Solar Power World - MAY 2014

Testing p.21-30

Racking p.32

Storage p.36

THE THE SOLAR SO AR INDUSTRY INDUSTRY ( ( IS IS LOOKING UP LOOKING UP May 2014

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Technology • Development • Installation

Here are 19 trends you should know as it continues to grow.

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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

The Top Trends, For 2014 And Beyond This is one of my favorite issues of the year. The Solar Power World team taps into our vast network of industry experts and asks important questions about the various segments of solar. As we reach halfway through the year, it’s a good time to take stock of where we stand as an industry — and where our sources, in the thick each segment, think we are going.

The consolidation predicted last year for silicon panel manufacturers has been surprisingly slow. It’s not that there hasn’t been any consolidation and exits from the U.S. market (see Talesun, Creotecc, Power-One and Sharp), but I was expecting the pace to accelerate considerably this year.

Silicon prices appear to have stabilized, and GTM Research predicts significant increases in the prices of Chinese panels (I’m holding my breath to see the Department of Commerce’s ruling). It should allow some struggling manufacturers to take a breath and regain their footing.

On the other hand, it could significantly raise panel installation costs, which could slow down the phenomenal growth the industry has experienced in the past several years — but that’s another column for another day.

Kathie says use of module-level power electronics (MLPEs), including microinverters and power optimizers, is growing — at least in the residential and commercial inverter markets. More panel manufacturers are also teaming up with MLPE manufacturers to integrate their products into a single unit.

There is also a push — which appears to be true across all the segments — for worldwide standards, which would lower manufacturing and installation costs.

Standards would also allow manufacturers to know how their products will be judged, and installers around the world could make even more informed decisions about what inverter best fits their needs. Lastly, it would weed out the weaker players and leave the space open for the best in class.

In racking-and-mounting (R&M), Steven says manufacturers are trying to minimize the number of parts in each system to speed up installation.

“Integration” is the buzzword. What’s fascinating to me is the creative ways manufacturers are going about it.

As you peruse our trends section, you’ll see some category changes from last year. We’ve expanded our trends section this year from 15 to 19, breaking down generation technologies, inverters and racking-andmounting into their component parts to provide a more detailed look at the industry’s most important trends.

We’ve also added new categories, including:

Solar Hot Water, Off-Grid, MLPE, Distribution We’ve tried to present these trends in ways that you can use to not only educate yourselves, but your customers as well. We hope you enjoy this section as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you. SPW

Editorial Director fandorka@solarpowerworldonline.com

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[SOLAR WORKS]

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Solar Works Around The United States

Solar Energy USA is expected to complete an installation of roof-mounted PV at the Georgia National Guard’s Hunter AASF building in time for spring. The array will produce 160,00 kWh per year. The installation will feature PV cells from Atlantabased manufacturer Suniva.

By the end of 2013, the solar photovoltaic industry had installed a record 4.2 GW, marking 15% year-over-year industry growth. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) estimates a 26% increase in PV installations in 2014, reaching a total growth of 6 GW across all segments.

The total market value of 2013 installations was $13.7 billion, with some 140,000 individual installation projects completed. Here’s what’s happened in early 2014:

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World’s Greatest Ivanpah Dry Lake, Calif.

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Bechtel, NRG, BrightSource and Google partnered to complete the ambitious Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, a 377-MW CSP solar facility on the California-Nevada border. It is the third large-scale solar installation Bechtel has completed in the past year.

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Solar On The Front Range Pueblo, Colo.

Energy developer Community Energy Solar and utility power provider Xcel Energy confirmed plans to build the largest solar farm east of the Rockies.

The $200 million solar plant, to be in Pueblo County, is expected to generate close to 170 MW.

Reading By Sunlight Brentwood, N.Y.

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King of North Carolina Halifax County, N.C.

Net-Zero Neighborhood Bainbridge Island, Wash.

Asani, a real-estate developer in Washington, has partnered with BlueFrog Solar and A&R Solar to build Washington’s largest solarready residential neighborhood.

Phase one of the three-phase project is nearing completion.

The construction will include 132 housing units, with installations expected to provide 2.9 to 8.9 kW per unit.

In January, SUNation Solar Systems (a Solar Power World Top 250 Solar Contractor) completed the largest solar installation at any library in New York at the Brentwood Public Library. The array is expected to curb electricity costs by 12% annually and last up to 30 years.

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Clean Energy Powers Pharmaceutical Company New York Solis Partners (a Solar Power World Top 250 Solar Contractor), completed the installation of a roof-mounted PV system for Bristol-Myers Squibb, a pharmaceutical company based in New York. The installation will produce 777.14 kW from a 3,172 panel array.

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Georgia National Guard Commits To Solar Savannah, Ga.

Arizona Gets Agua Phoenix, Ariz.

NRG Solar and MidAmerican Solar have achieved substantial completion at the 290-MW Agua Caliente Solar Photovoltaic Facility. Its power can support 230,000 homes at peak capacity and is being sold to Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

When Duke Energy and SunEnergy1 brought the 20-MW Dogwood Solar Farm online, it became the largest solar project in North Carolina. The facility is projected to supply power to 1,900 homes.

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

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THE TRENDS IN SOLAR POWER ISSUE

May 2014 • vol 4 no 3

Technology • Development • Installation

NEW MEDIA/WEB/ BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

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TRENDS 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

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D E PA R T M E N T S 01 The First Word

State Of The State

10

Marketing

12

Training

17

Financing

18

Contractor’s Corner

82 Developments 87 Products 90

Solar Snapshot

92

Ad Index

May

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F E AT U R E S

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About the Cover:

21 Bringing Solar Panel Testing Up To Speed

The California Energy Commission’s proposed test protocol may set an international target of accepted quality guidelines for modules.

03 Solar Works 08

S O L A R P O W E R

26 Close Up On Inverter Testing

Solar inverter manufacturers must test products effectively to meet safety, grid connection, performance and certification requirements, as well as reliability expectations.

32 Seven Major Racking Mistakes To Avoid On Rooftops

Don’t be the subject of a negative social media post. Take care to avoid the following mistakes outlined in a recent whitepaper.

36 Ultracapacitor Storage Can Help Build A Reliable Solar Grid

A simplified model is used to explore how increasing levels of solar penetration affect grid reliability and explain why ultracapacitors are the most suitable match for these challenges.

Centinela Solar Energy Facility is a 170 MWac (249 MWdc) utility-scale solar project and is one of the largest solar tracking projects installed in North America, featuring DuraTrack HZ single-axis trackers from Array Technologies.

Photo courtesy of Array Technologies

THE TRENDS IN SOLAR POWER ISSUE P a g e 4 3 ­­- 8 1

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[STATE OF THE STATE]

State-By-State Report: Minnesota Smart Solar Legislation Helps Minnesota Lead In The Midwest (Above) The Wright Hennepin Community Solar Array in Rockford, Minn.

Photo courtesy of Wright Hennepin Electric Co-Op.

Doug Stingle

Development Director at the Midwest Renewable Energy Association

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

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A map highlighting the Solar Energy Industries Association’s top solar states by capacity seems to forget the middle of the country, in part because the Midwest trails other parts of the country largely because the region didn’t keep moving forward with solar policy. Instead, policy became stagnant or even regressive. There is a bright spot, however: Minnesota is lighting the path for solar in the Midwest.

With the passage of the Solar Energy Jobs Act in May 2013, Minnesota is projected to install at least 400 MW of solar in the next decade. The Solar Energy Jobs Act has several key provisions that are poised to power Minnesota’s solar industry. Other states could learn from it.

A prominent aspect of the law requires investor-owned utilities to source 1.5% of electricity from solar, in addition to the state’s existing RPS requiring 25% renewable energy by 2025. This 1.5% mandate on investor-owned utilities is expected to bring an additional 400 MW of solar online, adding to the existing 13 MW today. One fault critics find with the bill is its exemption of rural electrical coops and municipal utilities. Of the 1.5% mandate, at least 10% of that production is required to be from small systems of up to 20 kW. The law also says that small distributedgeneration systems may be subject to performance-based incentives instead of flat rebates. Performance-based incentives already apply to the Made in Minnesota rebate for systems that use solar modules manufactured in the state.

The Made in Minnesota incentives are 10-year performance-based incentives with funding of $15 million per year for 2014 to 2023. A Made in Minnesota Rebate program is available for solar thermal systems, too, thought it’s capped at $250,000 annually.

The Minnesota solar legislation also creates community solar gardens. Community solar lets customers purchase part of a solar system 5 • 2014

remotely located. Community solar brings solar to consumers who don’t have the ability or location to install solar themselves. Xcel Energy, Minnesota’s largest utility and the only utility required to participate in the gardens, filed its community solar plan in 2013.

While other utilities are not required to participate in the solar gardens program, several have created their own community systems. Wright-Hennepin Electric Cooperative commissioned a 32.5-kW community solar array in September 2013. According to a presentation at the recent Solar Powering Minnesota Conference in March, Mark Rathbun of Great River Energy cited the cost to customers purchasing part of the community solar array was $4.83/watt, including battery storage.

Other utilities in Minnesota are listening to their customers and members and installing solar.

Lake Region Electric Cooperative (LREC) surveyed their members and found that 1,500 of them were interested in community solar. In late 2013, LREC installed a 39-kW array on its Pelican Rapids campus. As of February, the community solar array was over half sold and LREC estimated the array would reach grid parity in its sixth year.

Across the country, utilities have argued that paying retail rate through net metering is an unfair subsidy to customers who have installed solar. One utility representative even called net metering “reverse Robin Hood,” where the solar generator robs from the rest of the utilities’ customers. In March, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a formula for the value of solar, making Minnesota the first state in the nation to set a value for solar.

Investor-owned utilities in Minnesota will now have the choice between paying for excess solar generation using the value of solar formula or retail rate. SPW

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[MARKETING]

Answer These Three Questions To Build An Effective Social Media Campaign

Lance Brown

Lance Brown is the community manager for WTWH Media, Solar Power World’s publisher, and oversees all social media channels for multiple corporate clients, including the solar industry. For more marketing advice, check out marketing.wtwhmedia.com or tweet Lance @WTWH_SocialGuru.

Social media can have a profound effect on your solar business. Ask Jim Jenal. He and two colleagues started Run on Sun, a commercial and residential solar PV installation company based in Pasadena, Calif., in 2006. Since then, the company has amassed 20,000 Twitter followers (@RunOnSun).

Jenal says when Run on Sun 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.”

A handful of notable solar marketers have built their reputation on social media. Among them is Raina Russo (@RainaRusso), who runs #solarchat. The monthly Twitterbased discussion connects thousands of solar professionals and has become something of an industry “think tank.”

The hastag #solar is often tweeted more than 200 times an hour, according to hashtags.org. The solar audience is certainly there, but to make the most of your time, you have to be specific about to whom your posts are aimed.

The following three questions will help you focus your social media efforts and increase your bottom line:

Question Two: Who Is Your Audience?

More than 1.5 billion people use social media. Who do you want to reach?

Users may be looking to buy a product or receive customer service.

More often customers are taking to social channels to vent frustrations.

Airlines are particularly astute when it comes to answering customers.

On Twitter, complaints of long lines at the check-in counter quickly receive a “Sorry for the delay. Thank you for flying with us!”

It helps to define your audience by location, age and tastes. Focusing on these details lets you provide the right content to the right person. By targeting the correct personas on social media and giving them white papers, case studies, videos, blog posts and articles, you can position your company as a thought-leader within the solar industry.

Question One: What Is Your Goal?

In business, there’s one overriding objective: Make money.

That can be done by increasing sales or decreasing expenses. Social media can help with both strategies.

If you aim to increase sales, social media can help you retain customers, increase brand awareness and generate leads. It’s also a key platform to manage your brand’s value and reputation.

If you want to decrease expenses, social media can help you offer customer support and provides an economical marketing pathway. You can also attract talent on social media, rather than using costly job boards or attending career fairs, which require time and money.

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Question Three: What Is Your Content?

You wouldn’t start a business without a business plan, so why would you do so with your social media strategy?

The general rule of thumb is to share content that makes your

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[MARKETING]

audience’s life or job easier, educate them about the solar industry or move their emotions. In turn, they will appreciate your brand.

Ask yourself: Why would I follow my brand? Why would you decide to follow a company’s updates? What’s in it for you? What kind of information are you looking for from them?

Now it’s time to get started. Tweet us (@SolarPowerWorld) while you’re at it! SPW

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

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[TRAINING]

Papers Please: A Look At The World Of Solar Credentials There are a variety of credentials available to

Richard Lawrence

Solar Power World Contributor Richard Lawrence is executive director at NABCEP

solar professionals. Some are required by law to do certain jobs in some jurisdictions, while others are needed to gain access to financial incentives in certain states or utility territories. Clients may also stipulate various credentials in bid specifications.

Some certificates are not worth much more than the paper on which they are printed. Anyone can make up a certificate, define requirements to receive it and charge something for the service. With so many certifications, licenses, certificates and accreditations, the world of credentials can be confusing — not to mention complicated and costly (in both time and money). It is essential to understand the importance, value and limitations of any credential before investing valuable resources to obtain it.

Degrees Most people are familiar with the different types and levels of college degrees. Within any particular field of study, one can usually find two-year associate degrees, four-year bachelor’s degrees and higher-level master’s degrees and doctorate programs.

Degrees such as electrical engineering, business administration and physics are well defined, universally recognized and have clear applicability to certain jobs in solar. But newer programs such as appropriate technology, renewable energy and green building science may or may not be applicable to certain career tracks in solar. They will likely need more explanation on a resume or during an interview to make the case for their relevance for a particular position.

Certificates Certificates are used to recognize completion of an educational course or training program. College certificate programs generally require substantially less coursework than a degree program and are designed to prepare someone for a specific career or job function. Certificates are also offered by private for-profit training centers and not-for-profit organizations. Certificates vary greatly in their quality and depth of training.

Some only require a single course, while others approach the requirements of an associate degree.

A more thorough certificate program can serve as a stand-alone education for an entry-level position, 12

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while those that require only one or two courses are more appropriate for someone who already has another credential, like an electrical license or business degree.

Licenses Licenses are required to perform work in certain jurisdictions. Performing the work without a license can result in fines and even jail time. A business license is required to do business in some areas, a contractor’s license is required to perform general home improvements, and an electrical license is required to perform electrical work.

Some states have licenses specifically for solar installations. Licensing is almost always required for professional engineering services. Licensing requirements vary from state to state and sometimes from town to town. Some licenses, such as a general contractor licenses, may only require proof of insurance and a small registration fee, while others like an electrical license require substantial education, work experience and examination.

