power shortages and ensure more efficient-energy management.

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Aquarium Powered With Solar Chicago

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Racking Provider Partners With A Non-Profit Vancouver, Wash.

SunModo Corp. has partnered with Community Solar Solutions (CSS) on the Go Solar South Kitsap campaign, bringing solar to homes and businesses in Washington. SunModo will donate racking systems to Habitat for Humanity of Kitsap County for the first phase of its Harris Court Project.

To see your project featured here, please send a media release and photo to sbushong@solarpowerworldonline.com for consideration.

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w w w. s o l a r p o w e r w o r l d o n l i n e . c o m

contents

Mar ch

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Photo courtesy of Dennis Schroeder / NREL

06 26 D e pa r t m e n t s

01 The First Word 03 Solar Works 06 State Of The State 08

Marketing

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Training

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Contractor’s Corner

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Financing

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Developments

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Products

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Solar Snapshot

F e at u r e s

14 Dual MPPT Defined

Understanding what an MPPT is and why it’s important can help make solar energy production more profitable.

20 How To Choose The Right Battery For Your Solar Project

Maximize your battery life, avoid common mistakes and reduce costs by learning how to select the right battery for your system every time.

26 Around Racking & Mounting

Snow management, pour-in-place system for landfills, new building codes for PV systems

33 Building A Resilient Business By Challenging The Status Quo

A fabless manufacturing approach and an asset-light business model can help companies stay on their toes in a rapidly evolving industry.

36 The Quarterback Scores Again

About the Cover: An on-site lab at Ohio -based Crown Battery tests batteries to ensure performance and consistency.

This time it’s with solar. Coach and QB reunite to add solar to the Seneca County Law Enforcement Center.

40 Remember The Roof 64

Ad Index

Solar power can be a valuable asset to your building, but only if it’s installed on the right roofing material.

46 Cheap Backsheets Can Backfire On Your Project Know what to look for when shopping for quality solar panels.

50 Don’t Lie To Your Customers

Make sure you’re providing accurate payback numbers — or you risk sullying the entire industry.

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[STATE OF THE STATE]

Solar State Report: Arizona A divided industry tries to reunite after challenges 2013 was a year of evolution for the solar industry

The Arizona Public Service Company installed 4 kW of residential photovoltaic on household rooftops for the Community Power Project in Flagstaff, Ariz. This was part of a project to study the effects of large amounts of distributed PV on a utility feeder.

Photo courtesy of Arizona Public Service Company

Jim Arwood

Special to Solar Power World

Jim Arwood is the communications director of the Arizona Solar Center. The Arizona Solar Center, founded in 1998, is a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to promote the use of solar energy.

The Solar Center maintains an informational website, conducts workshops and solar tours and performs third-party solar water heating quality-control audits as part of the utility-rebate process.

in Arizona. Chief among industry-changing events was the acrimonious debate over net metering, as the utilities tried to stifle a burgeoning rooftop solar movement. In a white paper, utilities portrayed rooftop solar as a threat to its century-old business model.

The utility industry employed hard-core political campaign tactics in their quest to control the solar marketplace, even running TV ads that accused solar customers of freeloading off traditionally powered neighbors. The utilities say residential solar producers don’t pay a fair share of the cost of maintaining transmission lines that carry the excess power they produce back to the grid and to their neighbors.

The debate generated copious media coverage, but solar advocates were able to soften the potential damage. The utilities had sought steep fees on residential solar producers that would have severely damaged the future of solar adoption in the state.

The utilities ended up with a hollow victory. The Arizona Corporation Commission voted to impose a small fee on new residential solar electric installations.

But even the small monthly fee imposed on new residential rooftop solar sets a precedent, and other states, including neighbors in Utah and Colorado, are now grappling with the net-metering question.

It’s too soon to tell how this fee will affect Arizona solar installations, which, before the onslaught of utility attack ads, averaged more than 500 per month. A year-end rush to beat the new fee will likely result in fewer installations in at least the first quarter of 2014.

The utility pushback may be affecting Arizona’s solar industry in other ways, too. News accounts tell of a subtle rift between Arizona installation companies and solar-leasing companies. The solar water heating industry, meanwhile, has dissociated itself from the solar electric industry by marketing itself as “the other rooftop solar technology.” (Solar water heaters use sunlight to heat water, so they conserve energy rather than produce electricity.)

It’s a warped Good Solar vs. Bad Solar struggle, and nowhere is it more obvious than in the investorowned utilities’ embrace of utility-scale solar and their efforts to slow down rooftop solar. The utilityscale solar projects fit the existing utility business model: central plants generating power distributed to customers through traditional transmission lines.

But those who wish to write a premature obituary for solar in Arizona should remember that the state has been on the vanguard of solar technology, policy and use since Abe Lincoln was president.

It began in the 1860s when the heliograph became the first in a series of solar technologies to be introduced and tested in Arizona. It progressed from there to the Day-Night Solar Water Heaters of the 1930s, the 1954 introduction of silicon solar cells and their offgrid applications of the 70s and 80s. The late 90s brought utility-scale photovoltaic plants.

The success of these technologies belongs uniquely to Arizona. Nowhere is Arizona’s role more elegantly stated than in the writings of the late John Yellot, an Arizona State University professor, inventor and pioneer in passive solar energy. In 1978, Yellot, affectionately known as the Ambassador of the Sun, wrote that solar technology “belongs to Arizona in a special way – as a part of the great American frontier where new devices are ever welcomed and their merits tested and proven and achievements acclaimed.”

The biggest test for the Arizona solar industry will be whether it can reunite rather than fragment in the face of well-financed attempts to darken its future. If the solar industry can heal the developing fissures, Arizona can emerge from 2014 with its reputation as the solar state intact. Arizona can survive and prosper as the place where new solar devices and policies are tested and proven — “and achievements proclaimed.” SPW

Crews worked around the clock in 2012 installing mirrored parabolic trough collectors, built on site, which cover three square miles at Abengoa’s Solana Plant. Solana is a 280-MW utility-scale solar power plant in Gila Bend, Ariz. Completed in 2013, the plant provides electricity for more than 70,000 Arizona homes.

Photo courtesy of Dennis Schroeder / NREL

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[MARKETING]

Five Keys To Successful Content Marketing

Carli Evilsizer

Carli Evilsizer is a social media coordinator at WTWH Media, the publisher of Solar Power World.

For more marketing advice, go to marketing.wtwhmedia.com.

Content marketing is the term for delivering useful content to customers, which can build trust and possibly lead to sales. Content marketing informs, educates and entertains a target audience.

Successfully done, it creates dialogue and relationships between a brand and its consumers.

And the best part? Research shows content marketing often costs less than traditional advertising, generates better leads and improves a brand’s public image.

Solar experts have a special opportunity to discuss a lesser-known technology with a growing and engaged audience. Most every solar company could start their content marketing endeavor with a blog – the production of which is increasingly simple with websites such as WordPress and Blogger.

Below are five points to consider when creating your own content-marketing plan.

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• Target Audience: In contrast with traditional advertising that focuses on acquiring new customers, content marketing mostly targets pre-existing ones. Companies can build a relationship with their customers by sharing interesting and useful information. If companies keep current solar customers happy, they will tell their friends — friends who may well become clients. Companies can also draw potential customers with content marketing because they are interested in what they have to say. By building a relationship early on, those “potentials” will become “currents” in no time because they already trust the brand.

• Tell A Story: The content a company shares should be in the form of a story — not a thinly disguised sales pitch. Companies can plan the content based on customers’ current interests.

Remember, you are writing for your audience,

Webinar Alert

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• Provide Value: Every piece of content must inform, educate or entertain an audience.

Remember, content is not “content marketing” unless the audience finds it interesting and valuable. If it is relevant and enjoyed by customers, they will become loyal clients.

• Create A Dialogue: Does anyone actually like being told what to do? Instead of directing customers and selling a brand, create an interactive dialogue. Invite the audience to participate in content marketing, and make sure comments and questions receive a timely response. This not only personalizes a brand, but also helps show honesty. Customers will be more likely to trust a brand if they feel they have a trusting relationship.

• Increase Profits: Content marketing increases website traffic while building a relationship with an audience. With honest content, customers will feel more informed and will be more likely to trust your brand when making a solar purchasing decision. The decision to “go solar” is often one fraught with concern because of the amount of money involved.

Content marketing can ease this fear and make customers more likely to buy.

When you begin a content marketing plan for your solar business, you learn more about your current customers and their needs, which will generate new leads in the long run. SPW

Download On Demand:

Solar Power World social media coordinators Heather Centorbi and Carli Evilsizer discuss how to begin and win with content marketing.

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not for your company. Create brand awareness without explicitly promoting the brand. Tell a story that will connect with people – their allegiance to a brand will follow. It also helps to tell a story with personality, giving the brand a relatable and trustworthy voice.

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[TRAINING]

Chicken And Egg: Gaining Experience For Certification We often hear from people who are interested in

Richard Lawrence

Solar Power World Contributor Richard Lawrence is executive director at NABCEP

Discuss This and other Solar issues at www.engineeringexchange.com

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becoming certified in solar and starting their careers.

The main challenge for these people is NABCEP’s required on-the-job experience to qualify for certification. Fundamentally, one must already be a PV installation professional to qualify for recognition as a NABCEP-Certified PV Installation Professional. Those who don’t have any solar work experience often feel caught in the classic Catch 22.

