Tigo’s Solar Software
Greentech Media
A whole slew of companies want to boost the output of solar panels. Tigo Energy says the answer is in software.
Micro-inverter or panel electronics.
It’s like the Microsoft-Apple debate in solar panels.
Micro-inverter companies like Enphase Energy say they can increasethe power produced by solar panels by attaching an individual inverterto each one. With an individual inverter, panels exposed to bright sunwon’t be dragged down to the level of those in the shade or coated withdirt. Micro-inverters can also be integrated into panels to produce theall-in-one solar panel.
By contrast, Tigo Energy and National Semiconductorargue that it’s better to use a single, central inverter and maximizepower output through electronics inserted on each panel. Inverters havea higher failure rate than panels, these companies claim(micro-inverter companies vociferously dispute this). Perhaps morepersuasively, these companies argue that a central inverter strategy issimpler. Much of the energy harvesting and control takes place throughsoftware.
The market will ultimately decide which one works best for which applications. In the meantime, check out the video with Tigo CEO Sam Arditi taken at Intersolar.
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