Work can often be performed by non-licensed personnel if they are being directly supervised by a licensed contractor through a formal apprenticeship.

While licenses are required to perform or supervise certain jobs, licenses are no guarantee that someone has any solar-specific education or experience. A licensed electrical engineer or electrician may or may not have completed any PV system work.

Certifications Certifications are meant to provide confidence that an individual has knowledge, skills and sometimes experience in a particular field of practice. The primary purpose of a certification is to provide consumers with a way to identify individuals who have met certain education, experience and competency standards. Like other credentials there are a variety of certifications available in solar, and a bit of homework is necessary to understand what exactly a certification means.

Equipment manufacturers often issue certifications to people who complete one or more of their product-training courses, so one can become a “certified XYZ solar module installer.”

Some larger installation companies have developed

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5/13/14 12:58 PM

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[TRAINING] certification body and the person tested, other than the certification itself.

Certifications in solar are all voluntary and not required by law to perform the work. However, acting as smart consumers, a growing number of state and utility programs are using third-party certifications as criteria for gaining access to financial incentives. Those who are not certified may be able to perform the work, but their customers may not be eligible for rebates or loan offerings.

Other stakeholders that recognize the value of certification include employers who may require certification for certain positions or provide raises and promotions to those who are certified, and program administrators for other financial investment tools like PACE programs, leasing contracts and other third-party ownership structures.

detailed internal training and certification programs, so one could be an “ABC solar company certified installer.”

These are known as second-party certifications because of the relationship that the certificate issuer has to the certified individual. These certifications are used primarily for internal purposes, such as access to products and services or considerations for raises and promotions, and usually do not have much recognition outside of the organization that issued the certification.

Several third-party certifications are also available for solar professionals, such as those administered by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP).

Third-party certifications provide a more independent assessment of an individual’s competence since there is no other relationship between the

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Accreditation The most credible degree, certificate and certification programs are those that are accredited by a reputable third-party to an industry-recognized standard. The U.S. Department of Education (DoED) maintains a list of accredited colleges, universities and training schools. The Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC) accredits renewable energy training providers that may or may not be accredited by a program recognized by the DoED. IREC has partnered with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to offer an accreditation for renewable energy and energy efficiency certificate programs.

Anyone seeking quality solar energy education should look for degree or certificate programs from an accredited school or program. ANSI also accredits personnel certification programs to the ISO/IEC 17024 standard, which defines best practices for administering professional certifications. SPW

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[FINANCING]

One Step Closer To A Fair Solar Tax Policy Momentum is steadily building for the Master

Nathan Homan

Solar Power World Contributor

Nathan Homan is a cofounder and principal at Wiser Capital, a financial services firm that enables new sources of capital to participate in the funding of financially attractive, stable and secure sources of renewable energy projects.

Limited Partnerships (MLPs) Parity Act, moving us one step closer to a tax policy that treats renewable energy the same advantages as fossil fuels.

The legislation would modify the tax code to open up MLPs to renewable energy projects. There is now growing bipartisan support for the legislation, which seeks to level the playing field between traditional and new energy businesses.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. The tax benefits enjoyed by fossil fuel energy projects come largely through MLPs, business structures that are taxed as partnerships, but with ownership interest traded as corporate stock on a market.

A provision in the federal tax code authorizes the creation of MLPs for fossil-fuel exploitation, providing access to capital that creates jobs and economic activity through construction and energy development, but “inexhaustible” natural resources are currently excluded from eligibility. MLPs are instrumental in attracting private investment, and fossil-fuel projects that use them enjoy access to capital at a considerably lower cost and with greater liquidity than traditional forms of financing.

MLPs are widely seen as an ideal accelerant for clean-energy development through private finance.

They have grown rapidly since the 1980s, raising more than $400 billion for oil, gas and other fossil energy infrastructure at a much lower cost of capital than current U.S. clean-energy finance, according to the Brookings Institution — a private Washington, D.C., based nonprofit organization devoted to independent research and policy solutions.

The institute also states that the debate over MLPs comes at a time when the cost declines of cleanenergy equipment have outpaced those in the cost of capital and other “soft costs.” Those soft costs are financing charges that can increase the cost of clean energy by as much as 50%. Clean energy MLPs serve a vital purpose because they could match technology cost improvements with capital cost reductions, it says.

Enacting MLP parity legislation would also drive support for other financing options, including real estate investment trusts (REITs), which offer similar advantages to MLPs and have yet to become widely available for clean energy projects. REITs, traded publicly like stocks, are difficult for investors in

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sustainable energy to use under current law.

In an ideal world, clean energy pioneers would have a multitude of structures to choose from to launch into cost-effective financing for their projects.

There are still critics of the MLP Parity Act, including those who believe opening the vehicles would have a limited impact on nurturing the renewable-energy industry. But the oil and gas industry became the dominant and lucrative force it is today because of similar support in the form of federal law. If the renewable energy industry could use the same investment vehicles that fossil fuels receive, it could begin to truly thrive.

The MLP Parity Act is not just a tweak to the tax code. It’s about democratizing the energy industry to pave the way for entrepreneurs to participate in solar projects with the same prowess as fossilfuel companies. The momentum behind renewable energy will continue to grow, from the small entrepreneur who buys a new turbine to the established company that creates industry-wide solar technology.

The government, local communities and developers all need to play an active role in eliminating barriers to the advancement of these critical clean-energy technologies. One way or another, our world will have to adapt to solar power, but whether that transition happens rapidly or haltingly will largely depend on our ability to amend and alter these antiquated laws that favor fossil fuels. SPW

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O LI C Y

PRE SCRIPTIONS

[CONTRACTORS CORNER]

Vivint Solar: Provo, Utah

Building More Than Solar: Relationships Lead To Referrals

Greg Butterfield, CEO of Vivint Solar

By Andrew Merecicky, SPW

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

In fewer than three years Vivint Solar has become one of the largest residential solar providers in the country and a member of the Solar Power World Top Solar Contractors list. According to Greg Butterfield, CEO of Vivint Solar, the key to the company’s success has been its personal touch.

“We’ve been successful because Todd Pederson, Vivint’s founder, is very focused on the customer,” says Butterfield. “One of our core values is having a ‘customer obsession,’ and it’s an advantage for us.”

The advantage is proving to be a profitable one. Launched in May 2011 with only a dozen employees, Vivint Solar now employs more than 1,600 people. Operating in seven states, Butterfield says the company intends to open a new office every 10 days for the next two to three years.

“We put a warehouse in a 40-mile radius to make sure that we have people that are actually working and selling and deploying with people that are in their communities,” says Butterfield.

The company tries to recruit salespeople from the communities where they will work. The common roots between customer and salesperson lead to increased solar adoption, says Butterfield, and loyal customers.

“What we’re finding is that each customer deploying a Vivint Solar solution gives three to five referrals,” he says.

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Word of Vivint’s commitment is spreading quickly. Presently serviing more than 17,000 energy customers, Vivint Solar is installing approximately 8 MW per month. The company also has a long-term customer relationship, beginning at initial contact and carrying through financing, installation, monitoring and maintenance.

“I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to be involved in several companies that have strong value propositions,” Butterfield says. “I’ve never been in an industry where the value proposition is so strong. When someone’s willing to give a family member’s name or a referral to a neighbor, that means you’re hopefully doing some things right.”

Butterfield says Vivint Solar is thinking about moving into the small commercial installation market. By the end of next quarter, he says, customers can at least expect Vivint to announce new products and business strategies.

“Personally, I find great satisfaction in the social value we’re providing to the community,” Butterfield says. “I think that we have an opportunity to change the way the world buys power.” SPW

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The California Energy Commission’s proposed test protocol may set an international target of accepted quality guidelines for modules.

S

olar module quality has always been a concern, and Chinese module manufacturers (home of the majority of the world’s manufacturers) navigate challenges with transparency, management and quality control to meet U.S. standards.

Most solar modules today are sold with 25-year warranties and have been tested to IEC 61215 and IEC 61646 standards, but those were never meant to test modules’ endurance or life expectancy1. IEC 61215, the principle guide, is now lagging considerably behind in an industry that has raced forward.

1

R e f e r e n c e N R E L 2 0 1 2 P V M o d u l e R e l i a b i l i t y W o r k s h o p h t t p : // w w w . n r e l . g o v /d o c s / f y 1 2 o s t i / 5 4 7 1 4 . p d f

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Currently there are more than eight programs available for module manufacturers to purchase thirdparty validation of their modules’ quality because customers need more confidence in module manufacturers’ products and their bankability. In addition, module manufacturers dole out large sums of money for that precious backing. Programs range from Fraunhofer’s PV Module Durability to Verband der Elektrotechnik’s (VDE) Quality-Tested Certification to PV Evolution Labs’ (PVEL) Vendor Qualification Test Program and more — all of which are different.

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She has held marketing positions with several leading global solar module manufacturers.

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Programs from the certification bodies (VDE, TÜV Reinland, Intertek, UL, etc.) authenticate testing results and generally certify with international acceptance. Programs from local laboratories (Renewable Energy Test Center (RETC), PVEL, CFV Solar Testing Laboratory (CFV), etc.) offer their testing environments, and some also offer direct connections with their financial and downstream customers. Programs with engineering firms (Black & Veatch, DNV-GL/BEW, etc.) offer their technical expertise and reputations. But which is best? Which influences the market the most? Which will stand the test of time?

If these questions sound familiar it’s because module manufacturers ask the same ones their customers do.

The Department of Energy realized how behind the standard actually is and, in an effort to fast-track acceptance of a new standard, they solicited NREL to step things up.

Based on ongoing investigations and a broad base of shared information discussed by international standards organizations, including IEC Technical Committee 82 2 and the International PV Module Quality Assurance Task Force, NREL proposed Qualification Plus as a test protocol that goes beyond the IEC 61215 testing (by applying tests that have been demonstrated to have value for added confidence in field performance) 3. Based on years of work, NREL presented the new revised standard called Qualification Plus to the California Energy Commission (CEC), which is planning to propose the program as an optional set of tests for their Eligible Hardware List in late spring of this year.

2

I n t e r n a t i o n a l E l e c t r o t e c h n i c a l C o m m i s s i o n Te c h n i c a l C o m m i t t e e 8 2 h t t p : // w w w . i e c . c h . /d y n / w w w / f ? p = 1 0 3 : 7 : 0 : : : : F S P _ O R G _ I D : 1 2 7 6

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How Qualification Plus Stacks Up To Current IEC 61215

IEC 61215 Sample Size 2 Modules Thermal Cycling Test Duration 200 Cycles UV Exposure 15kWh/m2 while maintaining 60°C

Dynamic Load Test Before Test Leg None Qith Humidity Freeze Bypass Diode Test 1 h Potential Induced Degradation None

Quality Management System No requirement

Qualification Plus 5 Modules 500 Cycles 224 to 320 kWh/m2 for encapsulant, backsheet, connectors and junction box 1000 cycles of 1000Pa 96 h 96 hrs at 60°C/85% relative humidity Require quality management system (QMS) with emphasis on alignment of QMS with module warranty and with periodic accelerated testing

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Recently the IEEE and NREL hosted a webinar, “New Requirements To Be Proposed for CEC…,” introducing some of their research and conclusions behind the new Qualification Plus Program and its progression. In the webinar, Dr. John Wohlgemuth, principal scientist at NREL, discussed some of the top areas where we continue to see failures in solar modules: broken interconnections, discoloration/delamination/corrosion, and broken cells4. The extended testing of Qualification Plus is an attempt to directly address these types of field failures.

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The Qualification Plus program was built by NREL with collaboration from a range of partners for the purpose of developing a single test protocol and set of requirements for qualityassurance (QA) auditing that would allow stakeholders to quickly assess a module’s ability to last in the field.

(For a full comparison of how proposed Qualification Plus stacks up to current IEC 61215, see the chart on the previous page.)

4

R e f e r e n c e I E E E / N R E L W e b i n a r , N e w R e q u i r e m e n t s To B e P r o p o s e d f o r CEC’s Eligible Solar Electric Equipment Guidelines. Email author for s l i d e d e c k p d f.

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Why should we be paying attention to the progression of Qualification Plus?

Qualification Plus will be a voluntary program for module manufacturers but will clearly set a new international target of accepted guidelines for modules invoking a higher standard of quality. I hope these guidelines will establish one standard set of tests.

Of course there will always be new levels to which to aspire. In fact, Qualification Plus is being positioned as an “interim” program, but for now it’s the new standard, so let’s ask for it. ”Qualification Plus is an important step in on-going work to extend the performance and life-expectancy of PV modules,” says Mani G.

TamizhMani, president of TÜV Rheinland PTL. “TÜV Rheinland PTL already has several manufacturers signed to begin the program.”

The Qualification Plus proposal is designed specifically to provide the market with the information needed to improve the current standard. The information is correlated to realtime field data. The suggested revisions are expected to improve product quality, thus protecting consumers and investors, which translates to a more sustainable market. And that’s good for everyone. SPW

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E UP

INVERTER INSIDER

On Inverter Testing

I

nverter reliability is integral to smooth and dependable solar operation. The inverter, consisting of hundreds or even thousands of electric and electronic components, is

at the heart of the PV power system. Failure of any inverter component will cause it to stop working.

general idea about the standard requirements from the beginning. If they design an inverter without compliance in mind, they may need to change the design later in the development process.

Safety Standards In the United States, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), UL and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) are responsible for safety standards. The testing requirements for inverters are specified in the UL 1741 standard.

The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) is the governing body for safety testing in Canada, which mandates that inverters meet the requirements of CSA C22.2 No. 107.1.

The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) oversees the requirements for the international community. It mandates the IEC 62109-1 and IEC 62109-2 standards for testing inverters internationally, including in Europe and Asia.

SOLAR INVERTER MANUFACTURERS MUST TEST PRODUCTS EFFECTIVELY TO MEET SAFETY, GRID CONNECTION, PERFORMANCE AND CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, AS WELL AS RELIABILITY EXPECTATIONS.

An inverter tested for electromagnetic compatibility.

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It’s important that inverter manufacturers have a

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CLOSEU INVERTER INSIDER

Even though different standard systems are used, product safety requirements for various countries are similar. It is especially true in the case of the United States and Canada. With the exception of some minor documentation differences, the two countries’ tests are much alike.

This allows certification providers to combine tests for the two markets and save costs for manufacturers.

Inverter manufacturers should perform safety tests to ensure all built-in components are within their applied temperature limits to avoid fire hazards.

