Little Box, Big Boost – National Semiconductor
by Terri Steele
When the engineers at global chip giant National Semiconductor were determining the most logical, viable product to address the inconsistencies of power production with today’s solar modules, National’s Renewable Energy Business Director Ralf Muenster says they considered making micro-inverters, but chose to go another route
because they felt that micro-inverters “Distributed the least reliable part of a solar system throughout the entire array, multiplying the system failure points by the number of panels in the system.” They concluded a better method was to distribute solely the inverter’s optimization function throughout the entire system and keep the inversion centralized and accessible. Thus the genesis of National’s award-winning SolarMagicTM power optimizer. Solar-Magic’s power optimizers are mounted to modules to ameliorate the energy-degrading perpetrators of ‘mismatch’, which include varying string lengths, module mixing, and different module plane orientations. They also provide MPPT to allow customers to monitor energy output and be alerted to any potential anomalies in production. The product is designed to increase the power yield of underperforming Crystal Silicon Panel Solar PV arrays of all sizes despite shading, temperature imbalances, panel mismatch challenges or multiple panel orientations. Shading is not nearly as big a problem with amorphous-Si (Applied Materials SunFab modules), CIGS (Solyndra, Ascent Solar), CdTe (First Solar, Abound Solar) as it is with conventional mono and polycrystalline silicon cell modules. Since its launch at InterSolar in Munich this past May, National’s Renewable Energy Business Director Ralf Muenster says SolarMagic has developed a distribution network that is selling its power optimizers via 25 distributors on four continents. With its recent acquisition of commercial monitoring and performance management provider Energy Recommerce, SolarMagic is positioning itself for penetration in all major solar markets and across residential, commercial and utility-scale strata. Some believe that the market may choose microinverters as an investment priority over SolarMagic. Microinverter companies insist centralized inverter implementations create a single point of failure for solar power systems that spells risky business. If the inverter fails, the entire system is disabled. But the folks at National have a high degree of confidence in their systems and the opposing point of view. Muenster says his teams are engaging central inverter manufacturers as partners, and are working with a number of inverter companies on optimized inverter solutions that further enhance PV system performance in conjunction with Solar-Magic devices. The question is who has the higher degree of success regarding failure rates. The magic isn’t lost in National’s relationship with central inverter firms, but until there are formal announcements made about solid partnership agreements, the honeymoon has yet to begin. For installers and integrators looking to optimize energy output for customers, that marriage can’t happen soon enough. Partnerships with central inverter companies may not be the only liaison we hear of involving SolarMagic in 2010. This year, plan on reading about National’s Semiconductor’s collaborative effort with leading panel manufacturers to develop smart panels with integrated SolarMagic power optimization technology.
Info: www.solarmagic.com
Terri Steele is a correspondent for InterPV Magazine based in San Diego, California, the U.S.A. You can find her at InterPV@cox.net and at www.Twitter.com/SolarSavvy
Jeffrey Owens contributed to this article. Founder and Executive Director of Missouri-based Show Me Solar, he may be reached by email at jowens@showmesolar.org
“Current” Headliner – Enphase Energy by Terri Steele
With over 900 exhibitors and 24,000+ solar-interested parties, there are bound to be enticing morsels to whet one’s PV appetite at Solar Power International. Last year’s conference in Anaheim, California, was no exception. One company with two buzz-generating solutions was microinverter phenom Enphase Energy. The first solution creating 
that solar buzz was Enphase’s combined J-Box microinverter prototype. Enphase had its microinverter system built right into the junction box of a solar module. Instead of DC being conducted from each module, current was immediately converted into useful AC. This not only eliminates code compliance concerns of DC electricity ever being accessible between a module and microinverter, it really adds to the appeal of AC modules, while creating an immense industry value-add. The second crowd-pleaser was Enphase’s set of Microinverter Systems. These solutions by their very nature address the issues of module mismatch, shading (both obstruction and inter-row), occlusion from dust and other debris and erratic changes in temperature and irradiance, all of which affect a system’s energy harvest. The culprit is the concept of the weakest link, which means a solar string only puts out according to the capabilities of its weakest player. The