10 PV Picks for 2010 – Pick #3

“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