Testing of spacing and insulation can prevent electric shock hazards to operators or service personnel. Testing the response to abnormal conditions should determine whether there are any risks due to extreme working conditions or foreseeable components failures.

Grid Connection Standards Regulatory and testing requirements differ among various countries, and inverter manufacturers have to design different versions of the control system — software and (possibly) hardware — for inverters intended for different countries.

In the United States, the UL-1741 standard refers to IEEE 1547 and IEEE 1547.1 standards for the grid connection and protection requirements.

Evaluating inverter output quality, such as harmonics and synchronization, ensures that the product meets the minimum power quality requirements set by the national standards and utility companies.

Testing the response to abnormal grid conditions, such as abnormal voltage, frequency, lost phase and antiislanding, allows the manufacturer to ensure safe operation and maintenance of the whole grid.

Other Lab Tests Solar inverter manufacturers should also test for performance and certification.

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EUP

Performance tests, such as tests for efficiency measurement, are an important parameter for inverters.

These include Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) efficiency testing per EN 50530 (testing the efficiency and ability to track the maximum power point of the PV array under different sunlight conditions, including static and dynamic efficiency measurements) and power conversion efficiency per IEC 61683 and the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) guidelines.

Tests for certification purposes can be done either in an inverter testing lab or at a manufacturer’s facility, especially for inverters rated at power levels of 100 kW and higher. The requirements for testing in a lab and onsite are the same, and so are the testing procedures.

The only difference when testing at a manufacturer’s plant is that a third-party engineer does not operate the testing equipment but checks the set-up, confirms conditions per applied standards and gathers and validates the data during a witness test. Manufacturers’ internal tests are considered reliable, provided the manufacturer kept a thorough record of testing conditions, methods and the original testing data to allow for replicate testing. This is essential because manufacturers often declare their warranties based on their internal reliability testing data.

Design engineers will do well to read the standards for targeted countries so their products comply with requirements — from specifying correct cable sizes for internal and external connections to choosing correct safety-related components. If a manufacturer does not have such capability in-house, engineers can consult a testing lab that offers this type of service. Such consultations can save time and costs of redesigning and repeated testing if an inverter turns out to need modifications thanks to a noncompliance issue exposed during testing.

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INVERTER INSIDER

A PV inverter tested for grid connection.

A PV inverter undergoing the circuits analysis and single fault testing.

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CLOSEU INVERTER INSIDER Testing For Reliability

Reliability is a measure of the product’s performance. There is not yet a specific standard to test it. Manufacturers are using some widely accepted testing methods, such as Highly Accelerated Life Test (HALT) and Highly Accelerated Stress Screen (HASS) to estimate product life of the key components and units, as well as to identify problems or weaknesses.

Many manufacturers, well aware that their success depends on the reliability of their products, have refined their inverters by selecting high-quality components, despite higher costs. That, coupled with the application of a quality control system in the production line, as well as professional installations, should provide for a good performance and long, reliable service life.

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There is ongoing work going to develop a standard measure of reliability. For example, TÜV Rheinland is working on developing a reliability standard for module-level power electronics, such as microinverters, together with a number of inverter and module manufacturers, national laboratories and U.S. universities.

The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

New technology and designs, including higher DC input voltage, DCside arc fault protection and interruption and transformer less inverters for better power conversion efficiency, are being introduced to the international markets.

TÜV Rheinland’s worldwide network of inverter testing laboratories allows the organization to engage local engineers and testing labs to make the certification

process easier and quicker. Nine facilities are located in Australia, Germany, Greater China (Shanghai and Taiwan), Hungary, India, Italy, Japan and the United States. SPW

Fred Zhu specializes in inverters and product safety at TÜV Rheinland in Pleasanton, Calif.

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SEVEN MAJOR RACKING MISTAKES TO

AVOID ON ROOFTOPS STEVEN BUSHONG ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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RACKING AND MOUNTING

S

olar installation companies are building the industry one array at a time. A system that shows longevity and performance encourages clients to discuss their success with friends and family, perhaps leading to

the coveted referral client or two.

A bungled installation, however, can have dire consequences for the responsible solar contractor and may give the entire industry a black eye, especially in the age of social media.

Seven avoidable rooftop racking mistakes were outlined recently in a white paper co-authored by Cinnamon Solar, Solar Marketing Group, HatiCon Solar, Quick Mount PV and Orion Solar Racking.

The white paper details information about how to ensure long-lasting and safe roof mounts. The information is based on the companies’ collective experience and the detailed study of 20 decade-old rooftop installations.

Don’t be the subject of a negative social media post. Take care to avoid the following mistakes:

Solar

™

The information and photographs in this article come from the white paper, “The Importance Of Reliable Solar Mounting Systems,” co-authored by Cinnamon Solar, Solar Marketing Group, HatiCon Solar, Quick Mount PV and Orion Solar Racking. The white paper details information about how contractors can ensure long-lasting and safe solar roof mounts.

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RACKING AND MOUNTING

ONE No Flashing A caulking sealant around bolt-fastened mounts on a roof is not enough to prevent water damage, even if the sealant is piled-up thick. Water, nature’s most powerful force, will find a way into the smallest gap — an inevitable outcome with sealants — through roof materials and into a house. Using flashed mounts is a simple way to prevent leaks. Flashing creates a watertight seal around the perimeter of the fastener that attaches to the underlying rafter.

TWO Missed Rafters A rooftop solar array is anchored by attaching its mounts to the structural rafters that support the roof surface. If an installer misses a rafter, the bolt will eventually come loose, thanks to the freeze-thaw cycle and relentless wind, and allow water into a house. Because it can be difficult to hit the center of a rafter every time, even if you’re the most conscientious of professionals, it’s important to use appropriate roof flashings to minimize the chances of leakage.

THREE Inadequate Grounding As with all electrical equipment, solar panels and their racks must be grounded to mitigate shock and fire hazards. If grounding degrades over time, anyone who touches a metal piece of the system may receive a shock. While the likelihood of shock is low, should one occur, the chance for substantial injury is great because of the high voltage of solar arrays and risk of falling from the roof.

FOUR Bad Wiring The most obvious case of bad wiring is when wires hang below the panels and touch the roof. Eventually, the wire coating will wear thin and expose the copper underneath, presenting a shock hazard. Any type of exposed wire, in fact, isn’t the best idea — rodents love to have them for lunch. Metal wire clips are the preferred — and more expensive — way to fasten wires, as they won’t degrade as easily as do less expensive plastic ties.

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RACKING AND MOUNTING

FIVE Improper Attachments If panels are not properly attached, a strong gust of wind could come and take them away. Manufacturers of panels and racking carefully specify the type of hardware and exact methods of installation that are necessary for their products.

SIX Thoughtless Placement Mounting solutions were tested for endurance last winter, as many cities experienced twice the normal amount of snowfall. Systems stuck in the valleys of rooftops will collect heavier loads. The freeze-thaw method creates its own problems when water and ice gets trapped under panels. Keep panels three to five inches or more off the roof.

SEVEN Cheap Components For reasons of cost and time, non-outdoor rated materials are sometimes used on roofs. Steel, even when painted or galvanized, will rust and weaken over time in certain environments. Wood and plastic will also lose endurance after years in the elements. Solar installers should use aluminum-framed panels and aluminum racking in combination with aluminum or stainless steel mounts.

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A simplified model is used to explore how increasing levels of solar penetration affect grid reliability and explain why ultracapacitors are the most suitable match for these challenges.

ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS

Ultracapacitor Storage

Can Help Build A

Solar Grid

R. SHAW LYNDS SR. SPECIAL TO SOLAR POWER WORLD

enewables such as solar place particular stress on the grid because their output cannot be fully controlled. When the sun is shining, it’s advantageous for the grid operator to use the available solar power to reduce total fuel consumption. But when cloud cover reduces the power output of a large solar array, other generation must be brought online to replace its loss.

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A Model For Power Quality And Grid Stability A simplified grid model explores how much area regulation is required to support renewables on the grid and how energy storage can affect this regulation level. In the model, generation consists of a single power plant dedicated entirely to area regulation and a single photovoltaic plant (Figure 1). The power plant and photovoltaic plant outputs combine to supply a constant power load. The power plant has equal generation capacity as the load and has a five-minute ramp rate (the rate is expressed in megawatts per minute and measures at what rate a generator changes its output). The five-minute rate is the minimum ramp rate required to provide area regulation for most U.S. grid operators.

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ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 3

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 4 Grid Impact Of 50% Solar With 30 sec of Storage

Power (% Load)

Power (% Load)

Grid Impact Of 50% Solar Power With No Storage

Time (hour)

Time (hour)

This model explores the effect various levels of solar have on power quality and grid stability. In the grid, minor mismatches in generation and demand manifest themselves as frequency disturbances and voltage excursions. If the voltage excursions are large enough, distribution relays will trip, shedding load from the grid and causing brownouts or blackouts

Much as in a real grid, once the load has tripped, the relay will wait five seconds before attempting to reconnect the load. The solar power variability in this model is based on one-second solar irradiance data collected in a temperate northern 38

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hemisphere location with moderate cloud cover. For each run of this model, the name-plate power rating of the solar plant increases, representing a higher level of solar penetration within a grid with fixed area regulation resources (as represented by the power plant with a five-minute ramp rate), and the number of trip events are recorded as a measure of grid instability. Figure 2 is illustrative of the power quality produced in this model with 50% solar penetration.

Next, energy storage is introduced to the simple grid model. The energy storage is assumed to have the same power capacity as the load, and the only

parameter changed in each consecutive run of the model is the number of reserve minutes of backup power that can be stored (Figure 3).

The energy storage is assumed to charge and discharge to the grid and maintains a 50% state of charge when not in use. With this method, the energy storage acts like a form of spinning reserve, providing the buffer window to allow the area regulation of the power plant time to respond. Even a small amount of energy storage can have a dramatic effect on power quality. Even 30 seconds of reserve energy storage was enough to eliminate all system trip events for the entire day (Figure 4).

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ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS

The simple grid model has two input variables (level of solar penetration and number of minutes of reserve energy storage), and a single output (trip events) representing power quality. Figure 5 shows the results of the model over one month of solar data, when solar penetration is swept from 0% to 100%, and energy storage reserves are incrementally increased from 0 to 90 seconds.

Without energy storage, as represented by the first black curve in the figure, the grid is stable until about 20% solar penetration. Based on area regulation, with a five-minute ramp rate, a complete loss 20%

solar power would take just one minute to compensate for.

The model’s stability below 20% solar penetration indicates that solar power output is rarely fully lost in less than one minute.

This is in agreement with largescale photovoltaic power plant statistics, which have been shown to rarely exceed 40% in a oneminute interval.

Also, each incremental increase in energy storage reserves provides diminishing returns in power quality. For example, 20 reserve seconds of energy storage allows the grid to remain stable with up to 40% solar penetration, doubling the amount the grid can absorb

FIGURE 5 Grid Trip Events vs PV Power

Relay Trips (# per month)

Analysis

Solar Power (% of Load)

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ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS

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through area regulation alone. Thought of another way, 20 reserve seconds of energy storage allows the same amount of solar power variability to be absorbed with only half as much generation dedicated to area regulation. To achieve another doubling in solar penetration, the energy storage reserves would need to be increased to well beyond 90 seconds, indicating that the majority of the energy storage benefit is derived from the first few tens of seconds of reserve capacity.

Next, the throughput for the energy storage was calculated to determine the life expectancy for various storage technologies in this application. For a solar penetration level of 50% and an energy storage reserve capacity of 30 seconds, the energy throughput equivalent is 8.6 complete charge/discharge cycles in a single day. At this rate, an energy storage medium with a 10-year rated life would need to last the equivalent of 31,000 charge/discharge cycles by its end of life.

For optimum performance providing ancillary services, the energy storage system needs a reserve capacity of a few tens of seconds and a cycle life in the tens of thousands.

Choosing The Best Energy Storage System So which of today’s available storage technologies is the best fit for providing ancillary services to the grid? Because of all the factors involved, making direct cost comparisons between different storage technologies is extremely difficult. However, a general indication of how well-suited a particular storage technology is for an application can be determined by comparing the specific energy of the technologies over the reserve times relevant for the application.

In Figure 6, the specific energies of technologies are compared over a range of 10 ms to 2.8 hrs of reserve capacity. In the range of interest for ancillary services, (10 to 100 sec), ultracapacitors, flywheels and lithium-ion batteries compete for the highest specific energy.

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ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENTS

FIGURE 6

Energy (Wh/kg)

Energy Storage Technologies vs Backup Time

Time (sec)

FIGURE 7

Cycle Life

The nominal cycle life for each technology is compared in Figure 7. From the simplified grid model, it’s clear that to have a reasonably long service life in an ancillary service application, the technology of interest needs to have a cycle life of 10,000 cycles or higher.

Figure 7 indicates that of the three technologies identified to be good candidates based on specific energy, only ultracapacitors and flywheels meet the cycle life requirements needed to have a greater than 10-year service life in an ancillary service application.

For safety reasons, flywheels are typically installed underground, requiring significant site prep and excavation, while ultracapacitors can be installed above ground in skid-mounted containers. This difference can greatly affect installation times and costs for the end user.

Ultracapacitors also have no moving parts to wear out if neglected, and so regular maintenance isn’t required. In contrast, flywheels typically require periodic maintenance of their vacuum pumps and main shaft bearings. This maintenance adds up over the system life and can become a burden if the energy storage system is distributed over many remote locations, which is common with solar projects.

Of all the available energy storage technologies that could be used in this application, ultracapacitors stand out at being the ideal match for such a challenge.

Solar energy and ultracapacitors together can build the base for the resilient, reliable and renewable future grid. SPW R. Shaw Lynds Sr. is a R&D Systems Engineer at Maxwell Technologies

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN SHORTENED FOR PRINT PURPOSES. READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE AND LISTEN TO A PODCAST WITH SHAW LYNDS AT SOLARPOWERWORLDONLINE.COM.

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TRENDS S O L A R P O W E R

San Francisco • July 7-10, 2014

Solar Power World Talks Trends

S

ince last year’s trends issue, the solar industry’s development has not slowed a bit. Innovation is coming rapidly, as are the emergence of new players and the departure of others.

If you can no longer tell the players and products apart without a scorecard, rest easy.

Solar Power World has you covered. With editors dedicated to specific areas within the industry, you will not find more comprehensive industry coverage in one place.

We’ve expanded our trends reporting this year, breaking down generation technologies, inverters and racking-and-mounting into subsegments to bring even more clarity to the industry’s most important trends.