microinverter eliminates this problem by assessing variable light and other inhibitors at the module level and enabling it to adjust for anomolies to optimize energy production at all times. Enphase Envoy, the microinverter’s gateway communications solution, collects module performance and transmits this data to a Web site, where users can view and manage the performance of their solar power system. Enphase microinverters convert power independently at each solar module, so if one microinverter fails, the rest continue to operate. The ‘micro’ nature of this product also comes in handy if a product is damaged or fails, as it can be replaced during routine maintenance or when convenient, which helps keep maintenance costs under control. Tests have demonstrated that Enphase Microinverters increase energy harvest by as much as 25% over systems using traditional inverters. Designed to accommodate solar modules of 175 watts and up, Enphase’s microinverters are emerging as a strong market play. The product’s tip sheet stats are compelling. They have shipped over 100,000 of their microinverters and demand for the product accelerates every day. Some contend that the price of another PV Pick National Semiconductor’s Solar-Magic product and the Enphase microinverter is so close that if the two were in a horserace, the microinverter solution would be the odds-on favorite. Microinverters offer similar advantages to the SolarMagic product with the added value of having integrated “micro-” inverter technologies ready, willing and able to convert DC to AC on each and every module they touch. National Seminconductor, another PV Pick for 2010, has a different perspective and it believes it’s got the horsepower to back it up. Whether one is a proponent of Enphase’s Microinverter approach or National Semiconductor’s SolarMagic power optimizer and its central inverter partners, one thing is clear: there’s a palatable payout no matter where you put your money. Both these horses are industry winners.
Info: www.enphaseenergy.com
Terri Steele is a correspondent for InterPV Magazine based in San Diego, California, the U.S.A. You can find her at InterPV@cox.net and at www.Twitter.com/SolarSavvy
Jeffrey Owens contributed to this article. Founder and Executive Director of Missouri-based Show Me Solar, he may be reached by email at jowens@showmesolar.org
Thursday, May 20th, Phoenix, Arizona – Everyone has their celebrities and rock stars and the Opening Day of the American Solar Energy Society’s conference included a cavalcade of luminaries including several of this reporter’s energy heroes – Amory Lovins of the Rocky 
Mountain Institute, Dennis Hayes founder of Earth Day and Larry Kazmerski of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. The conference opened with a bang. Ray Suarez of National Public Radio moderated a prescient conversation on the future of energy policy in the United States touching on topics ranging from the issue of the need for a national grid to the way China has taken the lead in the race to dominate the green technology market. Amory weighed in with his usual aplomb and wit gift wrapping key statistics that left everyone applauding. Dennis Hayes spoke up to add the voice of environmentalism to the conversation and to urge everyone to keep striving for our goals of a clean green world no matter how bleak the picture. Even Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Brad Albert of Arizona Public services shared details from their sphere of work that lent support for unfettered optimism when it comes to the future of solar energy. The session was filmed and will be worth viewing once it is released for public consumption.
With the crowd pumped up and ready to go the conference split into separate session tracks. As a volunteer I helped facilitate one morning session, one early afternoon session and then was free to flit from room to room during the late afternoon session. I enjoyed learning of the new virtual net-metering law just passed in the state of Massachusetts. Joseph Wiedman, who presented on best practices for community renewables and who is a partner with Keyes & Fox LLP 
retained by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) offered to review the status of Missouri net-metering and community solar efforts and offer his advice. The topic of the session was community solar and I hope to have more to say to the Show Me Solar membership regarding this exciting movement and how it dovetails with our own American Renewable Energy Initiative and our Energy Raiser events. The rest of the day I sat in technical sessions mainly on concentrating solar power and policy sessions on training and certification of solar installers and instructors. One example of a delightful encounter included a couple from Seattle who work for Boeing and know our friend Gary Reysa, presenting details of their own do-it-yourself project, an inflatable parabolic trough reflector that used 48 high efficiency solar cells and built upon a design on Gary’s website – http://www.builditsolar.com/ They hope to commercialize their solar unit and plan to share details with those interested.