This situation is becoming increasingly common, as more state and utility financial incentive programs, government and business request for proposals, leasing programs, OEM dealer networks and educated consumers are relying on NABCEP certification as a quality-assurance mechanism. So how does one go about getting the experience necessary to become a certified PV installation or technical-sales professional if they aren’t already in the field?

This conundrum has existed for as long as there have been organized professions. Construction trades have solved this issue through structured apprenticeship programs. Medical professions, similarly, have rotation and residency programs during and after schooling. Also, the legal, finance, public policy and other similar professions have formalized internship programs. The solar industry, however, has yet to adopt any minimum education standards for new employees.

But NABCEP has provided a great start for what could someday be standard industry requirements.

For instance, its network encompasses several hundred educational institutions that offer fundamental courses to qualify students to take an entry-level exam in PV, solar heating and, soon, small wind. Whether you’re a young person just starting out, or a seasoned professional who wants to expand your business to include renewables, these entrylevel courses are a great place to start.

Anyone looking to be a professional in the solar industry should expect to have an extended learning period including basic and then on-the-job training, followed by various continuing-education opportunities. It always surprises me how many people think they can become a proficient solar installer after only completing a week or so of introductory coursework.

3 • 2014

Even journeyman who have completed substantial education and apprenticeship requirements in the electrical trades will find there is a great deal to learn about photovoltaics. An installation for a paying customer should never be used as a learning situation unless: • The learner is being supervised by one or more experienced PV installer(s), or • The customer understands that the contractor they have hired for the work is new to solar – even if they have plenty of other relevant knowledge and skills.

The best way to learn the trade is to get a job with a company that has a well-managed training and career-advancement program. Volunteering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity or Grid Alternatives is also great way to gain solar installation experience. Working with other experienced professionals is the best way to learn the tools and tricks of the trades.

For those that insist on going it alone, it is imperative to learn as much as possible before experimenting on a client’s home or business.

Attend trainings, read books and devour trade publications. Experts in the industry have shared countless years of experience through textbooks, magazine articles, webinars and radio interviews. Many of these materials are available free online, such as the NABCEP PV Installation Professional Resource Guide, so take advantage of what they have to offer.

One should never stop learning, but at some point that knowledge will need to be applied. What better place to start than on the roof of your own home or business, or those of your friends, family, church or local non-profit that you support? If you are in an incentive territory that requires NABCEP, your first few customers may not be eligible for financial rebates.

Whether they are or not, it is reasonable to consider charging little to nothing for your time working on the design and installation of these systems. Each system will be an incredible learning experience. With time, your experience will grow, and with it your confidence – and your hourly rate. SPW

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

3/13/14 2:23 PM

[CONTRACTORS CORNER]

Run on Sun, Pasadena, Calif.

Jim Jenal earned degrees in mathematics, computer

Jim Jenal, co-founder of Run on Sun

By Steven Bushong Associate Editor

science and law. He taught math at a private high school, and then practiced as a lawyer for 10 years. But he still looked for more.

“I got to the point where I was looking not only for a new challenge, but a more satisfying legacy,” Jenal says. “I did the old ‘What color is your parachute?’ test.”

Jenal made lists of his skills, desires and priorities — he even listed things he wished to avoid.

“When I put those things together, strange as it may seem, what came out was to start a solar power company,” he says.

In 2006, Jenal and two colleagues — an MBA he successfully represented in court and a master electrician — set out to build Run on Sun, a commercial and residential solar PV installation company based in Pasadena, Calif.

Since its founding, the company has grown slowly but responsibly Jenal says. Coming into its own just as the economy fell apart in 2008, the founders of Run on Sun have worked to avoid debt by employing conservative business practices.

“Our growth has always been organic, as opposed to being funded by outside folks,” Jenal says. “That

Commercial Solar: Step-By-Step “During the Westridge project, I got to know the school’s facilities director very well. It occurred to me that there are a lot of folks who manage properties, and they’re looking for something that walks them through the process of adopting solar.

A lot of the information out there seemed opaque.

Also, I knew when someone is shopping for solar, it’s hard to know if a company is speaking to you in an unbiased fashion or giving a sales pitch. This book serves as a much-needed guide. It’s also the ultimate leave-behind for potential commercial clients.”

— Jim Jenal

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gives us the freedom to do things the way we like to do it, albeit at a slower pace and smaller scale than we may have otherwise.”

Jenal says the company has clients, not customers. Customers, he says, are involved in transactions, while Run on Sun builds relationships. It is more concerned about meeting clients’ needs than short-term sales projections, Jenal says.

“We’ve turned down jobs, telling people they’re not good candidates for projects when they aren’t, even after they’ve had other companies come in and be more than happy to sell something,” he says.

One project that proved successful was a 52-kW array at Westridge School in Pasadena.

The project size was in Run on Sun’s “sweet spot,” Jenal says. Plus, it reminded him of past teaching experience at a similar school.

“It performed better than expected, but what’s really nice is the faculty can take data from the Enphase system, and they can use it in the classroom as a teaching tool for physics, mathematics and economics,” Jenal says.

To stay current on the solar industry and help with marketing efforts, Run on Sun is plugged into social media much more than most other contractors.

“People who aren’t initiated often think it’s little more than photos of cats and dinners, but we have a well-developed Twitter and LinkedIn presence,” Jenal says. Often, he turns to the NABCEP LinkedIn group, which, he says, is known for raising issues and arriving at good answers.

As an outbound marketing source, Run on Sun has amassed more than 20,000 followers on Twitter (@RunOnSun). Jenal says when the company releases blog posts or announcements on social media, the impact is immediate on the company website or blog.

“It’s a way to get our information out there so people can see it,” he says. “That indirectly contributes to leads coming through the door or website.” SPW

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[FINANCING]

YieldCos — Can the Solar Industry Keep Up? Right now is a good time for the solar market.

Tuan Pham

Special to Solar Power World.

Tuan Pham is the president and CEO of PowerFin Partners, an Austin, Texas-based solar investment and development firm.

Industry growth expectations are high. Equipment and installation costs have declined and, more recently, there is an emerging expectation for cheaper capital to enter the sector. Equity vehicles, such as Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs) and YieldCos have been promoted as ways to enable public investment in solar projects. To date, neither REITs nor MLPs have found success penetrating the sector, primarily due to structuring conflicts with tax equity. YieldCos, however, have gained some traction, and many expect their popularity to grow, taking the solar sector along. In this article we discuss YieldCos and how they apply to the U.S. solar sector.

YieldCos, such as NRG Yield (NYLD) and Pattern Energy Group (PEGI), are corporations that formulaically distribute cash to public shareholders.

YieldCo stocks, which receive dividends like bonds receive interest payments, are valued on two metrics: (1) dividend yield and (2) expectations for growth in dividends. NYLD currently trades at a trailing yield of 2.4% and PEGI trades at a trailing yield of 4.5%. The difference between their valuations is likely the result of the market’s expectations for growth. To attain that growth, management of YieldCos must be able to obtain contracted projects that meet certain cash flow and operating criteria.

In theory, projects of any kind will make economic sense if investors have low return requirements. In practice, however, developing and completing solar projects to populate YieldCos can be difficult, particularly in the United States.

Some factors to consider regarding U.S. solar and YieldCos include: • YieldCo transactions require critical mass. Most of the solar projects slated to be “dropped down” into NYLD are large, but many off-taking utilities in the United States are shying away from large centralized projects. Given the trend toward smaller solar projects, reaching critical mass for YieldCos will be challenging. The amount of work (and fees) required to put together a large project is nearly the same as for a small project.

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• The U.S. solar industry may not be able to supply enough quality megawatts to satiate YieldCo growth. SolarCity (SCTY) recently securitized $54 million of debt on approximately 5,000 of their projects. Think about how many people it takes to develop and construct 5,000 projects. SolarCity is the largest rooftop developer in the United States, but $54 million was as much as they could muster. YieldCo equity on those same 5,000 projects would have been less than $54 million, so we wonder if the solar industry can supply enough quality projects to meet YieldCo growth expectations.

• Tax incentives with restrictions complicate project structuring. For example, most of the solar assets factored into NYLD have been grandfathered with the Section 1603 Cash Grant, which has minimal holding period and income restrictions. Now that the cash grant has expired, it will be more difficult, but not impossible, to place solar projects into YieldCos. • How much better is the capital provided by a YieldCo? This calculation must be done on a project-by-project basis, but after development and transaction costs and tax effects, we don’t think YieldCo capital will prove to be substantially cheaper.

• YieldCo dividend requirements and growth are highly sensitive to interest rates. The basic math in valuing an asset (or equity) is to divide the annual cash flows (dividends) by the cost of capital. If treasury rates increase by 1% and YieldCo dividend requirements subsequently increase from 4% to 5%, the asset (or equity) will decrease in value by 20%. The only way to make up for that is to increase PPA rates. By all means, all asset classes will be negatively affected by higher interest rates, but YIeldCos are more sensitive due to their dividend-based valuation criteria.

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[FINANCING]

In theory, contracted solar assets are ideal candidates for YieldCos. Cash flow is steady and under long-term contracts, the assets require minimal maintenance, and they degrade at a predictable and shallow rate. However, successfully populating a YieldCo with properly completed and solidly contracted projects requires a lot of specialized resources.

Although there are numerous installation companies and equipment suppliers, few companies besides First Solar (FSLR), SunEdison (SUNE), and SunPower (SPWR) have demonstrated a consistent ability to develop and complete solar projects.