We’ve consolidated some (just like the industry), but we’ve added new categories, including:

Solar Trends 2014

• • • •

Inverters: String…………………………………………………….............. 65

Solar Hot Water Off-Grid Solar MLPE (Module-Level Power Electronics) Distribution

We present these trends in ways that you can use, not only to educate yourselves, but your customers as well. We hope you enjoy this section as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.

So, without further ado, turn the page and see the 19 most important trends in the solar industry through the eyes of the experts who are shaping them. You will not be disappointed. SPW

Solar Generation Technology: Silicon................................ 44 Solar Generation Technology: Thin-Film........................... 46 Solar Generation Technology: Concentrated Solar......... 47 Solar Project Services……………………………………………............ 48 Racking & Mounting: Ground............................................... 49 Racking & Mounting: Sloped Roof...................................... 53 Racking & Mounting: Ballasted……………………………............. 56 Racking & Mounting: Carports……………………………….......... 58 Racking & Mounting: Trackers………………………………........... 60 Inverters: Module-Level Power Electronics………...…........ 62 Inverters: Central………………………………………………….............. 66 Batteries & Storage………………………………………………............. 68 Solar Hot Water…………………………………………………….............. 71 System Components……………………………………………............. 72 Off-Grid Solar…………………………………………………………........... 76 Project Financing…………………………………………………............. 77 Operations & Maintenance………………………………….............. 78 Distribution............................................................................... 80

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Silicon Panels

R

umors of silicon panels’ demise, thanks to plummeting silicon prices that rendered manufacturers incapable of making a profit, were greatly exaggerated, as the number of installed silicon panels continues to soar.

As the U.S. market continues to boom, silicon panels are still the technology of choice for most rooftop and utility-scale installations, and the lowered prices have helped its spread.

“A crystal ball for panel prices over the last few years would have been a more valued commodity than Jack Sparrow’s magic compass,” says Jeff Juger, head of marketing for Hanwha SolarOne. “These days, U.S. panel prices seem to have leveled off some, and there are even forecasts of rising prices in the near future. We may not have reached a final bottom, but there are several reasons to believe we will see a more stable pricing situation in the United States going forward.”

Among the stabilizing factors Juger cites:

SILICON PANELS

• Although some manufacturers still offer lower-than-market prices, it appears that the days of panel manufacturers seizing marketshare through unsustainable prices have largely dissipated.

• The first trade case pushed Chinese manufacturers to use non-Chinese cells (mostly from Taiwan). This meant that U.S. panel prices often hinged on the market pricing of Taiwanese cells. Since many are forecasting Taiwanese cell prices to rise over the next couple quarters, there seems to be a corresponding forecast in the rise of panel prices.

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• Following a precipitous price decline, panels have accounted for a decreasing proportion of system costs over the last few years. The race for grid parity has largely rested on the backs of the panel manufacturers in the past, but if system costs are to continue falling, a larger share of the burden will have to rest on the backs of balance of systems and soft costs.

• Long-awaited consolidation of the manufacturing industry would further stabilize panel prices. However, as long as insolvent firms revive, or others acquire their excess capacity, some of these oversupply issues may continue.

Beyond panel prices, however, there are rumblings in the industry that silicon panels have reached their practical efficiency upper limits. With other panel technologies claiming new world records regularly, could lower efficiency numbers cause consumers to look elsewhere?

Juger doesn’t think so.

“Solely looking at efficiency ceiling would be an incomplete picture,” Juger says. “As with any technology, cost efficiency is a stronger indicator of longevity. If we can get the job done cheaply with a Ford, why pay more money to get it done with a Ferrari?

“Crystalline panels have been getting the job done, and the financial institutions backing many of these deals are comfortable with this bread-and-butter of the solar industry,” he adds. “While there are always opportunities for disruptive technologies, crystalline silicon panels will still reign supreme for some time.”

The one recurring trend that could derail the continued growth of silicon solar panel proliferation, however, is the trade war with China. After having been “settled”

Dennis Schroeder //NREL

in 2012, it’s back in the news again after a new complaint was filed earlier this year.

“AMC’s The Walking Dead has been an absolute hit,” Juger says. “The new trade war is anything but. Varying outcomes in this case would have various degrees of effect, but in the interim, the uncertainty in future pricing is already slowing utility-scale projects. Any additional disabling tariffs on the Chinese manufacturers will cause the aggregate U.S. solar market to shrink.”

Juger says the consolidation of panel manufacturers the industry has seen recently would be good for the industry — if only the companies that have exited would stay exited.

“Consolidation without dissolution means little to the panel market,” Juger says. “While we have seen several large players exit the solar panel manufacturing business, others have gobbled up that excess capacity.” SPW

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TRENDS S O L A R P O W E R

San Francisco • July 7-10, 2014

Thin Film

C

THIN FILM

ould thin-film solar panels be making a comeback? If you believe the whispers in the hallways at conferences, the answer may well be yes.

First, a quick overview of the thin-film market as it stands now. While there are a number of thin-film solar providers, two are well-known companies distributing thin-film panels in the United States: First Solar and Stion. A third, Siva Power, is still building its factory, but it expects to come online soon.

There are primarily two competing technologies: cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS). First Solar, the largest producer of thin-film panels in the United States, uses the former. Stion and Siva Power (when they start producing panels), use the latter.

Less than five years ago, thin-film panels, because they were cheaper to produce, were going to revolutionize the industry. But when silicon prices dropped quickly, they lost that momentum. With silicon prices finally leveling out, however, it may present thin-film with a chance to re-emerge — at least according to Frank Yang, VP of Business Development for Stion.

“There is opportunity for the right thin-film technology, one that competes with silicon PV on levelized cost of electricity (LCOE),” Yang says. “CIGS modules have a proven energy-yield advantage in warm climates due to superior temperature coefficient.”

According to Brad Mattson, CEO of Siva Power, CIGS modules have a number of attributes that lead to superior field performance and financial returns for project owners.

“CIGS is a demonstrably capable and versatile material,” Mattson says.

“The world records for thin-film efficiency are all held by CIGS. This is

significant. It opens up the possibility of the Holy Grail in solar: Silicon-like efficiencies at low thin-film costs.”

Yang says that adding sulphur (making traditional “CIGS” into “CIGSS”) adds a second layer of protection from degradation over the long-term.

“Dual-glass CIGSS modules with an effective edge seal have been proven to be the most stable commercialized PV semiconductor as demonstrated by test arrays at national labs with over eight years of field testing that exhibit zero degradation,” Yang says. “CIGSS modules have a superior temperature coefficient leading to better yield than crystalline silicon modules in warm climates.”

But there are a couple of problems holding thin-film solar back: 1. Thin-film technologies have traditionally had lower efficiencies than silicon panels (although some new lab testing showed at least one panel that produced a 23.2% efficiency, which indicates that may be changing).

2. The different production methods have hindered production on a wider scale.

But the companies currently involved see those challenges as more opportunities than obstacles. Yang says his company’s current technology, singlejunction CIGSS modules, has a conversion efficiency of approximately 14% and a superior temperature co-efficient (-0.26%/°C). The temperature adjusted efficiency is on par with crystalline silicon modules enabling equal or better project value in most climates.

And Mattson says he believes the best production method has been recognized and will revolutionize thin-film production — as soon as this year.

“It turns out that the optimal choice is now clear: three-stage co-

evaporation with monolithic integration on glass not only results in the best process at the lowest cost, it has the promise of reaching silicon efficiencies at thin-film costs,” Mattson says. “In fact, it might be the only technology that can get us to the fabled land of a sustainable $0.40/watt.”

From Yang’s perspective, the future for thin-film — as well as the rest of the industry — looks bright.

“The industry is entering a new phase of growth that will include investment in manufacturing expansion for the right technologies,” Yang says. “Investors will look for those that deliver differentiated project solutions — and we’re betting on thin-film solar being one of them.” SPW Photo Courtesy: First Solar

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Concentrated Solar Power

C

“Substantial cost reductions could enable CSP to regain a position in the U.S. solar-power-plant market, but it’s not clear whether this will take place,” he adds. “We don’t expect any new trends with CSP in the United States in the near future.”

Tom Georgis, senior vice president of development at SolarReserve, remains baffled by the way the United States treats CSP. Many countries have come to realize that simply deploying the lowest cost renewable energy technologies such as PV and wind will not adequately meet their energy requirements, he says.

“CSP’s competitive advantage over wind and PV is its ability to incorporate energy storage,” Georgis says. “That ability increases its cost per kilowatt hour but also adds tremendous value to the transmission system and the generation portfolios in that CSP with storage can displace conventional power plants.”

There are three key trends which Geraghty is expecting to see in the following year: • Storage: “There is currently a race to develop a viable storage technology.

As this race intensifies, expect to see CSP’s storage value recognized more than ever.”

• Hybrid: “CSP is also extremely versatile and is able to be work alongside a gas plant. This benefits CSP’s clean power and the cheap price of natural gas power.”

• Exporting: “The United States is a front runner in the global race to develop renewable energy. Emerging markets are taking a huge interest in importing this technology as they look to build sustainable economies.”

Until the United States recognizes the value of CSP with storage, it is going to see few, if any, CSP projects announced in the coming years, Georgis says, but there is hope on the horizon.

“Utilities in the United States are beginning to see the value of storage as more and more intermittent renewable generators come online,” Georgis adds.

“Intermittency from other renewable sources causes strain and instability on the grid and requires firming and shaping from conventional generation assets.

Given the uncertainty around the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) extension or language modification, it’s unlikely that CSP companies will take the development risk if a path to financing these large projects is unclear. SPW Dennis Schroeder/NREL

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CONCENTRATED SOLAR POWER

oncentrated solar power (CSP) was the hot technology in the United States five or six years ago, before silicon prices plummeted and made rooftop installations more affordable. As prices for silicon and thin-film panels continue to fall, is there are place for CSP in the U.S. solar mix?

Marco Geraghty, research and project manager at CSP Today, a U.K.-based concentrated solar online publication, thinks the answer is yes.

“CSP has been really successful in the United States, with about 40% of all worldwide CSP installations,” Garaghty says. “But there is a lot more that can be done to boost CSP deployment.”

Two of the greatest challenges U.S. CSP faces is an unwieldy permitting process and land-intensive construction plans.

“They also require an incredibly high intensity of heat — a resource which is only found in the Southwest,” Garaghty says. “Fortunately, the United States has the largest amount of land where this heat is available, which is why there is so much potential for CSP.” Changes in government policy to make these challenges easier to meet would push CSP forward in the United States, Garaghty says.

Not everyone shares Garaghty’s enthusiasm for the prospects of CSP in the United States, however. Matt Campbell, senior of Power Plant Products, SunPower Corp., believes CSP’s time in the United States may have passed.

“In recent years, several gigawatts of planned CSP projects in the United States were switched to PV because of its lower costs,” Campbell says. “Although there are CSP projects globally, they have also lost momentum, and the world’s largest solar market — China — is seeing little, if any, CSP development.

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San Francisco • July 7-10, 2014

Project Services

A

s the solar market grows, additional services to navigate and protect solar projects are becoming increasingly important. Here are short summaries of how a few can help.

Asset Management

PROJECT SERVICES

Traditionally, solar projects were promoted as low-risk investments with few moving parts, well-warranted equipment and little technical maintenance. But as the market has matured, maintenance requirements have been more challenging, says Chad Sachs CEO of RadianGen. There has been consolidation in the equipment sector, and the investment structures used to finance projects are more complex. In addition, the ITC structure has created disincentives for installers and developers to focus on long-term performance.

“While solar is a good investment, these factors underscore the importance of good, qualified management across all of the functional disciplines that are required for the asset – technical, contractual and financial,” Sachs says.

Solar Asset Management (SolarAM) is the comprehensive scope of work necessary to ensure that a solar project performs contractually, technically and financially to provide the expected return on investment. “It is more than ‘boots on the ground’ technical maintenance,” Sachs says. “SolarAM requires a deep understanding of how the equipment, contracts and financial structure all work together to achieve desired results.”

Consulting “In a rapidly changing solar market, the only thing predictable is lack of stability,” says Ed Heacox of Envect. “No venture is risk-free, but professional consulting

(specifically venture consulting) can help your business gain traction and reduce the chance of stalling or failing all together.”

Traditional consulting, Heacox says, is often focused on a narrower scope of work and for a shorter period than with venture consulting. “Traditional consultants will offer ideas without navigating execution,” he says. “Venture consultants ideally are positioned early in the process to contribute advice, evaluate various strategic paths and then remain in place to execute the strategy.”

A specialized venture consulting team may also be able to serve as market data researchers, legal advisors, regulatory and engineering specialists and tax and transaction experts. Such a team can do all this while partnering with the client for a sustained period and keeping in mind your goals for success.

Insurance “The solar insurance landscape is changing almost as fast as the industry,” says Jeanne Schwartz, vice president of new venture commercialization at Assurant, a solar insurance provider. “Whenever a development occurs that presents a new risk, an insurance company is bound to come up with a solution.”

Four potential solar insurance products that Schwartz sees on the horizon are: • Yield guarantees. This coverage protects a tax equity investor’s financial return and is seen as a comprehensive guarantee that can drive more taxequity investment into the market.

• Tax equity recapture. This is coverage for investors who may be reluctant to take advantage of the high yield

tax equity investment can generate.

Insuring against this possibility can help would-be investors get comfortable with this admittedly complex investment opportunity.

• Workmanship coverage. For homeowners interested in purchasing solar, this coverage adds an additional layer of protection to the equipment warranties and supplemental products that uphold warranties even if the manufacturer is unable to do so.

• Bundled Operations and Maintenance (O&M) plans and warranty products.

The combination of these services enable better budgeting for planned and unplanned maintenance expenses and more efficient protection against problems that threaten energy output. SPW Photo Courtesy of Assurant

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TRENDS S O L A R P O W E R

San Francisco • July 7-10, 2014

Ground Mounting

R

BI Solar reports a trend toward steel structures on groundmounted arrays. The strength of steel allows for more cost effective structures that meet the demands of challenging geographic areas with high wind and snow loads, where more arrays are being sited. RBI Solar’s ground mount system (GM-I) exclusively uses steel components. The groundmount market has also seen growth in the demand for ground-mounted PV arrays on landfills and brownfields.

While there are all sorts of differentiators in the PV racking space,

RBI Solar focuses on creating custom solutions for each project.

“RBI Solar’s capabilities also extend into the installation portion of projects,” says specialist James Cormican. “Multiple crews and a fleet of post-driving machines allow RBI Solar to meet the demands of shorter construction schedules.”