After a busy day learning and sharing, conference attendees
reconvened for a catered banquet complete with an entertaining flashback presentation to the founding year of the International Solar Energy Society which took place in Tucson and Phoenix in 1955. With his trademarked brand of humor, Larry Kazmerski of the National Renewable Energy Lab had the crowd laughing out loud for over an hour. The media presentation was beautifully crafted and included the only known film coverage of the event discovered amongst one reel of 8 mm family home movies. Numerous awards were presented by both the ASME as well as ASES for best papers, teaching and mentorship the Yellott Award which went to 
Robert Beohm of UNVL and Jane Weissmann accepted the Charles Greeley Abbot Award in recognition of her tireless effort to make renewable energy the fundamental power source in the U.S. through building a foundation for sustainable solar policy, installer certification, workforce development and enlightened state regulations as well as her service to ASES and the IREC. The banquet closed to the ASES solar rendition of the ‘70’s disco hit YMCA complete with Brad Collins, executive director of ASES adorned by Larry with a hard hat and Becky Campbell-Howe wearing a leather biker’s cap. If you haven’t already, become a member of the solar village people and join in on the fun!
Wednesday May 19th, Phoenix, Arizona. Solar 2010 will be my second consecutive American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Conference and this year I am serving as a conference volunteer. Each year, ASES chooses a different host city for the national conference. This year Phoenix hosts the conference, next year Solar 2011 will take place in Raleigh, North Carolina. Volunteering is a great way to both participate and help a nonprofit organization fulfill its mission. In exchange for full conference access I helped stuff promotional material in the conference and public day tote bags yesterday and today and tomorrow I will assist by greeting conference attendees, providing 
directions, orientation and information, and help assure smooth execution of conference sessions by checking badges at the door of sessions of my choice (in my case 2 technical sessions and a forum on net-zero building project lessons) and providing audiovisual support. Ironically, the solar conference is sharing the Phoenix convention center this week with a convention of the American Oil Chemists’ Society (AOCS). Kidding amongst the volunteers yesterday included the addition of recruitment of AOCS attendees to attend the solar conference instead! Altogether I will be donating 16 hours of the conference assisting as a volunteer and the rest of the time I am free to attend, explore and network.
Established in 1954, the American Solar Energy Society is the nation’s leading association of solar professionals & advocates. The mission of ASES is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy and to advance education, research and policy. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable technologies in the U.S. The society publishes the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, organizes and presents the ASES National Solar Conference and leads the ASES National Solar Tour with Show Me Solar providing the local tour events for Columbia and St. Louis, Missouri.
Those familiar with Show Me Solar’s mission recognize the overlap with the mission of the American Solar Energy Society. As a result this year Show Me Solar initiated a formal petition to become an official chapter of the American Solar Energy Society. Chapter status will plug Show Me Solar into the national scene and provide representation for the organization within ASES. The petition will require signatures in support of chapter status from 20 members of ASES. Show Me Solar will pledge to maintain a minimum of 10% membership in ASES amongst Show Me Solar’s membership. I will be reviewing all the details of chapter hood in ASES with staff of ASES this week and will prepare a full report to Show Me Solar’s board of directors for our next board meeting this May 26th. As always, members of Show Me Solar are welcome to participate in board meetings. The meetings are rather dry but if you see agenda items you would like to learn more about and weigh in with your comments such as the question of ASES chapter status for Show Me Solar feel free to sign on to participate. Show Me Solar board meetings are currently scheduled online along with our live online seminars up to 7 days in advance at our meeting space at https://my.dimdim.com/showmesolar/ Bookmark the webpage for future reference!
Enough ‘S’ alliteration for you? Seriously though, I’m pleased to report that last Saturday’s solar workshop held in Maplewood, Missouri was not only well attended but highly productive. The day flew by as information was traded, new members joined the organization and the 
details of estimating the solar resource, the pros and cons of different module and inverter technologies and the current state of the market and incentives were thoroughly discussed. The workshop was led by a team of three instructors, Jeffrey Owens the current executive director of Show Me Solar, Dr. Gavin Perry of GPTS LLC, and Carl Wolff a professional member of Show Me Solar who currently performs solar site visits for the St. Louis metro area. As well as spending time in the classroom, time was spent learning how the solar pathfinder estimates available sunshine even under cloudy, rainy conditions and experience was gained using meters to measure electrical parameters of several solar modules reinforcing the concepts discussed in the classroom.