There is a lot that we don’t know about those companies’ pipelines, and there are conflicts that arise when suppliers or parent companies “sell” completed projects to related companies (YieldCos).

The understanding of YieldCos and their ability to achieve their growth targets, at least outside of Canada where they have enabled public investment in regulated generating assets, is not yet well developed in the United States. Don’t get us wrong: Any vehicle that accurately reflects cash flows from solar projects is beneficial for the industry and investors. Furthermore, YieldCos can work with tax equity.

But the development and structuring of U.S. solar projects is more difficult than most might believe; the relatively low completion rate of grid-tied solar projects attests to that reality. A successful YieldCo needs a strong sponsor with a demonstrated ability to underwrite solar projects and a willingness to provide transparency into their pipeline of contracted projects. SPW

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INVERTER INSIDER

Dual MPPT, Defined Understanding what an MPPT is and why it’s important can help make solar energy production more profitable.

M

PPT is a four-letter acronym referenced in the solar industry by many, but understood by few. It’s important to understand the definition of MPPT and its functionality, because doing so can help a user improve the energy harvest of his photovoltaic installation, thereby increasing profitability.

What Is A MPPT? MPPT stands for Maximum Power Point Tracker. It is a circuit (typically a DC to DC converter) employed in the majority of modern photovoltaic inverters. Its function is to maximize the energy available from the connected solar module arrays at any time during its operation.

Why Is A MPPT Necessary?

A solar module is a limited energy DC supply and has internal impedances that vary throughout the course of the day, depending primarily on the level of solar irradiance impinging on the module face and the cell temperature.

An inverter without an MPPT circuit would result in sub-par or non-optimal operating conditions between any PV module (or string of modules) and the inverter. Unless the inverter can match the strings to extract maximum power, the result is a lower-efficiency operation for the connected strings. The MPPT circuit constantly monitors the array voltage and current. It attempts to drive the operating point of the inverter to the maximum power point of the array, resulting in the highest energy harvest.

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INVERTER INSIDER

Roy Allen Special To Solar Power World

This is a representation of the flexibility dual MPPTs provide. These solar arrays face South East, and South West (two different Azimuths) and have a different number of solar panels per string. The triangle panels are 72W while the rectangular panels are 144W. Inverters with MPPT channels can accommodate such with optimized energy harvest for the lower installation and material cost than using a single inverter.

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Dual vs. Single MPPT Simply put, in the majority of applications with two strings or more, two MPPTs are better than one. To support this statement, review the table on the opposite page.

Considering the entries in the table, an inverter with dual-MPPT functionality allows much greater system design flexibility, significant cost savings and higher levels of harvested energy.

Connecting two arrays with different solar azimuths or tilts, different string lengths (Voc) or different PV modules to a singlechannel MPPT inverter would result in a highly inefficient system and, in some instances, an unsafe one.

By accommodating two arrays mounted at different azimuth and/ or tilt angles, different string lengths — even different modules — into a single inverter increases the design options for installers because it eliminates the need for a second inverter in many situations.

Additionally, even for PV systems with all strings facing the same direction, using the dual MPPT function is a better choice. Assume a system has four strings all on a flat roof.

If a single MPPT channel is used to connect these to the inverter — in addition to requiring an external combiner — if one string is damaged or subjected to higher soiling rates or shading issues, this would affect the output of the entire array and result in a lower overall energy harvest.

Breaking the array into two segments on two MPPT channels will improve system harvesting, because if one string/array is damaged or soiled, the output power of the “good” array at the second MPPT will continue to provide full power, thus providing a higher yield than the single MPPT case. Furthermore, in systems requiring shade mitigation, one MPPT input could operate the shaded array with the other operating the unshaded array.

Historically, without dual-MPPT functionality, efficient interconnection of arrays on two different azimuths

“

MPPT stands for Maximum Power Point Tracker. It is a circuit (typically a DC to DC converter) employed in the majority of modern photovoltaic inverters. Its function is to maximize the energy available from the connected solar module arrays at any time during its operation.

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required two separate inverters, adding significant material and labor costs to the installation. Dual MPPT provides the installer with faster, less-expensive system installation with the capability of handling large and small roof surfaces with different azimuths — all using a single inverter.

Combining up to four strings of PV modules to a single inverter without additional external combiner boxes saves time and materials. The exception of NEC section 690.9 allows connecting two PV strings to a single input of an inverter without a combiner fuse in each string. This is as long as the string wiring is sized properly and there are no other current sources that can back feed into the strings.

If an inverter has dual independent MPPT channels, then up to two strings may be connected per MPPT channel without combiner fuses in each string. Therefore, an inverter with dualMPPT channels can have up to four strings connected without any external combining hardware.

Over the past few years, the output power rating of most PV modules available on the market has increased substantially such that today’s small residential systems don’t typically need

The Maximum Power Point Tracking maximizes energy harvesting during different hours of the day, through changing weather conditions with altering roof pitches and different number of solar panels per string.

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Unfortunately, Mother Nature can be Hot Headed.

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Plus, Sika products enable simplified automation of the bonding process. You can’t sweet talk Mother Nature, but fortunately you have Sika to tame the effects of her temper.

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INVERTER INSIDER

more than two strings. Larger residential applications, however, typically require four strings. Commercial systems require a large number of strings and have historically used larger central inverters and external string combiners.

But there is an industry trend of using a multiplicity of smaller inverters for these applications, so a dual MPPT inverter would be advantageous in these designs as well.

MPPT And Monitoring Single MPPT channel inverters can only provide monitoring data at the entire array level. Whether one, two or four strings, data collection will be based on the overall array input. With independent dual MPPT channels, the inverter can provide monitoring information at the MPPT channel level.

As a result, there is a finer granularity in the monitoring data, such as site status, energy production and troubleshooting data. This is important because, depending upon the system design, the loading of the two channels can be different. Therefore, for small systems (with one string per MPPT channel), data collection essentially happens at the string level.

For larger residential systems (with up to two strings per MPPT channel), data collection is reported at the twostring level. Therefore, in addition to providing proper energy harvest values per channel, the user can understand what is happening at each input at any time. This can be helpful in troubleshooting abnormal conditions at a given inverter input.

Understanding all these aspects of MPPT can help provide better knowledge of how energy harvesting works and therefore help solar installations become more profitable. SPW

Single Inverter Attribute

Single MPPT

Dual MPPT

Allow connecting arrays with different solar azimuth angles Allow connecting arrays with different solar tilt angles Allow connecting arrays with different string lengths Allow connecting strings of dissimilar modules Allow connection more than two strings without combiner fusing Provide better monitoring granularity

No*

Yes

No*

Yes

No*

Yes

No*

Yes

No**

Yes

No

Yes

* Can be done but results in low harvesting efficiency, lower harvested energy ** Violates NEC requirements. Dual MPPT provides two channels and code allows two strings per input without need for fusing

Roy Allen is a technical sales support engineer at Power-One, a member of the ABB Group.

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STORAGE

How To Choose The Right Battery For Your Solar Project (Above) Acid recirculation systems use computerized vacuums to circulate acid through batteries, reducing heat for longer life. ­— Photo courtesy of Crown Battery Manufacturing

Maximize your battery life, avoid common mistakes and reduce costs by learning how to select the right battery for your system every time.

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D

id you know that batteries, even with nearly identical specifications, may have unequal life and performance? It’s true.

Choosing the right model for your system can mean the difference between long project life, low maintenance and high performance — or frustrating downtime and early failure.

All batteries are made differently. Some manufacturers use heavier grids and more lead, robotic assembly and automated quality control, and exhaustive performance testing. Other manufacturers make batteries using manual assembly and outdated materials that can compromise performance. Low-price batteries seem like a bargain, but they often require more maintenance, fail earlier and cost more in the long run.

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By asking the right questions, you’ll be able to identify differences in design, materials, manufacturing and quality control to choose the best battery for you.

Understand Different Battery Types The first step is to select the right type.

Lead-acid batteries are made for specific applications, and some aren’t a good fit for renewable energy (RE) systems.

Automotive and commercial starter batteries deliver short bursts of power and stay at full charge most of the time, making them unsuited for such applications. Uninterruptable power supply (UPS) batteries are designed to provide backup electricity during power outages but will not tolerate continuous discharge and charge cycles.

Deep-cycle batteries deliver electricity for a long time, even multiple days, because they’re

(Above) Robots load plates in this computercontrolled production system, for increased precision and lifespan.

— Photo courtesy of Crown Battery Manufacturing

(Right) Renewable energy batteries like Crown’s CRP Monobloc and Power Module use advanced technology, computerized manufacturing to increase lifespan and reliability.

— Photo courtesy of Crown Battery Manufacturing

designed for constant discharge and charge cycles. The difference between deep-cycle and RE-specific batteries is that RE batteries’ basic design accounts for the specific requirements of renewable energy applications.

Flooded batteries are the most commonly used batteries in RE and grid-backup systems because they’re affordable, easy to maintain, long-lasting and reliable. Valve-regulated lead–acid battery (VRLA) batteries, such

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as absorbent glass mat (AGM) and gel, are maintenance-free but typically more expensive. Whatever type of battery you choose, know which materials, construction methods and quality control systems translate into affordable, reliable power for your system.

Materials And Manufacturing Matter

Battery manufacturers should monitor every stage of production with a combination of trained employees and computer systems.

— Photo courtesy of Crown Battery Manufacturing

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A battery produces electrical current through a reaction that converts its stored chemical energy into electrical energy. This process starts in the lead itself. Most manufacturers in the North American battery industry use recycled lead, so the performance and lifespan differences between lead in the batteries come from the amount of lead, additive formulation, lead-oxide production methods and quality controls employed by producers.