Beyond the beams, and as in the other racking and mounting spaces, the solar industry has seen a movement towards integrated grounding.

Customers demand simplicity of installation. Racking vendors are

providing their own grounding strips, teethed clips and other grounding methods so the customer does not need to buy third-party grounding devices.

This can save customers money and, often, installation time as well.

GameChange Racking, for instance, provides UL-467 listed grounding strips for all of its systems, and is soon introducing UL-listed panel mounting clips with integrated teeth to eliminate grounding strips altogether.

There has also been a movement towards integrated wire management, including wire management trays on

GROUND MOUNTING Photo Courtesy: TerraSmart

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GROUND MOUNTING

Photo Courtesy: Unirac

purlins, punched holes for wire ties and clips, as well as integrated methods for roof systems to accommodate northsouth wire runs. More integrated wire management features from racking vendors means fewer third-party attachments and products for wire management, saving time and money for installers and simplifying logistics.

Providing integrated wire management, GameChange Racking’s G90 galvanized steel panel mounting purlins include full-length wire management trays for wires to reside.

Holes are punched every two feet for ties.

GameChange’s aluminum panel mounting rails feature deep trays where wires are securely tucked in and tied every 40

25

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It has arrived.

The new Polar Bear® ŇĂƚ ƌŽŽĨ ƐLJƐƚĞŵ takes the best features, service, and reliability ĨƌŽŵ WĂŶĞů ůĂǁ͛Ɛ ƉƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ŇĂƚ ƌŽŽĨ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵďŝŶĞƐ ƚŚĞŵ ŝŶƚŽ Ă ƐŝŶŐůĞ ƉůĂƞŽƌŵ ǁŝƚŚ ŵŽƌĞ ĐŽŵƉĞƟƟǀĞ ƉƌŝĐŝŶŐ.

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RM

ROOF MOUNT

BALLASTED FLAT ROOF RACKING SYSTEM UNIRAC BOOTH #9411 INTERSOLAR NORTH AMERICA SAN FRANCISCO, CA • JULY 8-10, 2014

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I N T RO D U C E S T H E P OW E R O F S I M P L I C I T Y TO T H E

B A L LA S T E D F LAT R O O F S O LA R I N D U S T RY. T H E S Y S T E M C O N S I S T S O F O N LY T W O M A J O R C O M P O N E N T S , M I N I M I Z I N G P R E PA R AT I O N W O R K A N D I N S TA L LAT I O N T I M E . S E A M L E S S LY D E S I G N A R O U N D R O O F O B S TA C L E S , S U P P O RT M O S T F R A M E D M O D U L E S A N D B O N D T H E S Y S T E M W I T H J U S T THE TURN OF A WRENCH.

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inches, or where required by code.

As far as codes and standards go, changes in or adoption of documents such as 2012 IBC and IFC, 2014 NEC, UL1703 and UL2703 will all have significant effects on system design, product design and product testing. “Racking manufacturers will be challenged to continue to adapt and get products evaluated to new standards required by jurisdictions across the country,” Cormican says.

To set themselves apart, groundmount suppliers must focus on two areas, according to Andrew Barron Worden, founder and CEO of GameChange Racking: install speed and pricing. Here is what he says about each:

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Install speed: “Labor is now the biggest single cost concern of many installers, especially where union or licensed electrician labor is required such as in the northeast and other areas. Racking companies must innovate to add flexibility to designs and to reduce part counts to help installers reduce labor costs.”

Pricing: “2013 was the first year in which pricing was actually published and shown at trade shows. Installers and developers are demanding better pricing as they are being squeezed by lower FITs and SRECs. Panel and inverter companies have reduced pricing dramatically and racking companies have now followed suit.” SPW

RACKING MANUFACTURERS WILL BE CHALLENGED TO CONTINUE TO ADAPT AND GET PRODUCTS EVALUATED TO NEW STANDARDS REQUIRED BY JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

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Sloped-Roof Mounting

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more important.

“With solar installers facing declining margins, they are looking for innovative racking systems to cut costs and increase productivity,” says Stella Sun, director of marketing at SunModo Corp. “Integrated rail-less racking solutions can significantly cut installation time and cost by eliminating rail-related activities.”

One example of a rail-less system comes from Roof Tech, which has launched rail-less mounting hardware products for residential PV that reflect

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Syst e

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the all-in-one concept. The RT[E] Mount and RT-[E] Mount Air are options for composition roofs and are classified to UL 2703 with optional adaptors for microinverters and cable harnesses. The result is a product with integrated bonding, integrated flashing and a low mechanical impact on the roof due to expansion and contraction.

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SLOPED-ROOF MOUNTING

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s with other types of solar mounting, sloped-roof mounting manufacturers are providing systems with integrated bonding architecture.

Systems are also coming with fewer independent parts.

Manufacturers are focusing on more integration and pre-assembly, reducing handling time needed by installers on the roof and trimming installation costs. This is part of a larger trend in reducing the overall cost of solar, says Bart Leusink, president and CEO Renusol America.

As the price of PV panels fell over the past five years, the cost of racking has moved into the foreground, with innovation in racking becoming even

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The Renusol MS mounting system for trapezoidal sheet metal pitched roofs is an example of a simpler, less time-consuming installation trend. The Renusol MS does not require rails for attachment to rafters or purlins. It uses only small, pre-assembled brackets, mid-clamps and screws and includes the grounding system.

It’s important for companies to focus on marketing practices because competition in the racking-andmounting market has always been intense, but never more than now.

As module prices have dropped, the material and labor costs associated with racking systems have become a larger percentage of the total

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cost of a PV installation, which puts additional pressure on racking system manufacturers to focus marketing on cost-effective and efficient designs.

“Overall, brands set themselves apart in the racking and mounting market the way they always have — by continuing to refine designs, provide innovative solutions that save their customers time, money and hassle, and with quality that ensures longterm durability,” says product manager Don Massa of Mounting Systems.

Renusol America has found that referrals, relationships and reputation — not just marketing initiatives — are driving business. With its own business experiencing a 400% growth rate in 2013.

IT’S IMPORTANT FOR COMPANIES TO FOCUS ON MARKETING PRACTICES BECAUSE COMPETITION IN THE RACKING-AND-MOUNTING MARKET HAS ALWAYS BEEN INTENSE, BUT NEVER MORE THAN NOW.

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Renusol America expects the industry to consolidate around the racking-andmounting system providers with the best relationships and reputation for products and support services.

Here is one trend manufacturers and installers should be wary of, according to Mounting Systems’ Massa: Codes and proposed regulations and standards have already or will significantly increase material costs, administrative costs and labor costs, as well as increasing permitting complexity and uncertainty. They have or will needlessly complicate the entire PV design and installation process and have already made the United States

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one of the most expensive countries in which to install PV. “Equally unfortunately, there has not been any demonstrable, commensurate increase in safety nor a demonstrable showing that new regulations, codes and standards are necessary,” Massa says. “What we are seeing and, unless the industry begins to push back, will continue to see, is the narrow self-interests of individuals and organizations continuing to add costs and regulatory burdens to an industry already operating on uncomfortably thin margins.” SPW

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success and withstanding elements for 30 or more years. Engineering and testing to that standard is not easy.

“I see many systems that I don't think are nearly as strong as they need to be,” Rothschild says. “We do extensive testing and have a large safety factor built into our racking systems.

The old adage ‘you get what you pay for’ is definitely true in racking.”

A major trend in ballasted racking over the past year has been a strong move towards integrated bonding systems that reduce electrical costs and installation timing, with the elimination of bonding components such as WEEBs. Unirac’s RM system illustrates this trend by eliminating bonding components with a module clamp that also acts as the module bonding path.

With the bonding directly integrated with the module clip, bonding between modules and to the racking system requires just the turn of a wrench.

SunLink’s Precision RMS also showcases the potential of integration and pre-assembly.

“We’ve integrated slip sheets into the system by using rubber feet, and we’ve integrated wire management into the system through wire clips and trays,” Reznikov says. “We’ve enabled the integration of combiner boxes into the system with combiner box mounting hardware. Many of the components are delivered preassembled. All of this integration speeds up installation, reduces total installed cost and improves overall system quality and reliability.”

Recently, racking and mounting has come under more scrutiny from regulatory bodies in the United States and from permitting officials, says Bill Vaught, product manager at Unirac.

Standards making and influencing bodies such as UL and Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) are releasing guidelines and certifications

Photo Courtesy: Schletter

BALLASTED MOUNTING

he ballasted roof-mount industry is maturing and becoming more sophisticated, and manufacturers are designing more creatively and more efficiently.

New systems use fewer components and standardizing parts, according to Yury Reznikov, vice president of product management and strategy at SunLink.

Racking suppliers with healthy balance sheets are invested in product innovation and tooling, keeping greater inventories and driving volume through their supply chains.

Ultimately, they are able to provide better products on a more reliable schedule at a lower cost. That’s why it’s becoming tougher for small players to remain competitive.

Still, Elie Rothschild, sales manager at Sollega, believes more companies are coming into this market with a belief that it’s easy, which creates problems.

Reliable racking is critical for system

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S O L A R P O W E R

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relating specifically to how racking and mounting for PV systems should be designed from a structural and electrical standpoint. “Over the long term, these guidelines and testing requirements may cause smaller or lower-quality PV racking suppliers to drop out of the market,” Vaught says.

Fire regulations have also emerged as a key focus for 2014, Reznikov says. Given that the way modules behave on the roof has to do with how they are mounted, the UL 1703 module standard was updated to require fire testing for racking. Few mounting systems have been tested so far, with most of the industry preparing to comply. Testing will likely occupy much of the remainder of the year.

Racking and mounting companies, including Unirac, continue to focus on promoting brands in real time by leveraging social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin.

“We leverage social media to determine which topics interest our solar market viewership,” says Marcelo Gomez, director of marketing at Unirac.

“By using this information, we are able to respond quickly with refined messaging that is timely and relevant to our target audience.” SPW Photo ©2012 Session Solar & Creotecc

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Solar Carports & Canopies

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SOLAR CARPORTS

ne of the fastest growing trends in the photovoltaic market is the use of carports or canopies as a means to support a PV system. An ideal location to build a solar carport is anywhere with a parking lot and limited shading from trees and tall buildings.

Colorado-based Lumos Solar tells of more pre-engineered carport and canopy structures appearing in the market recently. For its part, Lumos released SolarScapes, a preengineered canopy that comes in four configurations but is fully modular. It is designed specifically for the Lumos LSX frameless modules. The focus of such systems is aesthetics, ease of install and long-term durability.

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with a local construction company to design and fabricate two 14-kW solar carports for a U.S. Army base in Maryland. PV Racking will fabricate the racking and all the steel used in the project. The company plans to introduce its own four-car carport design this spring, which will be sold directly to installers.

Solar installer Sunlight Electric turned to Schletter, a manufacturer of solar mounting systems and other metal products, for a project in California. Schletter makes the majority of its carport systems from aluminum, as opposed to more-popular steel, says Justin Smith, a regional manager with the company. He says the lighterweight metal makes installation easier.

“Steel allows larger spans, so you could do canopy structures with more www.solarpowerworldonline.com

than two rows of parking, but then you have to deal with the additional weight,” Smith says, adding that clients have told him aluminum is more aesthetic, too.

It allows a carport architecture unlike others on the market, he says.

Schletter’s Park@Sol solar carport comes in three primary design options. B1 is a single-row system for parking that runs east-to-west. B2

STEEL ALLOWS LARGER SPANS, SO YOU COULD DO CANOPY STRUCTURES WITH MORE THAN TWO ROWS OF PARKING, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE ADDITIONAL WEIGHT

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accommodates two rows of cars parked nose to nose. B3 is similar to B2, but its V-style roof structure allows the system to be more productive when the parking lot is running north-to-south. It catches the sun as it’s rising and setting.

A solar carport design will maximize both leasehold improvements and aid in energy reduction and independence with minimized expenses. Additional advantages when compared to a roof array are that there are no roof penetrations or water protrusion points of concern, or engineering costs regarding the age and integrity of the roof. Roof warranties and other building system logistics that are directly affected with rooftop installations are of no consequence to solar carports.

Some carport manufacturers include engineering and design tasks and construction crews. Baja Construction, for instance, designs and builds cost-effective shade structures and solar support systems.

Baja’s structures include cold-rolled, light-gauge, high-tensile steel and galvanized structural members. The structures are pre-fabricated, preengineered and assembled on-site with no field engineering or soldering.

For solar projects, direct attachment from modules to purlins is simple — no racking or decking required.

DPW Solar and partners will introduce the new SR Series solarready shade structures engineered and optimized to site-specific applications.

The structures feature an integrated photovoltaic-module mounting system and are available in a variety of structural types and finishes. These solar support structures feature tilt angles up to 10° and optional solutions for water and snow protection. SPW

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Solar Trackers

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SOLAR TRACKING

ver the past few years, the use of solar trackers has become more mainstream and accepted by the solar industry. Quality-built and smartly designed trackers have all but eliminated perceived risks of tracker use. Successful tracker designs are typically less complex and can be mechanically linked together to minimize active components to maximize performance, reliability and long-term maintenance issues.

Innovation in solar tracking technology in the past year has focused, in part, on achieving the most efficient use of materials while maintaining reliability.

As a result, trackers now decrease install times, minimize labor costs and produce a competitive leveled cost of energy (LCOE).

For example, the DuraTrack HZ single-axis tracker from Array Technologies (ATI) has been installed in more than 200 utility-scale and commercial projects around the world, a success that can be attributed in part to its patented rotating gear-drive design.

The design calls for multiple rows of PV modules to be connected by a rotating drive-train, which is powered by a motor.

This drive-train turns several rows of modules to track the sun throughout the day. The design provides siting flexibility for varied terrain conditions as the driveline can be installed at varying angles. It also uses fewer motors per megawatt, which increases long-term reliability by reducing potential failure points.

In today’s competitive landscape, tracking and racking brands are marketing to their individual strengths, such as site

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flexibility, reliability and faster installation.

Ultimately, clients are searching for creative ways to bring down BOS costs while increasing value.

Reflecting this last point, Paul Breslow, director of marketing at robotic-powered tracker company QBotix says optimization, which leads to greater value, is a trend that has been implemented across the entire solar industry.

“In inverters, it is evidenced by the growth of micro-inverters, DC optimizers and string inverters for residential and commercial project sizes and situations where these technologies provide a quantifiable value proposition,” Breslow says. “Similarly, not every mounting system works equally well in all situations.”