Plans have been made to continue the St. Louis solar workshops and feedback from members of Show Me Solar has already improved the content and format of the Saturday solar workshops. Potential future workshops include working through the steps of designing, sizing and installing a small solar electric array (perhaps 4 modules in size) using two of Show Me Solar’s training carts (see photos below). The carts simulate a rooftop and would allow workshop attendees to gain the experience of installing solar modules on a roof. Local solar businesses interested in donating racking components for solar modules in exchange for promotional advertisement in the form of a donation plate on the back of the solar cart should contact Show Me Solar by phone at (314) 324-5250 or by email at info@showmesolar.org
Officers of Show Me Solar are currently engaged in designing, planning, coordinating, hosting and sponsoring educational and training workshops for members of Show Me Solar. The weekend workshops have the added benefit of providing opportunity to get hands on experience with solar technologies. If you are interested in participating or otherwise contributing to a Show Me Solar workshop either in person or online through ShowMeSolar.org contact a representative of Show Me Solar by phone at (314) 324-5250 or by email at info@showmesolar.org For more information on Show Me Solar’s workshops please visit the Show Me Solar website at www.ShowMeSolar.org
Tracking Solar Success
DEGERENERGIE TRACKING SYSTEMS
By Terri Steele
DEGERenergie’s focus on increased solar energy yields and higher profits for customers are what has fueled its own growth trajectory from 3 million euros in 2006 to more than 40 million 
euros in revenue this past year. DEGER’s intelligent, sensor-based trackers strategically maneuver arrays of solar modules to point in the direction of making incident light. This not only helps exploit every minute of direct sunshine, but makes the best use of diffuse, scattered and reflected light throughout the year. Field studies have demonstrated DEGERenergie systems can lead to added solar energy yields of 20-25% for single-axis trackers and 35-45% for dual-axis tracking systems. Many agree that the company’s patented DEGERconector sensor is superior to astronomical PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) technology because it optimizes varied lighting conditions, has fewer 
moving parts, and requires no communication cabling (all of which translate to fewer capital and maintenance expenses). It also offers a longer warranty period (extended warranties of up to 25 years are available) and has lower energy consumption than competing systems.
Both building-integrated and open land mounts are available. This year, DEGERenergie will release its CT series of trackers the first designed to support Concentrating PV (CPV) modules. The company is opening subsidiaries in Italy, Greece and the U.S., with a particular focus on the solar-drenched U.S. state of Arizona. With more than 25,000 installations in 38 countries, it appears these sensor-based systems are tracking for a banner year.
Info: www.DEGERenergie.com
Terri Steele is a correspondent for InterPV Magazine based in San Diego, California, the U.S.A. You can find her at InterPV@cox.net and at www.Twitter.com/SolarSavvy
Jeffrey Owens contributed to this article. Founder and Executive Director of Missouri-based Show Me Solar, he may be reached by email at jowens@showmesolar.org
Around 12:30 pm last Friday afternoon, 
I took a phone call from a neighbor who asked “do you know Larry L. is installing a solar array this weekend?”. One phone call later, I had introduced myself and Show Me Solar to Larry and three days and 32 Kaneka 60 Watt Thin Film Amorphous Silicon modules later I’m here to report on our progress. A professional electrical engineer, Larry built his home with solar in mind. The two and a half story home just east of Ashland, Missouri has a large steel roof oriented due south. The roof angle is low so the array will favor summer sun. To save money, Larry designed his own racking system from treated lumber and strips of aluminum. The aluminum strips serve double duty designed as a grounding circuit complete with a lightening arrestor attached to the end of the house.
Larry even constructed his own boom to lift the panels to the roof. 