Metal grids that hold lead paste make energy storage possible.

Thicker, heavier plates withstand corrosion longer and hold more lead for chemical reactions, so they increase battery life. But raw lead prices have skyrocketed since 2006, and since lead comprises 60 to 80% of a battery’s cost, there’s pressure to cut corners to offset raw material price hikes.

Manufacturers that understand the importance of quality still produce a superior product. They do not try to cut costs through cutting back on key materials like lead, but by improving manufacturing efficiency and using active lead materials. Ultimately, more lead and advanced manufacturing save customers money because they don’t have to replace their batteries as often.

Even grid production methods affect life. Some manufacturers use expanded metal and stamped grid production because they’re quicker, but these methods embed impurities and porosity into grid wires. In contrast, grids produced by gravity-casting contain no impurities and near-zero porosity. Gravity-cast plates extend life and improve reliability.

Active lead material is applied to plates in a process called pasting, and dozens of variables in paste mixing significantly affect battery performance. In conventional systems, these variables are adjusted by hand and paste is only as good as its operator. Computerized paste mixing alleviates these problems by instantly adjusting variables.

Once grids are pasted, they’re cured (dried in specialized “curing ovens” at a particular temperature and humidity) to bond active lead materials to the grid for better performance and longer life. Look for batteries built with plates prepared in curing ovens, which optimize important variables such as temperature and humidity at every stage of the curing cycle to ensure all plates deliver optimal capacity and service life.

After curing, battery plates are stacked in groups and connected by fusing the plates together with a lead strap that creates a parallel circuit between the plates. Many companies still use strap-assembly processes that originated in the first half of the 20th century because they’re economical. Workers manually attach lead lugs to a strap and burn them together one-by-one using a torch and lead stick or by manually pouring molten lead around a jig. Manually welded straps have weaker connection points.

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Other companies use cast-on-strap (COS) assembly systems that fuse battery plates together simultaneously at the optimal temperature. Because COS allows for 4,000 adjustments versus only 40 for hand welding, it ensures consistent, low electrical-resistance welds that strengthen connections, resist cracking and improve battery life. Robotic COS assembly also prevents failure modes that are common with manually-assembled batteries, such as “lead run-down” between plates, and allow for features that reduce corrosion, increase current and reduce maintenance costs.

Properly integrating the COS process can be expensive and time-consuming. Make sure your battery manufacturer has had time to refine its COS system. If a company advertises using COS, make sure to ask if it produces 100% of its offerings using COS manufacturing.

Following assembly, batteries are charged for the first time in a process called formation that converts lead sulfate and ensures maximum capacity. Some companies speed up formation using higher currents, which cut production time at the expense of active (usable) material and lifespan. In contrast, lower current over a longer time always results in longer life.

How Were Your Batteries Made?

All trustworthy lead-acid battery manufacturers use identical manufacturing and quality control methods for every battery. Make sure your manufacturer tells you how your leadacid batteries were built according to the following checklist: • Batteries use heavy, gravity-cast plates and more lead, even though many companies cut costs here as raw material prices rise • The manufacturer invests heavily in research and design, manufacturing, testing equipment and technical expertise • Battery production is environmentally responsible, from using recycled lead to using solar arrays and wind turbines at the plant • Computerized systems produce and mix lead oxide, cure plates and

Recognize Quality

perform formation charging with

Quality control should be built into all stages of production to improve product quality and consistency. In more advanced plants, this includes machine testing for short circuits, along with computerized welding and heat sealing. Some battery companies even use vision systems (image capturing and advanced software that automatically inspect parts) to spot defects humans can miss.

When you know what to look for — and what to avoid — in a renewable energy battery, it’s much easier to find the best model for your needs. To compare manufacturing techniques and materials and get a better idea of which batteries will perform better and last longer, visit your RE battery manufacturer’s website or call the manufacturer or your distributor. SPW

computerized systems • Batteries use high-performance separators and automated wrapping to eliminate plate short-circuiting during service life • Robotics and cast-on strap (COS) welding processes are used in assembly of every one of the manufacturer’s products • Batteries from the production line are tested • Vision systems supplement automated and hands-on inspections

John Connell is the vice president of Crown Battery’s SLI Products Group. Crown Battery manufactures all batteries at its Fremont, Ohio, plant.

An on-site lab tests batteries to ensure performance and consistency. — Photo courtesy of Crown Battery Manufacturing

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R A C K I N G an d m o u n t ing Unirac Seeks Feedback On New Building Codes For PV Systems

Steve Bauer Special To Solar Power World

Get Social Tweet your feedback to @Unirac with the hashtag #SEAOC

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ing It is no secret that building codes have not addressed photovoltaic systems until recently. This is particularly true for the structural racking components of a solar array.

Many ask, when applying ASCE 7 methodology, what is the best way to generate accurate wind and seismic loads? Is wind-tunnel testing worth the investment? If so, how do you maximize dollars and ensure it’s being done correctly? These are all good questions the solar community is actively addressing.

In 2012, the Structural Engineers Association of California Solar Photovoltaic Systems committee generated two documents to provide guidance for the application of solar PV systems. This committee, chaired by Ron LaPlante of the California Division of the State Architect and Vice-Chaired by Joe Maffei of Maffei Structural Engineering, set out to define a clear methodology for designing racking systems.

The seismic document, Structural Seismic Requirements for Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Arrays (SEAOC PV1-2012), outlines multiple approaches for designing both attached and unattached arrays. Attached arrays are designed to resist the lateral seismic force (Fp) specified in ASCE 7-10 Chapter 13. It is permissible to include roof friction to help resist these forces in some circumstances.

This document also outlines a design basis for unattached systems. Since the primary risk associated with unattached systems is movement (and falling) of an array, a prescriptive method can predict and mitigate system movement through appropriate edge distances and system spacing. Unattached systems rely on friction to resist movement. Therefore, specific guidelines and testing requirements are provided to determine appropriate coefficients of friction. Guidelines are also provided for shaketable testing or nonlinear time history analysis for systems that do not qualify for evaluation using the prescriptive method.

The wind document, Wind Design for Low-Profile Solar Photovoltaic Arrays on Flat Roofs (SEAOC PV2-2012), sets forth guidelines for designing rooftop systems with adjustment factors for edge distance, normalized wind area and shielding. The methodology essentially assumes that an array of many rows is being evaluated to take advantage of the system shielding effects. Wind loads are then factored up around the perimeter and at system breaks to account for higher localized wind forces.

Dr. David Banks from Cermak Peterka Petersen (CPP) and Dr. Gregory Kopp from the University of Western Ontario both contributed data from dozens of wind-tunnel studies to ensure these recommendations were formulated from the most current body of knowledge of wind behavior around various types of buildings. The wind document also provides guidelines for the creation of private wind tunnel studies for individual systems. As it is not reasonable to perform a wind tunnel study for every project, a common set of guidelines was needed to set minimum safety standards within the industry. The elements of the SEAOC guidelines have been simplified into code language and submitted to ASCE 7, through a subcommittee chaired by Dr. Kopp. The proposal is working its way through the approval process and is expected to be adopted into the 2016 edition of ASCE 7.

To help understand and promote awareness for these new codes, we are soliciting your feedback: • Are the new guidelines clear and attainable?

• Have you had success permitting with the new guidelines?

• Do you believe there is a perceived cost impact of the new requirements?

Please submit your input to info@unirac.com. This information will be tabulated and reported in a future edition of Solar Power World. It will also be shared with the SEAOC PV Committee for consideration in future PV code development activities. SPW Steve Bauer is the technical director for Unirac.

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Pour-In-Place System Helps Landfills Go Solar Landfills and brownfields have few options for development. Solar is a big exception. Developers are pursuing these areas for solar arrays instead of forest, farm fields or otherwise usable land.

Landfills and brownfields are also typically located in industrial areas or outof-the-way places where local opposition to solar is limited. In addition, state governments are starting to embrace the development of these sites for PV projects with higher SRECs and other benefits. Utilities often approve these projects faster as well.

The challenge for landfills and brownfields has been the high cost of installing non-penetrating ballasted PV systems with high ground clearance. Labor costs are high for landfill work because union workers are often required, meaning

installation speed is a significant issue.

Traditionally, large precast ballast blocks have been used, which can be expensive and slow to install. If the racking system doesn’t accommodate for variations in terrain, the blocks must be perfectly leveled and spaced.

Recently, however, racking solutions have emerged using approaches other than precast blocks or ones that allow for adjustments in the racking. For instance, ballast trays for standard pavers and pourin-place plastic forms let concrete be poured into the forms on-site after racking has been installed. This can reduce install time and racking costs. In these cases, the need to cast the concrete is removed, resulting in lower costs. Also, the racks are assembled first, while they are light. The weight is added after the system is lined up.

Major Construction Considerations For Landfill PV The United States has more than 3,000 active landfills and over 10,000 old municipal landfills – plenty of room for solar development. Here are some key considerations before starting construction.

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• Site preparation and grading requirements and constraints • Site compaction • Avoidance of penetrating landfill cap • Dust control • Stormwater management • Site security

3 • 2014

Source: EPA

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R A C K I N G an d m o u n t ing The DuPont solar landfill project was a 548-kW, five-acre solar installation in Newport, Del., on the site of a former landfill. DuPont, which owned the site, wanted to make it productive with solar, according to Terry Gooding, a public affairs manager at the company. Gooding said the panels provide a viable renewable energy option for the Newport community and enough electricity to power 60 homes.