Breslow says a ganged actuation single-axis tracker that works well in in one place may not work as well somewhere else. To optimize within the mounting industry, QBotix developed the Robotic Tracking System, or Qbotix RTS, a dual-axis tracking system that employs rugged, intelligent, mobile robots to aim solar modules toward the sun and adjust their position throughout the day to maximize energy output. The RTS can be installed at higher GCR’s and in complicated field situations.

According to Array Technologies, the market landscape in 2014 has shifted toward projects in the 1 MW to 20-MW range, which will meet

utilities’ short-term capacity needs and remaining RPS requirements. With the ITC end date in sight, developers have little time to start permitting new multi-megawatt projects with inherently longer development lead times.

The increase in mid-sized sites will support continued growth in the tracking and racking market, as they will also create ground-mount needs, which suppliers are already fulfilling. In addition, new markets have emerged in support of solar, such as North Carolina and Georgia, which add geographic diversity to the solar industry in the United States.

Solar trackers will be fundamental as solar becomes more mainstream because tracking technology allows a PV system to broaden the power-delivery profile with peak production delivered during peak energy demand times.

The increased production from trackers means they provide proportionally better economics when the value of the kWh is higher. With incentives coming down in many historically strong markets, this could cause some short-term situations in some markets and geographies where tracker value propositions are not as strong as fixed-tilt, according to Breslow. However, market fundamentals dictate that energy prices will continue to rise, and this provides strong justification for tracking being the optimal long-term solution in many markets. SPW

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The QBotix Robotic Tracking SystemTM (RTS)

More Energy. Less Cost.

The optimized dual-axis Robotic Tracking SystemTM (RTS) delivers project cost savings up to 20%, high system reliability, and installation flexibility

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Module-Level Power Electronics

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MODULE-LEVEL POWER ELECTRONICS

avigant Research reports that annual installations of global module-level power electronic (MLPE) capacity will grow from 1,185 MW in 2013 to 12,844 MW by 2020.

Brad Dore, director of marketing for SMA America, says that module-level electronics, a category that includes microinverters and power optimizers, have proven popular for a number of reasons.

“They’ve addressed common system-design challenges and have provided professionals with an easy-tounderstand solution,” Dore says. “Despite higher costs, they give installers greater flexibility, which is valuable.”

Raghu Belur, co-founder of Enphase Energy, says MLPE technology has been so disruptive because it creates more profitable businesses for solar professionals and a better return on investment for system owners.

“Installers find value in the microinverter’s design flexibility and ease of installation, while also having an integrated software platform to manage operations and maintenance remotely,” Belur says.

Likewise, Michael Rogerson, marketing manager of SolarEdge North America, notes module-level power electronics’ rapid movement beyond “niche” product status and into the 62

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mainstream. They appeared on more than half of U.S. residential solar installations in 2013. Installers are also seeing opportunities to slash costs with MLPE at the commercial level.

“DC optimizers are gaining traction for their ability to remove the electrical roadblocks of traditional system design and enable more modules per project,” Rogerson says. “This corresponds to increased revenues for developers and installers, increased output and faster payback for system owners.”

As panel manufacturers look for new ways to differentiate their products, more are partnering with MLPE providers to offer an integrated product commonly referred to as a “smart module.” Smart modules also allow installers to reduce the part count at a project rather than add MLPEs to the panels on-site themselves.

James Bickford of Tigo Energy says that enabling the inverter to talk to the module offers benefits such as enhanced safety functionality, lower DC-boost multiples and lower balance of system costs.

“We see the need for a communication-based solution that enables solar to tap into a rich ecosystem of features currently unavailable to a non-communicating PV module,” Bickford says. “Think of how

connecting the phone to the internet created applications that, 10 years ago, no one would have conceived. Once the phone could communicate with the cloud and software developers had an agreed-on set of standards, the features and functions the ‘phone’ could provide became nearly unlimited. The same thing is true for a smart module.”

Bickford sees establishing a standard application programming interface (API) to allow multiple devices from multiple vendors to transparently interoperate as a major challenge in the solar industry.

Another challenge with smart modules, according to Craig Lawrence of SolarBridge Technologies, is different levels of integration.

“Consumers need to be wary of companies creating smart modules that really aren’t that smart,” Lawrence says. “Integration isn’t just a matter of combining two products. The best product integrations are the result of hard work, jointly testing the product in the lab and in the field, and qualifying the combined product under UL standards.”

Still, Lawrence believes that reliability is going to be the most critical challenge of the solar industry for the next several years. “Now that the solar industry has finally come into its own and become a viable alternative to fossil-fuel electricity,

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MODULE-LEVEL POWER ELECTRONICS

we absolutely have to ensure that our products are every bit as reliable as we say they are,” he says.

SMA America’s Dore agrees: “When you look at the number of electrical components in a module-level power electronic system and consider that most of these devices are installed on a roof where temperatures can routinely exceed 140°F, you quickly realize that reliability is paramount to long-term success.”

With so many residential installations now built with module-level electronics, many think the industry is overdue to evaluate how to test them.

Michael Ludgate, VP of business development at APS America, says reliability standards are common in other industries, but are still making their way into solar.

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“It’s common practice in telecommunication and military power equipment to meet certain predictions on product life and reliability, better known as mean time between failures (MTBF) estimates,” he says. “This is a textbook-type evaluation to predict reliability. Having some form of MTBF in solar could separate the good from the bad, and force manufactures to address failures with analysis and constant product improvement.”

“Inverter reliability is as important as module reliability, mainly because the inverter is the operating system for the entire array that performs 100% of all conversion work,” says Enphase’s Belur. “While module issues do affect performance, high microinverter quality will keep entire systems producing even

with module reliability issues.”

SolarBridge’s Lawrence believes that the entire PV market needs a dedicated focus on reliability. “Inverters are the single leading cause of failure in PV systems,” he says. “They’re also typically the most expensive failures. This is a risk to lease and PPA companies that are providing performance guarantees for energy production. The industry may begin to see significant unplanned O&M expenses related to inverters that will erode returns from financed systems, unless tough new reliability standards are adopted.”

Inverter manufacturers are increasingly stepping up to redefine inverter testing standards with organizations such as Sandia National Labs and with IEC working groups. SPW

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String Inverters

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wide DC-input voltage range for design flexibility and backup power without batteries for secure power supply.

“Just like having various options available in the showroom, manufacturers need to have lots of options available to customize inverters for the customer’s needs,” says Tucker Ruberti, director of strategic marketing at Advanced Energy.

According to recent reports, module-level power electronics (MLPE) such as microinverters and power optimizers are on the rise. But string inverter manufacturers don’t seem fazed by the competition.

“MPLE devices are an exciting technology, but with our focus on commercial and utility markets, we have yet to see any serious competition,” Ruberti says. “The primary reason is cost. MLPE prices have fallen rapidly, but string inverter prices are also competitive, and it is hard to justify the extra cost when the increased energy yield vs. a string inverter is minimal.”

Susanna Huang of Ginlong USA thinks there’s room for both options to exist.

“MLPEs and string inverters are different in term of production, initial cost and maintenance under different client situations,” Huang says. “So I think string inverters and MLPEs will co-exist in the foreseeable future.”

Though string-inverter manufacturers agree that reliability is important, most are opposed to setting common standards.

“Reliability is critical in the inverter industry, but we also don’t see a particular need for a quality standards group for inverters because standards are set by the customer and market,” says Thomas Enzendorfer, director of Fronius USA’s solar energy division.

Ed Heacox of Chint Power Systems agrees.

“A blanket standard is not needed, but proving high reliability is a great weapon for competitive advantage,” Heacox says.

“There are many ways to increase reliability confidence in the design process, but we have found that actual field- and labtoughness testing is most effective.

If an inverter has poor quality and reliability issues, it won’t last for long in the demanding U.S. market, Enzendorfer says. With the installer being liable for the first 10 years of system performance in many states, and leased systems expected to last up to 20 years, taking a gamble on companies with unproven bankability, reliability and customer service should be an unacceptable risk.

“There’s a need for inverters that can be field serviced in 15 minutes with one truck roll, a small service kit and no need for roof access,” Enzendorfer says. “To comply with future changes to codes and standards, replacing a defective inverter will require the whole system to be updated, while simply servicing the existing inverter will avoid this major expense.” SPW

STRING INVERTERS

he U.S. solar PV market is maturing and experiencing a shift toward more 5-MW plants that leverage string inverters, says Alan Beale, general manager of SolarMax USA. These plants are seeking technology solutions that can ease deployment and maintenance and deliver more stable energy yields.

To provide such solutions, inverter manufacturers are incorporating features such as arc-fault detection, lighter weight for easier installation, 600-Vdc or 1000Vdc options, solutions for 208 Vac and 480 Vac and a range of power ratings.

Furthermore, transformerless topolgy helps reach high efficiencies, multiple MPP trackers allow more flexible array arrangement and adherence to Rule 21 requirements give utilities more control over solar production at the inverter level.

Inverters are also getting smarter.

“PV-system-performance monitoring is becoming more accessible to homeowners with smart phone and tablet apps that allow continuous visibility to system performance that was previously available on dedicated devices or PCs,” says Chavonne Yee, director of NA product management in Product Group Solar at ABB. Such communication with third-party owners and homeowners requires open data standards such as SunSpec Modbus and wireless standards such as Wi-Fi and ZigBee. String inverter manufacturers are also looking into new features such as a

Photo Courtesy of SolarMax

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Central Inverters

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CENTRAL INVERTERS

tility-scale solar, which commonly uses central inverters, is a whole different ballgame from residential and commercial solar. Central inverters face different demands from those facing string and microinverters.

“Commercial-grade equipment is often applied to utility-scale installations, yet these solutions are not designed for the requirements of these installations,” says Kleber Facchini, product manager at Eaton.

Ryuta Ray Saka of TMEIC says that residential and commercial-scale inverter manufacturers are challenged with a different set of expectations than utilityscale inverter manufacturers.

“As the name indicates, microinverters are evaluated for the performance of ‘micro’ power management including the effects of shading losses, module thermal mismatch and module soiling losses,” Saka says. “Central inverters are challenged with ‘macro’ or large-scale power management features such as plant-level reactive power response and dynamic power curtailment.”

There are several points that central inverter manufacturers have to keep in mind, according to Josephine Tsen, product manager of utility-scale and large commercial segments at Schneider Electric’s Solar Business.

These include reliability, number of MPPT inputs and serviceability.

“A central inverter must be reliable because if it goes down, a large portion of the plant’s power generation is down, too,” Tsen says. “If a central inverter is down, having a strong service network and ability to fix it quickly is crucial. Also, string and microinverters have many MPPT inputs for higher MPPT efficiency, while central inverters mitigate this disadvantage with innovative MPPT algorithms and a high

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Photo Courtesy of Ingeteam

conversion efficiency.” she continues.

“Lastly, the sheer size of central inverters makes them difficult to swap out, so manufacturers always have to keep serviceability in mind in their designs.”

Higher penetration of solar in the United States is creating new challenges for the industry and central inverters, according to Mark Goodreau of Solectria Renewables.

“Utilities are calling for smart inverters that can improve grid stability and help mitigate power quality issues caused by high penetration of PV systems on distribution feeders,” Goodreau says. “Adding smart inverter capabilities, such as voltage regulation and fault ride-through, will free up the grid for more PV installations and allow the U.S. market to continue to grow.”

Another challenge as solar grows and plant sizes increase, according to Peter Gerhardinger of Nextronex, is increased scrutiny on the affect inverters will have on the distribution lines.

“These studies add cost and time to the interconnect-agreement process,” Gerhardinger says. “It may be interesting to develop a generic solar inverter model that could be used by all manufacturers.”

Lou Lambruschi, marketing services and E-Business manager at Parker Hannifin, sees a challenge with increasing options on the market. “With

the growing number of inverter brands available, customers are more carefully examining the value offered in a design and considering the long-term cost of ownership rather than a low initial purchase price,” he says.

Because utility-scale solar plants are playing a more important role toward grid stability, Juan Luis Agorreta of Ingeteam’s R&D Solar PV Division says that central inverters are critical.

“They need to be much more reliable because they deal with greater power flows, so an equipment failure would mean a higher amount of energy wasted,” he says.

Reliability can be measured by mean time before failure (MTBF), but more importantly, as Parker Hannifin’s Lambruschi points out, there is the question of mean time to repair (MTTR).

“While a component failure is a relatively rare event, if it takes hours or days of downtime to repair, productivity will suffer,” Lambruschi says. “It’s advantageous to use a design with as much modularity as possible, allowing repairs to be done rapidly and efficiently.”

Ingeteam’s Agorreta says that international standards are useful in unifying criteria that may apply in different countries. “For this reason, we believe that it would be very helpful to develop a kind of international reliability standard,” he says. SPW

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BATTERIES & STORAGE

Batteries & Storage

Photo Courtesy of Crown Battery

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early everyone agrees that the key to even more widespread solar adoption is the advent of breakthrough storage developments.

At a time when other technologies — computers, phones and electric vehicles — are leaping forward with battery development, it might appear to the layperson that solar is lagging behind.

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“This year, there have been two big advances in the battery market: changes in how utilities pay for grid-tied solar, and increased automation at some battery manufacturers’ plants,” Connell says.

“Utilities are offering substantially lower payments for the energy from solar panels on grid-tied homes. That, in turn, is making it less cost-effective to install gridtied systems. Now, many homeowners are going off-grid and using the money they save on utility bills toward batteries.

But perhaps the even bigger change in the industry is the automation some

battery manufacturers have invested in, Connell says. While most batteries look the same from the outside, a battery’s materials and construction can make a tremendous difference in lifespan, performance and longevity.

Some companies use manual welding and assembly, which are imprecise and create an inconsistent product.

Other manufacturers have invested in automated manufacturing, including cast-on-strap (COS), robotic assembly and computerized quality control (in addition to checks by trained technicians).

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BATTERIES & STORAGE

THE BEST PART FOR CONSUMERS IS THAT EVEN THOUGH HIGH-TECH BATTERIES LAST LONGER, THEIR LIFECYCLE COST IS ACTUALLY LOWER BECAUSE SOPHISTICATED MANUFACTURING SLASHES ERRORS AND PRODUCTION TIME

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“Solar is a much more limited market than other battery-powered markets,” Middleton says. “Popular consumer electronics is supported by a massive market, which drives advances in small-scale energy storage technology because of the larger economies of scale, and the existing broad customer base present in densely populated areas with high disposable incomes.”

The realistic breakthrough for solar batteries is to find a long-term way for them to survive in adverse conditions, Connell says. For decades, battery engineers have pushed the envelope on battery performance in the field, but even the best battery won’t last as long

www.solarpowerworldonline.com

if it’s operating outside the suggested temperature range.