Work mounting the modules began Saturday morning and by Sunday evening was more than half way complete. Each column of four modules was wired in series and readings of open circuit voltage Saturday averaged 350 volts. The amorphous silicon panels were producing a little over 1 amp of current. The voltage will subside over time by about a third to stabilize around 60 V yielding about 60 Watts of solar power per module and a total of 3,300 Watts for the entire 56 module array. The modules are manufactured by a Japanese company named Kaneka and distributed here in the United States by Sun Electric out of Miami, Florida. Sun Electric currently offers special pricing on the panels of $0.98/Watt which is extremely low for small residential arrays. Larry mentioned Sun Electric required he order an inverter with the modules in order to qualify for the low price. He selected a SMA Sunny Boy 4kW utility interactive (high voltage) inverter. Wiring of the combiner box, DC disconnect and inverter are planned for this upcoming weekend.
Plans have been made to log progress and performance data for Larry’s system on ShowMeSolar.org’s SunBeams Blog so check back regularly for updates. If you are interested in learning more about Larry’s solar electric system and it’s installation or have a solar system of your own the details of which you would like to share please contact the Show Me Solar team for more details at info@showmesolar.org
Off The Rack – Zep Solar
By Terri Steele
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Photo Credits: Zep Solar 1,2,3 Zep’s new rackless mounting allows contractorsand solar companies to install rooftop PV for 50% faster than conventional rail-based systems at half the cost.
Making the jobs of solar installers easier, safer and more profitable is the aim of PV Pick Zep Solar, Inc., a product of the fertile entrepreneurial ground of America’s Golden State, California. After five years of experimenting with new approaches to decrease materials, labor, and installation costs, Zep co-founder and PV systems engineer Jack West and his team have produced the solar industry’s first rail-free drop-in mounting solution. It allows an entire array to be constructed and grounded using only two component parts. And it cuts project installation times in half. Dubbed The Zep System, the product features solar panel frames that rapidly interlock with specialized stainless steel couplings (known as Zeps) to form a strong, solidly-grounded, structural grid. The mounting grid accommodates special Zepcertified modules whose unique perimeter grooves quickly and easily set into the mounting system. With a specialized tool and a simple twist of the wrist, quarter-turn Zeps are used to lock the modules onto the frame. The Zep cuts through the module frame’s anodization to secure a solid ground path while accommodating issues like tolerance take-up and thermal expansion. A specialized slot in the PV frame enables rapid coupling and automatic grounding of solar modules for both its roof and ground-mounted applications. No additional installation times are required to ground the array. A special Zep anti-theft tool ensures modules stay put once the installation is complete.
The time savings claims of Zep are nothing short of remarkable, but on-site installations at Solar Power International confirmed how a 9-panel, 2 kW array can be installed, wired and bonded for grounding in around 15 minutes. The company has a short, useful installation video on its Web site for those wishing to take a look. Zep delivers solutions with 85% fewer parts than traditional systems. Because Zep Systems are rail-free, they’re also easier to ship and warehouse than conventional approaches. The one sticking point in this solution is the Zep Groove specification that is required for all modules used with the Zep System. Zep, however, offers a cost-neutral module certification to all manufacturers whose customers might be interested in benefitting from Zep’s cost-cutting mounting solutions. To help installers realize further economies of scale in the solar value chain (while further capitalizing on its current market niche), Zep is planning on offering its own solar modules. Its first PV modules are currently undergoing UL testing and are scheduled to ship 1Q this year. With crystalline prices plummeting, labor costs are becoming a larger variable in the installation equation. All told, Zep’s recipe for a faster approach to installation and up to 75% less rooftop time means the company can claim a solution that helps installers realize savings of up to US$500 per kilowatt on a typical 4 kW system. This means solar installation companies can install more kWs per crew each work day. Combined with the substantial PV module price reductions of 2009, Zep technology is helping drive unprecedented and oh-so-palatable solar pricing levels for a cost-conscious 2010.