GameChange’s first generation ballasted ground racking was used on the site. It was chosen for its low cost (about 40% less than typical precast systems) and ease of deployment. DuPont’s thin-film technology panels where also used in the installation. SPW

Webinar Alert Landfill Solar: Be A Part Of The Trend On March 27, GameChange Racking and PanelClaw discussed landfill PV development and how thoughtful racking can help projects succeed. Developer SunEdison also joined the conversation, discussing other vital aspects of landfill projects.

Download On Demand: www.SolarPowerWorldOnline.com/webinars

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Avoid The Avalanche

Solar Snow Pad

The average solar panel can support a snow load of about 800 lbs. In snowy areas, that’s great, except for one thing: Solar panels have a frictionless surface, and they often release piled-up snow all at once. The result is a rooftop avalanche. A sudden snow slide is dangerous to property and people.

Several companies offer products for snow management – some specifically for solar arrays, others for roofs in general.

Alpine SnowGuards (www.alpinesnowguards.com), the sister company of EcoFasten Solar, for example, has a system that clamps to panel frames.

The Solar Snow Pad allows snow and ice to build up, slump and slowly slide off a panel’s surface in an orderly fashion. The device uses a “T” nut clamp that will fit between panels as close together as 1/8 in. Solar Snow Pads measure 1 ¼ in. off the roof surface to prevent shading.

The company also produces the Solar SnowMax, which attaches to a panel frame. It functions as a snow retention barricade on landscape- or portrait-oriented panels. It’s limited for use in areas with 50-lbs./sq. ft. or less snow load.

Heavier snow could damage a frame.

In some cases, a panel-mounted snow management system may not be enough. A barricade or fence system, several inches high and mounted toward the edge of a roof, may be needed. Alpine SnowGuards also offers a modification for its Snow Pad that creates a fence-like structure with 3/8in. rods running along a panel. SPW

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R A C K I N G an d m o u n t ing ColorGard

Other companies have snow-retention products, too.

ColorGard ColorGard controls snow migration while maintaining the appearance of a roof with color and finish matching. ColorGard’s penetration-free clamp attachment preserves the roof manufacturer’s warranty.

The Accurately Named Fix-EZ™

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SnowBreaker SnowBreaker is recommended for use with PV panels. It breaks snow and ice into safer, smaller pieces while still letting it come off panels. It can be installed mechanically or with adhesives.

Flat Roof PV Just Got Easier

SnoBlox www.snoblox.com

Snow Fence While not a true “solar snow guard,” fences like this have proven effective for snow management, as long as the contractor leaves a minimum of 18 to 24 in. of edge exposed at the eave.

Rocky Mountain Snow Guards www.rockymountainsnowguards.com

Solar SnowMax

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tyz@gamechangeracking.com www.gamechangeracking.com 3/13/14 6:03 PM

PANEL POINTS

Building A Resilient Business By

Challenging The Status

One module manufacturer explains how a fabless manufacturing approach and an asset-light business model can help companies stay on their toes in a rapidly evolving industry.

Quo Stephane Dufrenne

Special To Solar Power World

A

n influx of competition is inevitable in any budding industry as players from around the globe scramble to capitalize on an emerging market opportunity. In the world of photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing, the floodgates opened when government incentives for renewable energy met with policies designed to combat climate change and spur energy independence.

Suddenly, an industry long dominated by a handful of players was inundated with newcomers ranging from startups to established corporations.

Inevitably, market consolidation has begun, and today the sector finds itself in a sink-orswim scenario. As the industry evolves, it’s clear that the companies in the best position to thrive are those who’ve learned to be lean and flexible.

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Fabless Manufacturing One of the largest hurdles facing manufacturers is the steep investment required for in-house production. Manufacturers must forecast demand over the long term and invest accordingly in equipment, facilities and labor.

Guess too high, and you’re left with substantial overhead, non-optimized production costs and a factory full of idle equipment. It’s a delicate balance — and one easier said than done, especially when incentives and government policies change at the blink of an eye.

An alternative approach to traditional production is the fabless model, where companies work with specialized manufacturing partners to serve some or all production needs.

Let’s take a look at how the model works and how companies stand to benefit.

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PANEL POINTS

Stephane Dufrenne is the CTO of Upsolar, a global provider of highquality PV modules.

A Case Study At Upsolar, we’ve built our business around the fabless model. Rather than spending the early days of our business ramping manufacturing, we devoted this time to selecting trustworthy manufacturing partners from around the world to quickly get us up and running.

The benefits were immediate — low capital expenditures meant we could focus our efforts on sales and customer service, and enabled us to swiftly move into emerging markets.

Basing module production on shortterm demand rather than long-term market predictions, allows the company to easily adapt to global policy shifts.

This means no scrambling to ramp production, and no major stockpiles to 34

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offload when the market experiences periods of lower demand. This approach results in healthy balance sheets. The fabless approach also proved invaluable when the United States and European Union instituted sweeping penalties on China-based producers. The approach allowed enough agility to redistribute production quickly by inking new production deals with partners in Europe and the Americas, keeping our products tariff-free.

Of course, fabless production is not without its own set of challenges. A common concern is that outsourcing must mean sacrificing product quality.

To combat these issues screen candidates manufacturing partnerships carefully to ensure they meet company standards of craftsmanship and worker safety. Stationing a local team at each manufacturing site can also help manage quality control throughout the production process. Should any performance issues arise for the enduser, each module can be traced to its origin to help address and resolve problems.

Asset-Light, But Heavy Where It Matters In this commoditized market, differentiation is crucial. The fabless approach offers an advantage here, enabling companies to shift focus from

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offloading product and maintaining factory infrastructure to innovating and improving their technologies consistently. This can begin in research and development laboratories.

Dedication to R&D, no matter the market conditions, can helped your stay ahead of the curve and be among the first to commercialize products to meet varying performance and aesthetic desires.

An asset-light model also makes it possible to promote environmental stewardship. For example, Upsolar was one of the first China-based module suppliers to undertake a comprehensive study of its environmental footprint, beginning with our life-cycle assessment (LCA) in 2011. Under the management of a third party, the LCA provided a treasure trove of data to help us evaluate the true impact of our production process, as well as those of our partners, and set a benchmark for continuous progress.

In 2012, we formalized our environmental practices with the formation of our Corporate Social and Environmental Responsibility (CSER) department and began an education campaign to build awareness around the importance of sustainability in every division of the company.

As a result of these efforts, Upsolar now ranks among the Top 5 global module suppliers on the Solar Scorecard from the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition.

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PANEL POINTS

Bolstered by our experiences within our own supply chain, 2013 saw the launch of our sustainability consulting and auditing services to support a greener solar industry worldwide.

Looking Forward There’s no such thing as “business as usual” in this dynamic young industry.

Building and maintaining an asset-light model is an unconventional move in the solar industry, but one that enables building business with minimal risk.

While the approach has served us well throughout the years, it can’t be considered a one-size-fits-all solution.

Regardless of a module provider’s approach, successful companies will share at least one trait in common: the ability to stay on their toes in this rapidly evolving industry. SPW

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The

Quarterback

Scores

Again Frank Andorka Editorial Director

This time it’s with solar. Coach and QB reunite to add solar to the Seneca County Law Enforcement Center.

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PROJECT REVIEW

W

hen Mike Johnson was 11 years old, he played quarterback, and Jack Stenberg was his coach.

Though memories have become fuzzy, Stenberg says young Johnson could always score.

Now, as the owner of a Colorado-based solar firm, Johnson has scored again for his former coach. He installed a ground-mounted solar array next to the Seneca County Law Enforcement Center in Romulus, N.Y., where Stenberg is Sheriff.

Stenberg knew he could count on Johnson to deliver the project on time and on budget.

“When Mike came home to visit his family, we talked about doing some sort of energy project together,” Stenberg says. “There wasn’t much money for this kind of project at the time. We said we’d revisit it.

“Six months later, Mike called me and said, ‘New York has some money available — want to talk projects again?’” he says. “It was perfect timing.”

The money, which came from the NY-Sun Competitive Photovoltaic Program (administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)), came with a catch: Once the money was awarded in March, the clock started on the project. If it wasn’t completed in eight months, the money would disappear.

Johnson, whose Aspen-based company Spear Point Energy develops and finances projects around the country, says the short timeframe is not unusual and can be frustrating. But with his roots in the town (his family owns the local construction company that built the law enforcement’s center) and the sheriff’s full-throated support, the process went more smoothly than he could have imagined.

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PROJECT REVIEW

“We had two months to get the project approved,” Johnson says.

“Having someone as trusted as Jack involved, along with my own ties to the community, pushed this project through on a fast track that wouldn’t happen just anywhere.”

The town supervisors approved the project after two meetings, and the combination of quarterback and coach mapped an ambitious game plan.

Hurry Up Offense

Seneca Project’s Economic Benefits The 845-kW system will provide the following economic benefits boost for Seneca County:

Estimated Total Energy Savings: $1 million

Taxes Paid: $65,000 Full-Time Jobs: Ranging from 5 to 25

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Typically, a project like this takes roughly six months to go through design, engineering, construction, permitting and interconnection, Johnson says.

When you only have eight months to complete a project, that doesn’t leave a lot of room for error.