There is great optimism about the future of battery storage which, as one sage wrote, would revolutionize solar in the United States.

“The use of battery-based energy storage solutions for solar applications will continue to grow as the most reliable source of electricity in off-grid, unstable grid, inverter and telecom applications,” Middleton says. “Customers have learned that buying a high-quality battery up front is a better and more economical decision in the long run than buying a cheaper, automotive battery that will have to be replaced frequently.” SPW

Photo Courtesy of Crown Battery

“

“The best part for consumers is that even though high-tech batteries last longer, their lifecycle cost is actually lower because sophisticated manufacturing slashes errors and production time,” Connell says.

Dean Middleton, global director of sales for renewable energy at Trojan Battery Co., says newly developed carbon technology may hold the key for deep-cycle battery storage.

Deep-cycle batteries used in off-grid and unstable grid renewable energy, telecom and inverter backup systems are heavily cycled at partial state of charge (PSOC) and are often never fully recharged on a regular basis, Middleton says. Operating at PSOC can quickly diminish the overall life of a battery, which results in frequent, costly battery replacements.

“Based on more than five years of research and development, the Trojan team developed SmartCabon, a proprietary formula of carbon additives designed to enhance life and performance of Trojan industrial and premium batteries when operating in PSOC,” Middleton says. “We think this could be a game-changer.”

But why hasn’t solar battery storage moved forward more quickly?

Trojan’s Middleton warns that to compare solar battery storage with storage for other applications is not an apples-to-apples comparison.

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Photo Courtesy: Alternate Energy Technologies

Solar Hot Water

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growing trend in the industry. He says these are the reasons why:

Fewer problematic components: There is no expansion tank, check valve or air vents, along with no need for a heat-dump strategy.

Higher performance: Water is a superior heat transfer fluid compared to glycol and, in most cases, developers only need a single wall heat exchanger when using water.

Lower maintenance: Water does not turn acidic nor is it damaged from stagnation in a drainback system.

Consequently, there is no need for the annual pH checks, or the five-year system flush and recharge. That translates into more profit for the client.

Lower cost: Drainback is ideal when used with atmospheric tanks because the tank also doubles as the drainback reservoir. Atmospheric tanks are a fraction of the cost of pressurized ASME tanks.

Fewer leaks: Glycol tends to be able to slip by pipe dope and Teflon tape better than water, so it is not uncommon, even with proper installation techniques, to have glycol leaks in the collector loop.

Despite these recent successes, solar thermal power faces several challenges in the marketplace. One is a shortage of information and

understanding regarding the function and benefits of solar thermal systems.

Also, the initial cost of a solar thermal system is sometimes considered too high for consumers. Still, last year, SEIA formed the U.S. Solar Heating and Cooling Alliance (SHC Alliance) division.

As the industry strengthens, Suzan Elichaa of Maine-based Solaris sees a need for more technician education. Techs must be trained to service and repair solar thermal systems, not just install them.

“Solar professionals must understand the advantages and disadvantages of all product options to recommend the right solution for their client,” Elichaa says. “In many states, solar thermal is just ramping up, and there is a real lack of accurate knowledge about the systems.”

One company that has introduced a new system recently is Next Generation Energy. The company has eliminated pumps, heat exchangers and copper lines to create the SunBandit. The SunBandit harnesses energy from PV modules and transfers electricity to a microgrid water-heating component, which warms water in a specially designed tank. A grid-tied element provides a back up for the microgrid, creating a hybrid energy system. It does not require approval from utilities. SPW

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SOLAR HOT WATER

olar thermal energy, or solar water heating, is a cost-effective, eco-friendly way to generate hot water through solar panels, working in conjunction with a heating system. The concept isn’t new — solar hot water systems have been around since the 1970s — but recent technological advances have led to a greater selection of equipment.

Examples of advancement include PV thermal (PV/T) systems that capture heat from a variety of sources, including heat from PV modules, and water heating powered directly by PVgenerated electricity.

Prices for major thermal components have dropped significantly, too. Gal Moyal, CEO and chief engineer at Free Hot Water, says with ROI in less than three years for large projects, solar thermal is attractive to large commercial natural-gas-boiler and tank-system users.

Monitoring has also entered the solar hot water realm. The ability to see a realtime graph of a functioning solar water heating system, along with the solar gain, tank losses, back up element use and draw was not available just a few years ago.

John Alger, manager of engineering at AET, says drainback design, which offers overheating and freezing protection, high performance and low maintenance costs, also represents a

SOLAR PROFESSIONALS MUST UNDERSTAND THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF ALL PRODUCT OPTIONS TO RECOMMEND THE RIGHT SOLUTION FOR THEIR CLIENT

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System Components

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Photo Courtesy: Marathon Special Products

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s the solar market grows, more non-solar-specific companies are seeing opportunity to expand along with it. But doing so often involves making changes to a product to meet the specific needs of the solar industry.

For example, Joe Brown of Marathon Special Products says the products his company offers for solar must have different ratings than those of its primary market in industrial controls. “Solar products require higher power ratings and more wire termination options than our standard products,” he says.

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Dee Chatterjee of Dunkermotor USA said his company also saw opportunity to move into solar with its experience in the high-volume transport and automated door industries.

“Our experience in motion-control applications helped us in designing a long-life solar tracker motor,” he says.

Chatterjee also says that designing for a solar application required certain features not included in other industries.

Paul Mudge of Mudge Fasteners says that his company has also had to make adjustments to products to make them solar specific.

“Old fastener designs like the hanger bolt have found a new use in solar when made of stainless steel,” Mudge says. His company has also developed newer designs of fasteners for leak-free installations on metal roofs.

Manufacturers must make these changes while also keeping costs low and competitive.

“We constantly work to reduce costs due to increasing competition from cheap overseas products and continuously increasing commodity costs,” Brown says. “We primarily rely on developing automated assembly

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That means, no matter where on the horizon the system has turned, the result is a consistent and low-cost method that yields excellent conductivity without oxidation in utility-scale solar systems.

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simplified securitized ratings of PV assets,” Zanone says. “We have products that support all of these initiatives and have been supplying them for several years. In the past, these services were ahead of the market, but now there is much more demand from the industry as a whole.”

“The solar power industry is a dynamic place where the only thing for certain is that the way things are today is not necessarily the way things will be tomorrow,” Mudge says. “Changes in costs, incentives, local regulations and the greater economy all have an effect on how solar developers, installers and manufacturers must do business.” SPW

SYSTEM COMPONENTS

equipment, which keeps our labor costs down and helps assure we can still make the majority of our product in America.

We also implement lean principles in our overall organization to prevent and eliminate waste of any type.”

Coming from the German solar market (which has a longer track record, more capacity and more standardization), Leigh Zanone of meteocontrol sees many of the issues his company experienced in 2009 coming to the U.S. market now.

“Government regulators, R&D labs, utilities and developers have demanded standardized requirements for quality assurance at all phases, forecasting for increased grid penetrations and

WE CONSTANTLY WORK TO REDUCE COSTS DUE TO INCREASING COMPETITION FROM CHEAP OVERSEAS PRODUCTS AND CONTINUOUSLY INCREASING COMMODITY COSTS

Photos courtesy of Dunkermotor and Multi-Contact

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Off-Grid Solar

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OFF-GRID SOLAR

n the advent of debilitating storms and unstable or overtaxed grids, uninterruptible power supplies — also known as emergency battery back-up systems — are in greater demand today than ever before, as Alan Santos-Buch of Magnum Energy has noted from his view of the industry.

“For homeowners and businesses who learn that the renewable energy applications installed on their property does not function during a utility interruption, adding battery back up to the existing grid-direct application has become mission critical,” he says.

As these and other types of off-grid and grid-interactive installations grow, manufacturers must help installers meet evolving needs of their customers. For example, customers in California and Hawaii are concerned about changing solar incentives and how utilities are modifying buy-back policies of surplus renewably generated electricity.

“Commercial and residential customers want to know that the PV systems they buy today will deliver tomorrow, regardless of how policies change,” says Phil Undercuffler of OutBack Power.

Undercuffler says his company has responded with a balancing technology that can ensure users get the most out of their solar power and energy storage investments, regardless of how incentives, utility policies and grid rates might shift. The functionality ensures that users can store renewably generated power for future use and prioritize consumption, effectively zeroing-out the load on the grid while using it when needed to meet surges and spikes in demand.

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Charger settings for compatibility with lithium-ion, lead-acid and other advanced battery chemistries is another important feature incorporated into some inverters.

This allows installers to coordinate specific charging profiles for various battery types coming into wider usage.

“Many off-grid applications can also be difficult to monitor and geographically difficult to maintain,” says Mike Camesano of CITEL. “Therefore robust surge protection is essential.”

Camesano explains that the purpose of the surge protector is to protect the attached equipment within the installation.

“Contrary to popular belief, not all surge events (such as a lightning strike) are catastrophic,” Camesano says. “In

fact, the majority of surge events can be classified as stress events, slowly weakening and deteriorating the attached equipment. Implementing high-quality surge protection can effectively block these stress events, which will greatly increase the life expectancy of the attached equipment.”

One technology CITEL is using specifically addresses this in solar by eliminating leakage current.

“Leakage current not only damages the attached equipment, it can also deteriorate the effectiveness of traditional surge protection components,” Camesano says.

The technology maintains a high level of surge protection to extend the life of the attached equipment. SPW

Photo Courtesy: OutBack Power

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Financing

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members. David Field, CEO of OneRoof Energy, says traditional solar funders should look out for all the competitors now jumping into the “solar” market.

“Ironically, the newest players in ‘solar’ financing aren’t actually in solar,” Field says. “The battle for home energy is in full swing, and all types of actors are entering the stage: power storage, efficiency, home automation, vehicleto-grid and intelligent thermostats.

“That said, because we are establishing 20 to 25-year relationships with homeowners, we still believe that solar is the ‘killer app’ for winning the home-energy battle,” he adds. “No other service can claim that type of relationship with the homeowner.”

With the JOBS Act starting to make an impact, the industry is seeing more institutional-style crowd-sourcing options coming to market, as well as other nontraditional solar funding mechanisms.

BECAUSE WE ARE ESTABLISHING 20 TO 25-YEAR RELATIONSHIPS WITH HOMEOWNERS, WE STILL BELIEVE THAT SOLAR IS THE ‘KILLER APP’ FOR WINNING THE HOME ENERGY BATTLE “We can also expect to see a shift in financing models with the pending tax-credit expiration in the next couple of years,” Field says. “Homeowners may witness a combination of lease financing and traditional forms of lending.”

Homan says the biggest potential growth for distributed generation (DG) is involvement by larger community banks and regional banks, who have great

opportunities to participate with assetbased credit facilities secured by the cash flow from pools of DG commercial power-purchase agreements (PPAs).

“When the banks get confidence in serving this asset class and their regulators get comfortable with the associated risks, the banking industry can be a formidable player in the smaller commercial project finance market,” Homan says.

Both Homan and Field believe the impending reduction of the ITC in 2016 will have little or no effect on the financial health of the solar industry moving forward.

“The 10% investment tax credit that is set to replace 30% in 2017 will be sufficient to make solar economically viable in several states,” Homan says.

“The driving factors will be the cost of electricity provided by the local utility companies and the available incentives in the local markets.”

Field says solar’s mainstream nature is an indication that it can compete on economic fundamentals and beat fossil fuels.

“Solar can compete on its own,” Field says. “Whether the ITC (or some approximation of it) is extended or not, the reality is that hard and soft costs for solar are on a rapid decline, and we will not only survive, but thrive, with or without the ITC.” SPW

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FINANCING

efore investing in a solar project, it’s critical to know where the money is coming from to finance it. As the solar industry matures and becomes increasingly complex, so does its financing models.

What financing is around the corner in 2014? And how does the impending reduction of the ITC factor into the industry’s stability moving forward?

Nathan Homan, co-founder and principal at Wiser Capital, whose aim is to bring new funding into the solar market, is betting the initial public offering (IPO) of SolarCity is the latest solar financing innovation.

“SolarCity brought the first offering of an overcollateralized pool of residential solar leases to market in November,” Homan says. “The outlook is good for securitization to bring liquidity to pools of solar projects.”

Tuan Pham, president and CEO of PowerFin Partners, an Austin, Texas-based solar investment and development firm, says while public companies have great potential to fund the solar market long-term, there are hurdles they will have to overcome.

“The understanding of YieldCos and their ability to achieve their growth target is not yet well developed in the United States,” Pham says. “Don’t get me wrong: Any vehicle that accurately reflects cash flows from solar projects is beneficial for the industry and investors.

“But 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,” he adds.

For perhaps the first time in its young history, solar industry financing isn’t just limited to industry-specific

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Operations & Maintenance

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unSpec Alliance Development Director Tim Keating caught the essence of the operations-and-maintenance (O&M) debate at Solarplaza’s March Solar O&M Conference in San Francisco.

“We’re past the gold-rush portion of the solar boom,” Keating told the audience of 249 attendees. “Now that we’ve got all this solar installed, we need to answer the next question: How are we going to maintain it so it works for the long-term?”

This is not a throwaway question.

The industry has expanded so rapidly in recent years that developers often don’t think about including maintenance into their business plans. This is a huge mistake, says Rue Phillips, CEO and co-founder of True South Renewables, a third-party O&M firm.

“Yes, preventative maintenance is more expensive upfront, but the increased output from the solar project more than offsets it,” Phillips says. “It’s much better to fix things before they break than after.”

Glenna Wiseman, partner in solar marketing firm Identity3, has written extensively about the subject. She believes the level of understanding among solar installers varies greatly by market segment.

“Utility-scale independent power producers (IPPs) build O&M into the equation from the development phase as a

OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE

O&M IS NOT SOMETHING YOU CAN UNDERTAKE LIGHTLY AS A COMPANY

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rule, and commercial distributed generation (DG) is next,” Wiseman says. “But the application of consistent solar O&M use is, I believe, spotty.”

Cedric Brehaut, principal consultant at SoliChamba, says the United States is a booming market, which makes it attractive to third-party O&M providers. For example, Alectris, a Greek-owned third-party O&M firm, is making a strong move into the United States to take advantage of the recent solar boom.

But will there be projects willing to pay outside companies to handle the O&M? It’s not an easy question to answer, and the partisans on both sides are passionate in their beliefs.

“It’s a mixed bag,” Wiseman says. “As the field of independent solar O&M service providers grows, competition grows. You will have more companies moving to outsourced models.”

