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  • Product Certificates
    Solar
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Creating a world sustained by clean energy requires education, transparency, and trust. At SolarCellz USA, we invest in business solutions to reduce customer risk and the partner education that empowers their decision-making. We’re building smarter customers and a smarter marketplace.

  • MPPT Charge Controller, Solar Battery, Solar inverter, Grid Tie Inverters, Mobile Inverters, Solar Panel
  • United States
  • United States

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Shah Alam/

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$ 0.46/watt

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Earthtech is the go-to partner for businesses and organizations that want to cut operating costs, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and support a cleaner, healthier environment. Headquartered in Ontario, CA, the Company is led by a highly-experienced team of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) experts that have developed over 3,000 commercial and residential solar projects over the last decade. Products and services Earthtech [...]

  • Solar Battery, Solar inverter, Solar Panel
  • United States
  • United States

First Sunergy LLC committed to do our best to provide the best quality solar products for our customers and have very competitive pricing and the best customer service for our customers. We know our product manufactures and our customer's needs. Our solar panel manufacture is a top notch in the solar industry manufacturing from ingots, wafers, cells and all the way to the solar panels; It has world class teams of R&D and have a high prestige [...]

  • Solar inverter
  • United States
  • United States

Chilicon’s power inversion and monitoring system technology maximizes PV system production, lowers installer operational cost, and promotes end-user satisfaction.

Our Microinverters and Gateway are designed and manufactured in California.

  • Microinverter
  • United States
  • United States

SanTan Solar is a family-owned and operated business. When Bob and Minnie started SanTan Solar, they were working in the electronic refurbishing industry. One day, they came across some used solar panels that were sent to be recycled. Bob, an engineer, realized these solar panels could be repaired instead of just recycled and ground to dust. They offer a broad selection of products with a commitment to complete customer satisfaction, from [...]

  • Charge Controllers, MPPT Charge Controller, Solar Battery, Solar inverter, Grid Tie Inverters, Inverter Remote, Off Grid Inverters, Solar Panel, Mono, Poly
  • United States
  • United States

CyboEnergy is the developer of the world's first solar power Mini-Inverter, CyboInverter, which possesses the key merits of both central inverters and microinverters. CyboEnergy offers on-grid, off-grid, on/off-grid, dual-output off-grid, and AC assisted off-grid CyboInverters. CyboEnergy’s unique and patented battery-less off-grid CyboInverters for electric water heaters and AC Assisted Off-Grid CyboInverters can help solve the grid “Duck [...]

  • Microinverter
  • United States
  • United States

GOAL ZERO ISN'T JUST A COMPANY, IT'S A BUSINESS CREATED BY PEOPLE WHO LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST

  • Solar inverter
  • United States
  • United States

Merlin Solar Technologies is the brainchild of several disparate experts in the solar industry coming together, with a bit of a kick from a few helpful outsiders. Like its magical namesake, Merlin™ embraces an inquisitive solutions-oriented approach. The founders come from deep solar backgrounds, having worked the gamut of thin film and silicon slicing technologies. Core members also come from outside the industry, working in areas such as [...]

  • PV Monitors
  • United States
  • United States

CE+T Power designs, manufactures and markets a range of products for industrial operators with mission critical applications, who are not satisfied with existing AC backup systems performances, and related maintenance costs. CE+T is a multinational conglomerate of companies that creates, through an efficient and collaborative environment, advanced solutions to ensure peace of mind of its customers and the future of our planet. Since 1934, our [...]

  • Solar Battery, Solar inverter
  • United States
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Mission Solar Energy is headquartered in San Antonio, TX., where we manufacture our modules. We produce American, high quality solar modules ensuring the highest in class power output and best in-class reliability to our customers. Our product line is tailored for residential, commercial and utility applications. Every Mission Solar Energy solar module is certified and surpasses industry standard regulations, proving excellent performance over [...]

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  • United States
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Perseid Solar is a renewable energy company focused on Solar Modules, Systems, and Services. Perseid Solar’s primary product is PV Solar Modules. The company is building a turnkey factory, which will accommodate crystalline silicon solar cells. Integrating upward from Modules, Perseid Solar will offer fully configured systems, which add architectural and engineering support to provide customers with a grid-tied PV power-generating station to [...]