Fortunately, Johnson had a go-to partner that Spear Point has worked with for several years. So he picked up the phone and asked San Francisco-based Stellar Energy to join the team as the contractor responsible for putting the project in the ground.

The 845-kW ground-mounted solar array is on three acres of countyowned land adjacent the Seneca County Law Enforcement Center. The center houses the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office and the Division of Corrections (including a jail facility).

“The client required a team that could adhere to strict timelines and budgets,” says Michael Mittleman, president of Stellar Energy. “They also needed a company that had the professionalism and ability to complete the project with a minimal impact to their day-to-day operations. We were honored they had confidence in our ability to do the job.”

The lead designer worked nights and weekends to go from the conceptual design to a full permit-ready plan in 14 days, including engineering. Then the plans had to be modified three times, based on feedback from Johnson and Stenberg. Mittleman says the final

request required a complete re-layout and stringing of the array — and it was done in four days.

Since Stellar is located 2,766 miles away from Romulus (a 40-hour drive), they subcontracted much of the work to local residents. Mittleman says Stellar had between 5 to 25 people working on the job for the duration of the project. They were mostly local workers.

Stenberg says the boost to the local economy was one of the major project selling points for the board of supervisors.

“In a county of only 35,000 people, making sure we employed as many residents as possible to build the array was critical,” Stenberg says. “We wanted to do as much as we could locally because it’s part of the supervisors’ role

“Having someone as trusted as Jack involved, along with my own ties to the community, pushed this project through on a fast track that wouldn’t happen just anywhere” to bring jobs here. They liked that aspect of the project.”

Mittleman says the permit to start construction was issued on Aug. 8, and the project was finished in 50 days — two days ahead of schedule.

“All-in-all, we produced an elegant design that met all the project’s electrical

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Project Suppliers Contractor: Stellar Energy (Rohnert Park, Calif.)

Panels: Talesun Inverters: Advanced Energy Racking and Mounting: RBI Solar

specifications, while being optimized to aid the construction team for an aggressive installation schedule,” Mittleman says. “We were honored and excited to be part of this installation.”

The Final Whistle The Seneca County Law Enforcement Center officially flipped the switch on the project on Dec. 12. It will provide 80 to 82% of the power necessary to run the facility and will save the county $1 million over the 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA), which the county signed with Spear Point.

Would Johnson consider doing another project in New York, which many experts believe will eventual rival New Jersey in the number of solar installations?

“We’re definitely talking to other businesses in the area for whom there is interest,” Johnson says. “We’re keen to do more work here. New York has done a good job of positioning itself as the next big solar market, and we would like to take advantage of that.”

Being a rural county, Stenberg says the idea of being more independent of the grid appeals to residents.

“This project is going to provide significant energy savings to the county,” Stenberg says. “But one of the most interesting parts of this project was the fact that we won’t be as dependent on the grid.”

While he enjoys working on all the solar projects Spear Point has overseen, this one had special meaning to Johnson.

“This is my home county,” Johnson says. “It’s a small, tight-knit community that came together to support this project. It’s something I really wanted to make it happen, and I’m proud to have been able to bring solar home.” SPW

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REMEMBER e h t ROOF Solar power can be a valuable asset to your building, but only if it’s installed on the right roofing material.

Tom Utrup

Special to Solar Power World

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INSTALLATION PRACTICES

B

uilding owners, contractors and architects considering a PV installation are often focused only on PV array specification and requirements. But regardless of the building type, age and location, installing solar PV is complex and demands careful consideration of the many inter-related requirements affecting other building components. Foremost of these requirements is the foundation for the entire PV installation — the roof.

Integrating both the requirements of the roof and the PV array from the start — whether the building is an existing structure being retrofitted with PV or new construction — ensures the best renewable energy production and financial rewards.

A typical rooftop PV investment is based on a 25-year financial projection. Therefore, the roof must be able to sustain heavy PV for at least that long to gain the highest possible returns. The best way to achieve this is to combine a heavy-duty, high-performing roof with the appropriate longlasting PV array. Two recent installations provide examples of how this plays out.

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INSTALLATION PRACTICES

The Skechers Distribution Center, Moreno Valley, Calif.: A flexible thin-film module was directly adhered to the membrane eliminating weight and wind issues.

Roofing System Helps Skechers Meet Efficiency Standards When Skechers wanted to put solar on its 1.8 million-square-foot North American operations distribution center in Moreno Valley, Calif., one of its primary objectives was to make sure all of the building components complied with California Title 24. This is a mandated building energy-efficiency program from the California Energy Commission.

To achieve this, a 15-man crew started by installing a membrane, a protective, waterproofing top layer of a roofing system that prevents leaks. The crew used Firestone Building Products’ UltraPly TPO membrane, which comes in reflective white or tan to reduce a building’s cooling requirements, allowing it to meet the standards for Title 24.

Next, to achieve a Class A fire rating (the highest rating a product can score

under the U.S. building code’s ASTM E 84 rating system), the crew installed two layers of fiberglass mat onto the wood deck to provide insulation against heat.

The membrane was mechanically fastened over these underlayments, and the field seams were hot-air welded to mirror a FM 1-90 installation pattern, which guards against wind uplifting the roofing system.

The contractor also transferred approximately 670 tons of river rock onto the roof and created 50-foot-wide by 685-foot-long rock ballasts on either side of the walls – all without damaging the roofing membrane. In case of a fire, the rock ballasts help contain flames to the section where they originated.

After deciding on a solar provider, the contractor was back on the roof installing the 808,000-W thin-film PV system. More than 5,600 panels were adhered to the membrane over 220,000 square feet of the roof. Contractors increased the adhesion of the panels with an application of Firestone’s TPO QuickPrime LVOC primer, a solventbased formulation designed to clean and prime the membrane.

The resulting installation was a success. The distribution center is the largest LEED-accredited industrial-use building in North America.

Consider This Before Installing A Rooftop PV System: • Will the maintenance or eventual replacement of your roofing system disrupt the power output of your PV? • Who is responsible for paying to remove and reinstall your PV system during roof repair?

• Has your current roofing system been fully evaluated as suitable for the traffic, weight and minimum 25-year performance of today’s PV systems?

• Have you fully considered the risk of not having your roofing professional involved in the design and protection of your roofing system in its new role as the permanent substrate for your heavy, expensive and longlasting PV installation?

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ENERGY STORAGE UNLEASHED

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To address the impact of PSOC on deep-cycle batteries in renewable energy (RE), inverter backup and telecom applications, Trojan Battery has now included Smart Carbon™ as a standard feature in its Industrial and Premium flooded battery lines.

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INSTALLATION PRACTICES

Firestone Building Products, Bristol, Conn.: An installation composed of four systems (two flexible thin-film systems and two separate crystalline panel-based systems mounted with distinct ballasted racking solutions) effectively provides Firestone Building Products with its own in-house solar lab and demonstration site.

Manufacturing Plant Gets a Retrofit It’s no less important to consider the roof in retrofits, such as the one Firestone had put on its own manufacturing facility in Bristol, Conn. The company received

a clean-energy grant from the state to update its facility for energy sustainability purposes. The program’s goal was to create concurrent lifecycles between both the roofing and the PV system.

Syncing the lifespans of the two systems would enable the highest levels of energy efficiency and savings.

Building owners have a variety of choices of heavy-duty roofing systems, which include thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber (EPDM), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) modified bitumen and standing seam panel metal systems. For its plant, Firestone used a 90-mil thick white EPDM membrane which reflects sunlight and keeps the membrane cool. This was installed over the company’s half-inchthick high density ISOGARD HD cover board to protect the roof from potentially damaging effects from weather and foot traffic. Installers topped this with a thermal layer of insulation.

Conclusion Syncing a roofing system with similar lifespan as your PV or other solar rooftop systems is crucial to minimizing risk and maximizing the value of the investment.

All of these considerations are about achieving the best possible building performance and energy-saving ROI. Rooftop solar is a viable alternative for the solar and green building industry. Because rooftop solar arrays require the roofing system to become an integral support for PV, it’s crucial to consider an integrated solution, including partnering with contractors who can install and maintain both systems. SPW Tom Utrup is national manager of innovative products and services at Firestone Building Products Energy Solutions.

Discuss This and other Solar issues at www.engineeringexchange.com

An important consideration in matching roofing and PV systems is warranties and service agreements so that both systems are protected within similar time-frames. The Firestone PlatinumPV program comes standard with a 30-year roofing warranty and a 25-year solar module efficiency guarantee.

The warranty is within the same time frame as the typical 25-year ROI lifespan of a PV investment.

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The 2014 Top Solar Contractors List Contractors Will Be Honored In Las Vegas During The Solar Power International Convention

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¢

ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS

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W

hat is so important about the back of a

solar module? At first glance, the backsheet appears to be a simple layer

¢

of plastic film on the back surface of the module. However, when you consider that this is the only layer of protection from dangerous DC voltage, it’s clear why a quality backsheet is important.

heap

Backsheets Can Backfire On Your Solar Project Know what to look for when shopping for quality solar panels Michael Sullivan Special To Solar Power World

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Significant development, testing and standardization is involved in the design and testing of the materials used in backsheets. A poor quality backsheet can result in catastrophic failures and pose serious threats to installers and maintenance workers.

Also, once the array is installed, a poor quality backsheet can lead to system degradation, unwanted or unplanned maintenance and replacements, and additional unplanned and unbudgeted costs.

Over the past few years there have been some high-profile changes in module manufacturing, with many players going out of business. For those manufacturers who remain, this drastic industry churn underscores the need for the safest, longest lasting and reliable materials available for module construction, including backsheets.