Chad Sachs, CEO of Radian Generation, says companies doing their own O&M is a huge drain on resources that can be better spent elsewhere.

“O&M is not something you can undertake lightly as a company,” Sachs says. “It’s a huge investment. You should

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Photos Courtesy of True South Renewables

definitely contract it out to take that burden off your company, which will allow you to focus on what you do best — growing your company.”

But some of the industry’s leading companies, including SolarCity, have decided to bring their O&M operations inhouse.

“We’ve centralized our O&M operations so we can keep control more tightly on the quality of the maintenance,” says Jimmy Bergeron, director of O&M for SolarCity. “At one point, we used mom-and-pop solar installers when we started — but as we’ve grown, we have realized the importance of making sure we do a better job of quality control.”

Most O&M providers think it will be the investors who drive the O&M debate and make it part of the ongoing conversation

about solar installations.

“Who are the real owners of the solar assets?” Sachs says. “It’s the banks and financiers from around the world.

They are not interested in optimizing the performance, but if the project doesn’t function as promised, it will cost them money — and that’s the primary consideration in which they are interested.”

In the end, the competitive O&M market will spur greater diversity of services and will put consumers in an advantageous position.

“Competition is good for the customer so all of this industry dialogue and outreach from service providers will create a more sophisticated market for solar O&M customers,” Wiseman says.

“That’s good for everybody.” SPW

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Photo Courtesyof Affordable Solar

Distribution

S DISTRIBUTION

everal years ago a solar distributor was nothing more than a big warehouse that managed the job-by-job logistics, as Geoff Stenrick, president and CEO of SimpleRay Solar remembers.

“Anyone could stock products and sell them,” Stenrick says. “Today’s solar distributor is a partner to the installer, providing many solutions to help its customers succeed.”

These solutions can include project guidance, overall business support and design services.

“We can help independent dealers,” says Jonathan Doochin, CEO of Soligent.

“Some are good at sales and marketing, but often struggle with installation. Others are great installers, but have trouble sourcing deals. All would like to trim their soft costs, which can make up two thirds of the total cost of an installation vs. being profit for our installers and lower cost for their customers. Soligent helps by

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letting them offload the things our dealers struggle with until they are ready to take them back on, if they ever want to,” he says. “In turn, Soligent helps dealers lower the cost of solar installation and shorten the time from contract to completion.”

On the other hand, SolarCity serves system owners directly.

“We create a custom design for each project to maximize efficiency and create the best possible value for our customers,” says Jonathan Bass, vice president of communications for SolarCity.

Bass’ company has expanded partnerships with a range of firms from suppliers to private developers and engineering, procurement, construction firms (EPCs) to provide added value to its customers.

Solar distributors also need to choose their manufacturing partners wisely. Nestor Tarango of Affordable Solar says that during the past 16 years, his company has seen many

manufacturers enter and exit the market.

“When choosing components, we look for companies that are diversified, or have substantial financial backing to survive turbulent times of the industry,” Tarango says. “It’s incredibly important for our installers to understand that they are buying and selling 25-year assets and that the chosen manufacture will be around to honor any warranty questions.”

Financing is a huge issue in solar, so distributors are stepping up to fulfill this need for customers, too.

“Most consumers are only given a few options when it comes to financing,” Doochin says. “In reality, there are often multiple options in most markets that Soligent can help make more visible to our dealers and them to their consumers. We have developed back-end systems that help us comb through different options so consumers can get the best deals.”

SolarCity also plans to launch a Web-based investment platform to allow a broad range of investors, including individuals and organizations, to participate directly in solar investments.

Bass says these types of investments have previously only been available to large financial institutions.

Tarango says his company has also tried to make payments easier by adding options like payment assignment from leasing companies. This means offering the installer the option to have the leasing company pay the distributor directly, rather than waiting to be paid then paying off their line of credit “Distribution is more than just being the biggest,” says SimpleRay’s Stenrick. “Today’s installers are looking for more than price alone. The next trend of the modern solar distributor adds value to its customer’s offerings, the engine that makes the modern solar installer run smoothly and efficiently from Day One.” SPW

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[DEVELOPMENTS]

The Public Wins When Institutions Go Solar

By Andrew Merecicky, SPW

Public-sector institutions have an opportunity to invest

in and champion renewable energy projects. More than

decided to use solar and their successes with it.

mere members of the community, these institutions are products of it through public support and tax-payer funding. As such they are well-positioned to explore, invest in and advocate for more environmentally and economically sustainable practices.

Solar can greatly reduce the grid electricity usage of public buildings. Reducing the electric bill frees valuable finite funds for expanding programs and services that serve the public directly. What’s more, the addition of new public programs and services can often translate to job creation at these institutions.

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360-kW carport arrays in the main parking lot of the Toledo Museum of Art.

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Below are the stories of two public institutions that

Solar Installation Art One great example of an institution taking this imperative seriously is the Toledo Museum of Art. The museum became a leader in public works renewable energy projects by installing a solar array to the roof of its historic 101-year-old building, which houses its world-renowned art collection. The installation was completed by Advanced Distributed Generation.

Because the museum is within Toledo’s Old West End Historic District, concealing the array from sight at ground level was an important consideration. Installation components were selected based on their low-profile

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design and their reliable performance in flat or nearflat conditions. Nextronex‘s Ray-Max 27-in. tall 1000-V inverter system, and First Solar PV panels were chosen for their ability to work reliably in a low-profile rooftop array.

The array produces 200 kW and, in conjunction with the recently added 360-kW canopy array in the main parking lot, the museum can supply 50% of its own energy needs on a sunny day. During the long, clear summer days, the museum has been able to provide 100% of its own energy demand.

“The most significant benefit to the public is that the cost savings from the energy conservation have been used to maintain free daily admission to the museum’s world class collection, create arts programs and expand educational opportunities for the public — many of which are offered free of charge,” says Carol Bintz, COO of the Toledo Museum of Art.

Installed on the 101-year-old museum building, the 200kW rooftop array is barely visible from ground level.

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Nextronex inverters at the Anthony Wayne Solar installation.

The array provides 30% of the Toledo Zoo’s energy needs.

Wild Power Another Toledo-based institution that deserves recognition for its renewable initiatives is the Toledo Zoo. In December, contractor Rudolph/ Libbe (a Solar Power World Top Contractor) completed the first phase of the 2.1-MW Anthony Wayne Solar installation. Phase two is expected to be completed at the end of May. The array is anticipated to provide 30% of the zoo’s electrical consumption.

“We knew this project would offer the zoo clean, cost effective, renewable energy over more than a quarter-century, the lifespan of the project,” says Bill Rudolph, chairman of Rudolph/Libbe Companies.

“Conservation is an integral part of the Toledo Zoo’s mission, and we’re honored to support that.”

The project is in a reclaimed brownfield site that had been vacant for years. Such a location is ideal because the array not only reduces the blight of the area but makes the land profitable again, allowing Toledo to resume collecting property taxes from its use.

Many of the components used in the installation were manufactured and developed by Toledo companies, an important aspect of the project for Rudolph/Libbe and the zoo. The thin film-solar-modules were developed in Toledo by Calyxo. Nextronex, once again, contributed the inverters.

The successes of the Toledo Museum of Art and the Toledo Zoo make undeniable cases for continued public investment in renewable energy.

SPW

The Anthony Wayne Solar installation is in a reclaimed brownfield site near the Toledo Zoo.

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[DEVELOPMENTS]

Need Wind Or Solar Power Info?

Google It!

global solar map Ever wonder how the sunshine in your neighborhood compares with, say, the Sahara Desert? Now you can find out the same way you find driving directions, recipes and most other things: Google it.

A collaboration between Google and 3TIER by Vaisala

has made 3TIER’s global wind and solar datasets available to the masses through Google’s recent Map Gallery launch.

Now anyone can find the average wind speed or solar irradiance level at any location in the world. To provide this information, the company uses advanced weather models, satellite technologies and measured observations to calculate turbine-height wind speeds and ground-level irradiance anywhere across the globe.

“In light of the challenges we are facing as a society in terms of climate, cost of energy and rising demand, we want to bring this information to the world to initiate

progress, discussion, research and innovation in the key areas of energy policy, planning and investment,” says Pascal Storck, 3TIER global director.

The cost of obtaining quality wind and solar data often has been beyond the budgets of non-profits and public agencies conducting important research. For example, James Oakleaf with The Nature Conservancy evaluates areas at risk for major development, including renewable energy, to mitigate the effects of new energy projects on wildlife and biodiversity. His analysis finds ways that both can exist harmoniously.

“In our research, we hope to show that renewable energy and the environment do not need to be in direct conflict,” Oakleaf says. “Global analysis like this requires a variety of data, and many times these are difficult to obtain, restricted in their use or quite costly. Making high-quality, accurate global data like 3TIER’s publicly available is a tremendous resource for those in the conservation community.”

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[DEVELOPMENTS]

Allison Archambault, founder of Washington-based clean and sustainable technology consulting firm Fresh Generation, agrees.

Archambault provides guidance to promote the adoption of renewable energy projects, particularly in rural and developing areas.

“My clients have found 3TIER’s data highly helpful in painting a picture of renewable energy potential,” Archambault says. “There is an ah-ha moment when people see

global wind map

the resource mix for their place on Earth, so this democratization of data is an important contribution to the public domain.” SPW

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

Share This Online Email, Post, or Share on your favorite social network

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[ P R O D U CT S ] Oxide Inhibitors For Aluminum And Copper Connections ILSCO www.ilsco.com ILSCO is offering oxide inhibitors in three formulas. The standard De-Ox non-grit, petroleum-based formula is suitable for aluminum and copper connections. The manufacturer says it performs well in keeping moisture and air from penetrating the connection, preventing oxidization and prolonging the life and integrity of the connection. De-Ox-Z zinc formula contains zinc flake additive for use on aluminum or copper connections. The De-Ox-C copper formula contains copper flake additive formula for copper connections. The flake-filled formulas act as an abrasive that roughs up the smooth mating surfaces of the conductor and connector, providing an enhanced bonding between the two surfaces.

Meters Help Measure Solar Energy Production Continental Control Systems www.ccontrolsys.com Continental Control Systems offers devices to

Phoenix Contact Devises Secure Cloud VPN For Remote Connectivity

help measure energy production downstream of

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meet the accuracy requirements of ANSI C12.1. All

the solar inverter (AC) and energy consumption from the building load. The WattNode electric power meters support Modbus, BACnet or LonTalk communications protocols or pulse output. They WattNode energy meters provide line-powered single and three-phase wye or delta configurations up to

Phoenix Contact introduced the mGuard Secure Cloud

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[ P R OD U CTS ]

Glide-Line Makes Solar Manufacturing Easier Glide-Line www.glide-line.com Glide-Line offers a versatile multi-strand panel and pallet-handling conveyor solution for assembly automation. Advanced configuration tools streamline the design experience, ensuring the Glide-Line will meet exacting specifications. Glide-Line’s digital manufacturing process means fast, efficient manufacture of specific configurations, and its configuration tool generates real-time part numbers and pricing. With Glide-Line’s modular design and simple construction, conveyors and systems can be built and shipped in days, not weeks.

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[SOLAR SNAPSHOT]

“Solar Snapshot” provides 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.

continued

See the complete infographic at

http://1bog.org/blog/ infographic-9-surprisingthings-about-people-whogo-solar/.

According to SEIA and GTM Research’s U.S. Solar Market Insight 2013 Year in Review report, solar accounted for 29% of all new electricity generation capacity in 2013, up from 10% in 2012. This made solar the second-largest source of new generating capacity behind natural gas.

Photovoltaic (PV) installations increased 41% over 2012, reaching 4,751 MW. In addition, 410 MW of concentrating solar power (CSP) came online.

Solar accounted for 100% of new generation in Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Missouri, Vermont and Washington D.C.

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continued

Other key findings included: • There were 140,000 individual solar installations in the United States in 2013, and a total of more than 440,000 systems operating in total today.

• More solar has been installed in the United States in the last 18 months than in the past 30 years combined.

• The market value of all PV installations completed in 2013 was $13.7 billion.

• Weighted average PV system prices fell 15% in 2013, reaching a new low of $2.59/W in the fourth quarter.

• The report forecasts 26% PV installation growth in 2014, with installations reaching nearly 6GW. Growth will occur in all segments but will be most rapid in the residential market.

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[SOLAR SNAPSHOT]

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Technology

Cover_May

2014_Vs3.indd

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• Develop ment • Inst allation

Here are 19 tre know as it con nds you should tinues to grow.

Allied Moulded Products, Inc....................... 23 Aurora Bearing Company............................. 91 Baja Construction Co, Inc............................ 41 Chint Power Systems America.................... 9 Citel................................................................... 15 CohnReznick................................................... 7 Crown Battery................................................. 91 CS Hyde Company........................................ 84 DPW Solar........................................................ 11 DPW Solar........................................................ Insert Dunkermotor, part of AMETEK.................... 2 ET Solar Inc...................................................... 5 Fronius USA LLC............................................. 24 GameChange Racking.................................. 13 HatiCon Solar, LLC......................................... 86 InterSolar.......................................................... 89 InterSolar.......................................................... Insert JA Solar USA, Inc............................................ IFC Kipp & Zonen USA Inc................................... 14 Lufft USA Inc.................................................... 86 Marathon Special Products.......................... 29 Maxwell Technologies, Inc........................... 16

May 2014

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OutBack Power............................................... 22 Patriot Solar Group........................................ BC Peter Paul......................................................... 31 QuickScrews International Corp................. 4 RBI Solar, Inc................................................... 83 Renewable NRG Systems............................. 20 S-5!.................................................................... 40 Sapa Extrusions North America................... 37 Seaward Group USA...................................... 19 SIC USA LLC.................................................... IBC Solar FlexRack................................................. 28 SunBandit......................................................... 39 TRIM-LOK, Inc................................................. 30 UltraSolar......................................................... 88 Zilla.................................................................... 25

TRENDS S O L A R P O W E R

San Francisco • July 7-10, 2014

Aluminum Extruders Council........................57 APS America.....................................................64 BURNDY/WILEY...............................................73 EcoFasten Solar...............................................55 Hanwha SolarOne U.S.A................................45 Meteocontrol...................................................75 Mounting Systems, Inc...................................54 Omco Solar......................................................52

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PanelClaw.........................................................50 QBotix................................................................61 Schletter Inc.....................................................59 Simpleray, LLC.................................................81 SolarBridge.......................................................63 Solectria............................................................67 Solmetric Corporation...................................79 Unirac, Inc.........................................................51 Varta ..................................................................69

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