Info: www.zepsolar.com
Terri Steele is a correspondent for InterPV Magazine based in San Diego, California, the U.S.A. You can find her at InterPV@cox.net and at www.Twitter.com/SolarSavvy
Jeffrey Owens contributed to this article. Founder and Executive Director of Missouri-based Show Me Solar, he may be reached by email at jowens@showmesolar.org
May 2nd, Columbia, Missouri. By 2 o’clock or so in the afternoon, the sun actually broke through the clouds and shined down upon perhaps the biggest most well attended Earth Day festival in Columbia’s history. With approximately 225 exhibitors on display, Show Me Solar’s booth attracted a crowd throughout the day excited to discuss the bright future for solar energy in the state of Missouri. For year’s the city of Columbia has taken 
a progressive approach towards renewable sources of energy with the city adopting it’s own renewable energy ordinance in 2004 and the municipal utility developing an innovative program for subscribers to purchase solar electricity from arrays dispersed throughout city limits known as Solar One after the program’s goal of displacing 1% of Columbia’s consumption.
Interest revolved around the educational display – a solar oven, a solar pathfinder (a solar resource estimation tool), and a variety of solar electric modules and cells. Work continues in central Missouri on Show Me Solar’s Energy Raiser initiative with the first Energy Raiser workshop set for Saturday, May 22nd at Terra Bella Farms approximately 20 miles east of Columbia. For more information on the initiative and Show Me Solar Energy Raiser upcoming events please visit http://www.ShowMeSolar.org/energyraiser.htm Postponed due to heavy rain the weekend of the 24th and 25th of April, the delay in celebration paid off with a full day free of rain showers and beautiful energy felt throughout the festival from the Earth Day stage to the Kid’s Corner to the Eco Avenue and Show Me Solar’s booth.
For further information on Show Me Solar and to subscribe to our free electronic news feed please visit www.ShowMeSolar.org
because they felt that micro-inverters “Distributed the least reliable part of a solar system throughout the entire array, multiplying the system failure points by the number of panels in the system.” They concluded a better method was to distribute solely the inverter’s optimization function throughout the entire system and keep the inversion centralized and accessible. Thus the genesis of National’s award-winning SolarMagicTM power optimizer. Solar-Magic’s power optimizers are mounted to modules to ameliorate the energy-degrading perpetrators of ‘mismatch’, which include varying string lengths, module mixing, and different module plane orientations. They also provide MPPT to allow customers to monitor energy output and be alerted to any potential anomalies in production. The product is designed to increase the power yield of underperforming Crystal Silicon Panel Solar PV arrays of all sizes despite shading, temperature imbalances, panel mismatch challenges or multiple panel orientations. Shading is not nearly as big a problem with amorphous-Si (Applied Materials SunFab modules), CIGS (Solyndra, Ascent Solar), CdTe (First Solar, Abound Solar) as it is with conventional mono and polycrystalline silicon cell modules. Since its launch at InterSolar in Munich this past May, National’s Renewable Energy Business Director Ralf Muenster says SolarMagic has developed a distribution network that is selling its power optimizers via 25 distributors on four continents. With its recent acquisition of commercial monitoring and performance management provider Energy Recommerce, SolarMagic is positioning itself for penetration in all major solar markets and across residential, commercial and utility-scale strata. Some believe that the market may choose microinverters as an investment priority over SolarMagic. Microinverter companies insist centralized inverter implementations create a single point of failure for solar power systems that spells risky business. If the inverter fails, the entire system is disabled. But the folks at National have a high degree of confidence in their systems and the opposing point of view. Muenster says his teams are engaging central inverter manufacturers as partners, and are working with a number of inverter companies on optimized inverter solutions that further enhance PV system performance in conjunction with Solar-Magic devices. The question is who has the higher degree of success regarding failure rates. The magic isn’t lost in National’s relationship with central inverter firms, but until there are formal announcements made about solid partnership agreements, the honeymoon has yet to begin. For installers and integrators looking to optimize energy output for customers, that marriage can’t happen soon enough. Partnerships with central inverter companies may not be the only liaison we hear of involving SolarMagic in 2010. This year, plan on reading about National’s Semiconductor’s collaborative effort with leading panel manufacturers to develop smart panels with integrated SolarMagic power optimization technology. 
10 PV Picks for 2010, From the Desk of Jeffrey Owens | Jeffrey Owens May 27, 2010 | 
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