  • Hybrid Inverters
  • United States
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With a vision to help create a world where clean energy is powered by individuals, ingenuity and independence, Unbound Solar’s mission is to provide tailored solutions and lifelong support empowering people, communities and businesses to control the way they harness clean energy. Founded in 1992 on the premise that anyone can be self-sustainable wherever they choose to live, Unbound Solar has successfully extended its do-it-yourself (DIY), [...]

  • Solar inverter, Grid Tie Inverters, Off Grid Inverters, Solar Panel, Mono, Poly
  • United States
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WindyNation manufactures components for small wind & solar generators, with an emphasis on the growing community of do-it-yourselfers (DIYers) interested in doing more than just learning--but also doing!

  • Charge Controllers, PV Cable, Solar Battery, Solar inverter, Solar Panel, Mono, Poly
  • United States
  • United States

Evolution Group, headquartered in California, USA, is a vertically integrated, end-to-end alternate energy services provider. Though our subsidiaries, we provide commercial and residential home designs that utilize Smart Energy components and appliances that are powered by clean, renewable solar energy at an affordable pricing and controlled by intelligent controller for interference free operation.

  • Off Grid Inverters
  • United States
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  • Mounting System, Solar Tracker, Lithium-Ion Battery, Solar inverter
  • United States
  • United States

United States

The Solar Potential of USA

According to a 1998 report by the United States Department of Energy, it has been discovered that available domestic solar energy, including biomass, was technically accessible regardless of cost amounted to 586,687 Quadrillion BTUs (Quads). Of that number, 95% was biomass. Coal represented the second largest resource, with 38,147 Quads. Predictions of how much solar power was economically possible to collect added up to 352 quads, compared with 5,266 quads from coal.

All the estimations that were used in the report were based on a prediction that the price of a barrel oil would become $38 in 2010. Additionally, they were also based on multiplied annual renewable resources by 30 for comparison with non-renewable resources. In 2007, the total annual energy consumption of the United States was about 100 Quads, which was less than 0.5% of what is theoretically available from sunlight.

Moreover, in 2012, a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) described the technically available renewable energy resources for each state. In addition to that, the report estimated that urban utility-scale photovoltaics could supply 2,232 TWh per year, rural utility-scale PV 280,613 TWh per year, rooftop PV 818 TWh per year, and CSP 116,146 TWh per year. All these amounted for a total of almost 400,000 TWh per year, which was 100 times the current consumption of 3,856 TWh in 2011. For comparison, at the time, onshore wind potential was estimated at 32,784 TWh per year, offshore wind at 16,976 TWh per year, and the total available from all renewable resources was estimated at 481,963 TWh per year.

 

United States Government Support

A complete list of incentives can be found at the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE). A lot of solar power systems are grid-connected and use net metering laws to allow the use of electricity in the evening that was generated during the daytime. New Jersey is the state with the least restrictive net metering law while California is the one that has the most number of homes that have solar panels installed.

Many were installed because of the million solar roofs initiative, which entails a vision introduced back in 2007 where solar PV panels are to be installed on an additional million rooftops of home or businesses in the state of California by 2018.

In some states, like Florida, solar power is subject to legal restrictions that discourage its use.

Federal Tax Credit

The federal tax credit for solar was extended for eight years as part of the financial bailout bill, H.R. 1424, until the end of 2016. It was predicted that this will create about 440,000 jobs and 28 GW of solar power. Additionally, it was also predicted that this will lead to a $300 billion market for solar panels. This prediction did not take into account the removal of the $2,000 cap on residential tax credits at the end of 2008.

Moreover, a 30% tax credit is available for residential and commercial installations. For 2009 through 2011, this was a 30% grant instead of a tax credit, and at the time, it was known as the 1603 grant program.

The federal Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit, an income tax credit on IRS Form 5695, for residential PV and solar thermal was extended in December 2015 to remain at 30% of system cost (parts and installations) for systems that are put into service by the end of 2019, then 26% until the end of 2020, and then 22% until the end of 2021. This applies to a taxpayer’s principal and/or second residences, but this can’t be applied to a property that is rented out. There is no maximum cap on the credit, and the credit can be applied toward the Alternative Minimum Tax. Any excess credit (greater than that year’s tax liability) can be rolled into the following year.

The solar industry and utilities clashed extensively on renewal, but the solar industry won. The renewal is expected to add $38 billion of investment for 20 GW of solar.

Section 1603 Grants

President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill in 2009 created a program known as Section 1603 grants. This program was designed so as to give federal grants to solar companies for 30% of investments into solar energy. Since 2009, the federal government has given solar companies $25 billion in grant money through this program. However, the Section 1603 grant program expired in 2011.