Take a closer look at the stressors the backsheet will face over its expected 25-year lifetime. Just the amount of time a solar module is operational poses its own set of challenges. Modules are expected to last, with little to no performance degradation, from 10 to 25 years.

Development and testing ensures that this seemingly thin piece of plastic film will last that long and keep the electrical components inside shielded from the environment.

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ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS

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hat Does The Backsheet Do?

The backsheet is typically a laminate of different polymer materials. The panel’s backsheet serves the same function that wire insulation serves in household wiring: to insulate and protect the user from shock and provide the most reliable and efficient electrical conductivity possible. While it acts as an electrical insulator, it must also protect against the following: • Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is harsh on most polymer materials • Temperature swings from -40°F to +185°F • Humidity and vapor incursion • Dryness, wind, dust, sand and chemicals • Scratches during installation and maintenance To accomplish this, the backsheet uses different materials laminated together, each with a specific role, to create a single laminate.

As the diagram illustrates, the outermost layer provides the outside protective layer (or “shell,” as it’s commonly known). It’s the first defense against environmental exposure, such as moisture, UV radiation and thermal cycling. The second (or core) layer provides secondary support to the

outside layer and additional electrical insulation from the cell side. The cellside layer provides additional protection from electrical voltage. It also serves as an adhesive, and hermetically seals the silicon wafers (which transmit solar energy as DC current) and protects them from short circuits and other malfunctions.

Silicon wafers used in PV modules are extremely thin and sensitive. They are layered with “strings and tabs” that conduct the electrical current out of the module and into a transformer.

These electrical pathways are extremely vulnerable to breakage until they are vacuum-laminated to the cell-side layer of a backsheet. This lamination is what holds the entire module together to function as an electrical generator, which is why the backsheet is so critical.

If any of these materials is not absolutely fit for the function it serves, the entire module will fail prematurely.

W

hat Do You Look For In A Panel?

First, always look for certified materials.

Certification organizations such as Underwriters Laboratories, TÜV Rheinland and Intertek require modules to go through a battery of tests to ensure minimum safety requirement are met. These include accelerated damp-heat and

What Questions Should Contractors Ask Module Manufacturers?

1. Always ask for the certification, typically either UL or TUV. Never compromise on this part of your decision making progress.

2. When were the modules manufactured?

(Older inventory may have been stored in unfavorable conditions. Be aware of when the product was made).

3. Do the modules have serial numbers? They normally do. Make sure they are on the module or any product documentation.

4. What warranty is stated in writing and provided with the product?

5. What does the warranty not cover? This is important for any weakness the module maker would not want you to know about.

6. What is the defective product replacement policy? Make certain that defective products are replaced, including shipping costs to and from the installation site.

7. What test data is available for the modules?

All modules must be tested at the factory for function. This is recorded and attached to the module documentation.

8. As always, the lowest price is not always the best option. Consider carefully your materials, the financial reliability of your supplier and the detail of the product documentation.

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ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS

thermal-cycling tests. Also, TUV tests are performed to simulate wear and tear of sunlight, air, water and other environmental exposures that may eventually break down the module with repeated exposure.

All the materials are tested in a constructed module to obtain this certification. Any time a module is redesigned it must be recertified. Even if the manufacturer changes materials that they claim as identical to the original module, the company must have the certification agency review the changes and recertify as appropriate.

Most manufacturers may be reluctant to give you the entire construction of the materials, but

they must provide you with test reports for the recertification of the module that exactly match the products you will be installing. Don’t ever install modules without confirming they are certified by a recognized standards body or you or your team could risk installing PV modules that are not up to essential safety and performance standards. SPW Michael Sullivan is with the marketing communications team at DUNMORE Corp.

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BUSINESS

e i L t ’ n o D

ISSUES

To Your

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T hoto.com

Photo: istockp

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3 • 2014

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3/13/14 6:04 PM

BUSINESS ISSUES

Calculating Realistic Solar Payback The factors that most influence payback projections are installation price, incentives, system kWh production, average value of electricity and electricrate inflation.

Installation Price. System installation price continues to decline throughout the United States. At the time of this publication, residential solar systems are selling for between $3.50 to $4.00/ watt in the Phoenix area, and prices in California range between $4.00 to $5.00/watt. Prices are often higher in the less active solar markets.

Incentives, Rebates And Tax Credits.

Many utility rebates have disappeared, but they still exist in some areas. A number of states offer tax credits for solar installation, and a 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is available through 2016. If you base the Federal ITC on the net price (after subtracting local, utility, and state incentives), you will likely minimize IRS audit risk.

System kWh Production. Using data collected from actual PV systems throughout the Phoenix area, electric utilities estimate the average PV system will produce 1,600 to 1,700 kWh for every 1,000W of DC array size. While some systems may produce more kWh’s in their first year, system efficiency declines with age, and a lower number should be used in payback projections to properly represent the 20-year average. If you produce 1,750 kWh/kW in the first year, a lower value of 1,600 to 1,700 kWh/kW would probably be a better estimate to use for the average production over the first 20 years. In Los Angeles and San Francisco, expect about 1,350 to 1,500 kWh/kw. In Portland and Seattle, the output would be around 1,000 to 1,100 kWh/kW.

Average Price Per Kilowatt-Hour For Grid Power. This can be challenging

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3 • 2014

to calculate in areas with time-ofuse, tiered or demand-charge rates.

Fortunately, the largest utilities in Arizona provide good estimates on average price per kWh. Depending on the homeowner’s electrical usage habits, the average price varies between 10 to 15 cents per kWh in Arizona.

Electric Rate Inflation. Inaccurate electric-rate inflation projections are the leading cause of inaccurate payback projections. A common misconception is that electric rates have increased 5 to 7% per year for the last 20 years. This is not supported by historical data. Thankfully, there is a reliable trusted data source for electric-rate history at the U.S. Energy Information Administration website.

Check under “Detailed average price by state by provider” (form EIA-861).

Over the past 10 years, average U.S. residential electricity rates increased by about 3.5%, and over the past 20 years the rate of increase was a more modest 2% per year. The main reason many payback calculations are overly optimistic is the proposal fails to adjust for inflation. Once average inflation rates are factored in, we find that electricity rates have increased by less than 1% over the past 10 years and, perhaps more interestingly, over the past 20 years electricity rates have actually decreased.

Both Arizona and California electricity rates increases have tracked fairly close to the national average.

Example payback calculation for a 4.6-kW grid tie PV system in Phoenix:

Step 1: Calculate gross installed price • 4,600-W system x $4.00/W • $18,400 total system price installed

Step 2: Subtract incentive & tax credits for out-of-pocket cost • •

•

•

Utility incentive $0.10/W AZ state tax credit – 25% of system cost up to max $1,000 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) on “subtotal” Subtract incentives to get net out-of- pocket price

Step 3: Estimate annual system production • Assume system produces 1,700 kWh/ kW/year • 4.6 kW array x 1,700 = 7,820 kWh/yr

Average Elec value $/kWh $/yr

years to payback

$0.15

$1,173.00

10.1

$0.14

$1,094.80

10.8

$0.13

$1,016.60

11.7

$0.12

$938.40

12.6

$0.11

$860.20

13.8

$0.10

$782.00

15.2

Step 4: Select average electricity value in $/yr • Assume average electricity price is 13¢/kWh • 7,820 kWh/yr x $0.13/kWh = $1,017/yr

Step 5: Calculate payback time Gross price

$18,400

Utility incentive $/watt

$0.10

Utility incentive total

$460

AZ State Tax Credit

$1,000

Subtotal

$16,940

Federal ITC

$5,082

Net price (out of pocket cost)

$11,858

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

• Out of pocket cost = $11,858 • System produces $1,017/yr • $11,858 ÷ $1,017/yr = 11.7 years

Faster payback times will result if electricity rate increases outpaces inflation. The above calculations assume electricity rates increase at the same rate as inflation. If electricity rates increase 2% over inflation, payback improves to 10.5 years, and if electricity

3/13/14 5:28 PM

rates increase 4% over inflation, payback improves to 9.7 years. Recent large rate spikes in markets like San Diego may drive their average rate increase above 3 to 4% for the 20-year period.

Will Future Electric Rates Outpace Inflation? The factors that increase electric rates include government mandates to clean up coal plant emissions, resource depletion, maintenance for the aging grid infrastructure and increased energy demand during peak times. The factors that act to reduce electric rates include lower cost natural gas, economic recession and energy-efficiency programs.

How To Ethically Address Electric Rate Increases. I advise solar sales representatives provide customers with historical electricity rate information, explain factors that increase or decrease rates, show payback for range of rate increases on proposal and then allow the customer to decide which scenario is most likely.

My personal forecast is for electricity rates to outpace inflation by 2% in the coming years. If correct, most Arizona solar owners will achieve 9 to 11 years payback, and California solar owners will see payback in 7 to 9 years. When installed with quality waterproof mounts on a new roof, the array should easily last 20 to 30 years, with an inverter replacement in 10 to 15 years, resulting in 30 to 50% savings in electricity costs compared to grid prices.

This is a win-win for solar customers and the solar industry. Realistic payback calculations are more than sufficient for successful solar selling, and using this ethical sales approach will help the solar industry avoid another black eye.

Jeff Spies, vice president of business development for Quick Mount PV and Secretary of NABCEP, will be teaching workshops in June at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair. Additional training and workshops on solar sales and business can be found at www.solarenergy.org.

