Tag Archives: inverters
Solar Ready to Expolde in NYC
Thanks to solar’s resiliency, falling prices and ability to help out in disasters, New York is anticipating more solar installed in 2013 than ever before in the Empire state and in New York City. That’s based on experts who discussed the “Tipping Point for Solar in New York” at the City University of New York [...]
ABB Gobbles Up Inverter Firm Power-One
ABB acquiring Power-One (PWER), the number two global PV inverter company, for $1 billion is certainly a dramatic way to open Greentech Media’s Solar Summit starting today in Phoenix, Arizona. This breaking news comes a few weeks after Advanced Energy acquired REFUsol to become the number-three player in the PV inverter market. ABB already plays [...]
Micro Inverters: What You Need to Know
Are you thinking about installing solar panels on your home or business? You may just want to update your current system and add value to your investment. There are two types of inverters that you can install on your solar panel array. These may be either an array inverter, which will convert the DC current [...]
Riding the Risks and Rewards of the Solarcoaster
It’s been a while since I reflected on my career journey on what many of us in the industry have affectionately begun calling “The Solarcoaster.” Rather than look at events in the industry as a whole over the 2011-2012 period, I wanted to take a more personal view; a view as a big fish in [...]
SMA to Release Microinverter
We are drawing near the long-anticipated release of SMA’s first ever mircoinverter: the SMA Sunny Boy 240-US. SMA is a German manufactuer of photovoltaic inverters that was founded in 1981 and currently holds 40% of the market for solar inverters. SMA has consistently produced top-quality inverters for commercial and residential applications, distinguishing itself as a [...]
Chinese Solar Inverter Market: Ready to Launch
The U.S. and European solar photovoltaic module market is dominated by Chinese solar panels from vendors such as Yingli, Suntech, and Trina Solar. Tariffs imposed and trade issues aside, China has won this market with low-cost, high-quality, crystalline silicon solar panels. Almost 50 percent of the solar modules deployed in the U.S. in 2011 were [...]
True Sine Wave or Modified Sine Wave Inverters?
Because the AC electricity from the electric grid is in the form of sine wave, the inverters we use aim to produce a current that is as close to sine wave as possible. While modified sine wave inverters present an inexpensive alternative, there is no comparison to the clean, undistorted sine wave provided by pure [...]
Microinverters vs. Central Inverters
So you’re installing a brand new solar system. Do you go with microinverters or stick with a central inverter? What’s the function of an inverter? The task of an inverter is to convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), which is needed for the vast majority of electrical devices. Solar energy comes in the [...]
Micro-Inverters: Better Than Conventional String Inverters?
String (or central) inverters have been on the market all the way since the introduction of solar panels. An inverter is an absolutely necessary component of a solar PV-system. Without it, we have no way of converting direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC), which is the required type of electricity for the vast majority [...]
Enphase Readies for IPO
Enphase, the Petaluma, Calif.-based microinverter startup just priced its maiden stock offering at $10 to $12 per share according to an SEC filing. A date for the IPO has not been set. The pricing comes nine months after the IPO was registered with the SEC. The offer looks to raise approximately $72 million to $87 [...]
Efficient Solar Inverters to Hit U.S Market by 2012
As we’ve discussed in the past on this blog, there are a number of ways in which the US solar market is changing- declining panel prices, volatile state SREC markets, and innovative incentive programs are just a few examples. However, a recent announcement from REFU Solar Electronics, or REFUsol, a German manufacturer that specializes in [...]
Small Three-Phase Inverters Stealing the Show Says IMS Research, but for How Long?
Highest demand for PV inverters in 2010 will come from both the smallest and the largest three-phase inverters, according a recently released report on the market from IMS Research, with shipments of inverters rated below 35kW and above 500kW growing at nearly 50% faster than the rest of the market… The PV inverter market has [...]