The United States Treasury Department has been investigating solar companies for potential fraud since 2013. The department promised a report by June 2015, but the report had not been released as of 2016.

Solar America Initiative

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced on September 29, 2008, that it will invest $17.6 million, subject to annual appropriations, in six company-led, early-stage PV projects under the Solar America Initiative’s “PV Incubator” funding opportunity. The PV Incubator project is designed to fund prototype PV components and systems with the goal of moving them through the commercialization process by 2010. The 2008 award is the second funding opportunity released under the PV Incubator project. With the cost-share from the industry, which is at least 20%, up to $35.4 million would be invested in these projects. These projects would run for 18 months and are subcontracted through DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Most of the projects were to receive up to $3 million in funding, except Solasta and Spire Semiconductor which would receive up to $2.6 million and $2.97 million, respectively. Some of the projects under this initiative include:

  • Massachusetts-based 1366 Technologies developing a new cell architecture for low-cost, multi-crystalline silicon cells, which will enhance cell performance through improved light-trapping texturing and grooves for self-aligned metallization fingers
  • California’s Innovalight using ink-jet printing to transfer their “silicon ink” onto thin-crystalline silicon wafers so as to produce high-efficiency and low-cost solar cells and modules
  • Skyline Solar, also in California, developing an integrated, lightweight, and single-axis tracked system that reflects and concentrates sunlight over 10 times onto silicon cells
  • Solasta, in Massachusetts, working on a novel cell design that increases currents and lowers materials cost
  • Solexel, another California-based company, commercializing a disruptive, 3D high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon cell technology that dramatically reduces manufacturing cost per watt
  • Spire Semiconductor in New Hampshire developing three-junction tandem solar cells that better optimize the optical properties of their device layers. This company is targeting cell efficiencies over 42% using a low-cost manufacturing method.

The PV Incubator project is part of the Solar America Initiative (SAI), which plans to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015 (grid parity).

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) will achieve the goals of the SAI through partnerships and strategic alliances by focusing mainly on four areas. These are:

  • Market Transformation: activities that address marketplace barriers and offer the chance for market expansion
  • Device and Process Proof of Concept: R&D activities addressing novel devices or processes with a potentially significant performance or cost advantages
  • Component Prototype and Pilot-Scale Production: R&D activities emphasizing the development of prototype PV components or systems that are produced at pilot-scale with demonstrated cost, reliability, or performance advantages
  • System Development and Manufacturing: collaborative R&D activities among industry and university partners to develop and improve solar energy technologies

Another thing that is a part of the Solar America Initiative is the Solar America Showcase. For this activity, preference is given to large-scale, highly visible, and highly replicable installations that involve cutting-edge solar technologies or novel applications of solar.

SunShot Initiative

Announced by the Department of Energy in 2011, the SunShot Initiative aims to reduce the cost of solar power by 75% from 2010 to 2020. In great detail, this initiative’s goals are as follows:

  • Residential system prices reduced from $6/W to $1.50/W
  • Commercial system prices reduced from $5/W to $1.25/W
  • Utility-scale system prices reduced from $4/W to $1/W (CSP, CPV, and PV)

Additionally, the Department of Energy announced a $29 million investment in four projects that would help advance affordable and reliable clean energy for American families and businesses. The $29 million would be separated into two investments:

  • $21 million investment over five years to design plug-and-play PV systems that can be purchased, installed, and operational in one day
  • $8 million investment in two projects to help utilities and grid operators better forecast when, where, and how much solar power will be produced at U.S. solar energy plants

Other projects under the SunShot Initiative are the following:

  • Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Sustainable Energy Systems in Cambridge, Massachusetts developing PV technologies that allow homeowners to easily select the right solar system for their house and install, wire and connect to the grid
  • North Carolina State University leading a project to create standard PV components and system designs that can adapt simply to any residential roof and can be installed and connected to the grid quickly and efficiently
  • IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Armonk, New York leading a new project based on the Watson computer system that uses big data processing and self-adjusting algorithms to integrate different prediction models and learning technologies

All these projects are working with the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to improve the accuracy of solar forecasts and share the results of this work with industry and academia.