3 • 2014

SOLAR power WORLD

Biz Issues 3-14__Vs4FINAL.indd 53

/ Battery Charging Systems / Welding Technology / Solar Electronics

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[DEVELOPMENTS]

Meeting Customer Demands For Aesthetics And Independence For this particular installation, Skywire Electric used OutBack Power’s FLEXmax charge controllers, Radian inverter/chargers, FLEXware combiner box and MATE3 system display and controller.

The inverters (silver boxes) and charge controllers (black boxes) are recessed so no pipes or wires are exposed. The red boxes are EnergyCell batteries. The system draws on 24 kW of solar panels and a 27-kW generator to back up the battery bank on a cloudy day or during a grid loss.

5 4 SOLAR POWER WORLD

Developments 3-14_Vs6FINAL.indd 54

When James Bartley, master electrician and

owner of Missouri contractor Skywire Electric,

aesthetically pleasing system. Typical inverter

talks to customers who are looking to install solar,

But customers are also looking for an

and charge-controller configurations are surface-mounted, which Bartley says can be

he notices that what they’re really looking for is

intrusive with exposed pipes and wires. So

independence.

Bartley chose a selection of products from

OutBack Power, which are recessed for a

“Homeowners want the independence of knowing

much cleaner look.

when and if the utility company went down, they

would have power, while, at the same time, offsetting

easy for us to fine tune and customize

their utility bill during normal operation,” Bartley says.

systems, and the tech support is great,”

Bartley says. “Our customers are

Bartley meets these requests with a grid-hybrid

“OutBack Power’s products make it

system with battery backup, which provides

impressed by the results, and OutBack’s

continuous electrical power for refrigerators,

strong reputation in the industry gives

freezers, lighting, heat and more despite any

them additional assurance as they

possible utility outages.

transition to solar power.”

3 • 2014

SPW

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

3/13/14 5:41 PM

Geostellar allows consumers to compare different financing plans.

[DEVELOPMENTS]

Online Marketplace Lets Consumers Compare Solar Plans

As public interest in solar grows, online and mobile tools are popping up to help make it easier for consumer to actually go solar. One new online marketplace, geostellar.com, and its Solar Mojo mobile app, allow U.S. consumers to compare installation and financing plans from various companies and then get started with a solar provider.

“We’re bringing the online comparison shopping experience to solar energy,” says David Levine, CEO of Geostellar. “Every U.S. homeowner now has immediate access to real-time, free and independent assessments of the costs and benefits of cash, loan and lease solar energy plans.”

Geostellar has a supply chain supported by NRG Residential Solar Solutions, SolarCity, Admirals Bank, Roof Diagnostics Solar, Southern Energy Management and other solar finance and installation companies.

800-683-5723 8

Developments 3-14_Vs6FINAL.indd 55

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Geostellar’s mobile app Solar Mojo is available free in on iTunes.

• Shows which experienced and certified solar energy professionals are available through instant messaging, on the phone or by email. They are dispatched to help homeowners select a plan, qualify for financing and determine their eligibility for government incentives.

Your Partner for the Solar and Flat Panel Industry

“Geostellar is a great way for us to reach a range of homeowners,” says Kelcy Pegler Jr., co-founder of Roof Diagnostics Solar. “We really care about our customers’ experiences The app, Solar Mojo, taps the inventory of the nation’s largest solar equipment distributors, fits the solar panels to individual rooftops, models the energy production, environmental

ownership options, Geostellar rigorously qualifies solar equipment

solar installers and compares financing options to best meet the needs of the homeowner.

This is all done in a way that’s

manufacturers and installers for their ability to service material and workmanship warranties. Each solar energy plan clearly describes the liability insurance coverage, licensing and experience of the solar

• Quantifies each home’s ability to generate solar energy and benefit from its production • Determines carbon offset through a feedstock analysis of the energy mix

www.festo.com/us/solar

Global manufacturer of process control and factory automation solutions

on the local conventional electric grid • Compares the solar financing plans available in each market such as leased solar, lending plans, cashpurchase plans and benefits of national and local tax credits, rebates and performance-based incentives 56

Developments 3-14_Vs6FINAL.indd 56

the way we buy energy in America.”

For customers who choose

and economic benefits of solar energy, offers information on qualified

simple for consumers to navigate.

Users enter their address and the average cost of their monthly electricity bills, then Geostellar:

For more information: Call: 1-800-Go-Festo 1-800-463-3786

while bringing solar to the masses.

Geostellar’s platform has created a new path for solar education and adoption.

We are thrilled to be a part of changing

SOLAR POWER WORLD

installer, the specifications, efficiency and performance guarantees of the equipment and the cash-flow associated with all payments, incentives and savings on electricity costs for each solar plan.

“For years the solar industry has struggled to reach the American consumer,” Levine says. “For the first time, we are bringing genuine price transparency to the residential solar energy market so that homeowners can be confident they are getting the best possible deal on solar energy and the right plan for their home.” SPW

3 • 2014

3/13/14 5:41 PM

[DEVELOPMENTS]

Snow No More Technology clears panels of wintry precipitation using a small amount of panel power

When snow accumulates on panels, owners are advised to let it melt. Cleaning snow from panels with a broom, for instance, is not only unsafe, it could void a manufacturer warranty. But in cold conditions, melting can take days.

While that may be a safe and acceptable option for some grid-tied users, off-grid systems could run out of reserve power, taking critical systems offline.

Blizzard Solar, an international company that specializes in innovative solar technologies, has developed a system to combat snow accumulation. The Autonomous Winter Solar Panel, or AWSP, lets modules operate efficiently in all conditions.

The system, which can be can be integrated into manufacturers’ panel design, senses the presence of winter precipitation on the panel. It then uses a minimal amount of stored panel energy to clear the panel of the snow, frost, sleet and ice. The technology can be used with framed or frameless panels and is a significant cost-saver in terms of panel cleaning and energy maximization. The AWSP technology, which is for sale outright, could open new markets for PV distribution.

Although helpful, in most winter environments, the slanting of panels or implementation of trackers are not sufficient on their own to facilitate the effective removal of all winter precipitation.

Further, commercial solar farms are prevented from handling the surface of panels to remove winter precipitation because of warranty-voiding concerns. This technology does not touch the surface of the panel and clears not only the panel surface but reduces avalanche snow build-up below the panel to allow for effective future winter precipitation clearing.

Blizzard Solar has several cost-effective products before numerous international patent bodies that allow solar products to operate effectively in all environments. These products autonomously remove winter snow and summer dirt to fully maximize solar efficiency. SPW

Developments 3-14_Vs6FINAL.indd 57

3 • 2014

SOLAR power WORLD

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3/13/14 5:42 PM

[P R OD U CTS ]

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top100+ PRODUCTS OF

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[P R OD U CTS ] Enclosures For A Lot Of Circuitry

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[SOLAR SNAPSHOT] “Solar Snapshot” provide a glimpse of the solar industry in pictures. If you have an infographic you’d like to see on this page, email it to Editorial Director Frank Andorka at fandorka@solarpowerworldonline.com.

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3 • 2014

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

3/13/14 5:57 PM

[SOLAR SNAPSHOT]

Global solar installations are forecast to reach nearly 43 GW in 2014, according to global clean energy communications and consulting firm Mercom Capital Group. The Chinese and United States are noted as top solar markets forecasted to grow steadily over the long term. Mercom forecasts about 6 GW of U.S. solar installations in 2014, as the market continues to grow steadily even without a national feed-in-tariff.

The SEIA/GTM Research U.S. Solar Market Insight Q3 2013 reports there 930 MW of solar PV installed in Q2 2013, which means there is now over 10,250 MW of solar energy in the U.S. What does all that solar add up to? A lot of jobs and trees. See the infographics to lean more. SPW

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Net Metering

p.06 MPPT Defined

p.14 Remember The

www.solarp

[AD INDEX]

owerworldo

nline.com

Roof p.40

March 2014

How To Ch oo se The

Right

Allied Moulded Products, Inc.................................29 APS America..............................................................17 Baja Construction Co, Inc......................................7 GameChange Racking............................................32 Creotecc Solar Mounting Systems.......................13 CS Hyde Company..................................................28 DPW Solar..................................................................35 Dunkermotor, part of AMETEK..............................2 FESTO.........................................................................56 Fronius USA LLC.......................................................53 Greentech Media......................................................51 HatiCon Solar, LLC...................................................57 Intersolar....................................................................61 JA Solar USA, Inc......................................................IFC Kipp & Zonen USA Inc.............................................49 Lufft USA Inc..............................................................22 Moxa, Inc....................................................................24 PV America ...............................................................59 RBI Solar, Inc.............................................................39

CONNECT

Battery page 20

QuickScrews International Corp...........................4 Schletter Inc..............................................................31 Seaward Group USA................................................23 SIC USA LLC..............................................................IBC Sika..............................................................................18 Solectria Renewables, LLC.....................................9 SunBandit...................................................................60 Tamura........................................................................19 TRIM-LOK, Inc...........................................................55 Trojan Battery............................................................43 Unirac, Inc..................................................................BC University of Wisconsin - Madison.......................Insert Zilla..............................................................................63

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RM.Unirac.com

The Unirac Roof Mount introduces the Power of Simplicity to the ballasted flat roof solar industry, consisting of only two major components; a fully assembled ballast bay with 10 degree tilt and module clip. Easily design around roof obstacles, support most framed crystalline modules and bond the system with just the turn of a wrench.

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