State and Local

There have been numerous instances throughout the years that showcase the efforts that state and local government officials have undergone to make solar possible. The following are the most well-known of these instances:

  • Governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation requiring California’s utilities to get 50% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by the end of 2030.
  • The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed solar incentives of up to $6,000 for homeowners and up to $10,000 for businesses. Applications for the program started on July 1, 2008. In April 2016, they passed a law that requires all new buildings below 10 stories to have rooftop solar panels. This made San Francisco the first major U.S. city to do so.
  • In 2008, Berkeley initiated a revolutionary pilot program where homeowners are able to add the cost of solar panels to their property tax assessment and pay for them out of their electricity cost savings. In 2009, over a dozen states passed legislation allowing property tax financing. All in all, 27 states offer loans for solar projects.
  • The California Solar Initiative has set a goal to create 3,000 MW of new, solar-produced electricity by 2016.
  • New Hampshire has a $3,750 residential rebate program for up to 50% of system cost for systems less than 5 kWp ($6,000 from July 1, 2008, until 2010).
  • Louisiana has a 50% tax credit up to $12,500 for the installation of a wind or solar system.
  • New Jersey law provides new solar power installations with exemptions from the 7% state sales tax and from any increase in property assessment (local property tax increases), subject to certain registration requirements.

Feed-in Tariff

According to experience, a feed-in tariff is both the least expensive and the most effective means of developing solar power. This is because investors need certainty, and a feed-in tariff definitely gives them that.

California enacted a feed-in tariff that began on February 14, 2008, while Washington has a feed-in tariff of 15¢/kWh which increases to 54¢/kWh if components are manufactured in the state. Hawaii, Michigan, and Vermont also have feed-in tariffs.

In 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory (FERC) ruled that states were able to implement above-market feed-in tariffs for specific technologies.

Solar Renewable Energy Certificates

In recent years, states that have passed the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) or the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) laws have relied on the use of solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) to meet state requirements. They have achieved this by adding a specific solar carve-out to the state RPS. The first SREC program was implemented in 2005 by New Jersey. Soon enough, this program has expanded to several other states, including Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

SREC offers many advantages, but one of its major problems is the lack of certainty for investors. A feed-in tariff provides a known return on investment, but an SREC program provides only a possible return of investment.

Power Purchase Agreement

In 2006, investors started offering free solar panel installation in return for a 25-year contract. They also began offering a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which is a contract between two parties — one which generates electricity (the seller) and one which is looking to purchase electricity (the buyer).

By 2009, over 90% of commercial PV installed in the United States were installed using a PPA. About 90% of the PV installed in the United States is in states that specifically address PPAs.

New Construction Mandates

In March 2013, Lancaster California became the first U.S. city to mandate the inclusion of solar panels on new homes, requiring that every new housing development must average 1 kW per house.

PACE Financing

The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing is a means of financing energy efficiency upgrades, disaster resiliency improvements, water conservation measures, or renewable energy installations of residential, commercial, and industrial property owners. This innovative financing arrangement lends money to a homeowner for a solar system, to be repaid via an additional tax assessment on the property for 20 years. This kind of financing arrangement allows the installation of the solar system at “relatively little up-front cost to the property owner.”

The principal feature of this program is that the balance of the loan is transferred to the new owners in the event the property is sold, and the loan is paid for entirely through electric bill savings. Unlike a mortgage loan, no funds are transferred when the property is sold — only the repayment obligation is transferred.

PACE programs are currently operating in eight states, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin. Additionally, they are on hold in many other states.

Current Status of Solar Power in the United States

Published on June 2019, the report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie Power and Renewables, a market research group, have discovered that the first quarter of 2019 was the strongest in the U.S. solar industry’s history. A total of 2.7 GW of solar capacity was added to the grid at this time.

Aside from that, new solar installations should grow 25% from 2018, thus amounting to 13.3 GW. This bounceback — after solar installations dipped 2% last year — was driven by larger-scale utility solar projects, which account for 61% of the first quarter’s growth.

This development is a remarkable change from what was expected last year when President Trump announced that he was putting tariffs on imported solar cells and modules. During this time, the industry was worried that the tariffs would hinder solar. However, solar installations shot past the 2-million mark this year instead.

Moreover, the industry expects this growth to continue well past 2019. A number of U.S. utilities have solar projects in the works, and they should be a reality by 2024. And both residential and non-residential solar markets have grown tremendously over the years. Overall, solar power in the United States is currently on an uphill climb.

Solar inverter used for below projects in United States

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Solar inverter

Wholesale Solar Inverters for sale

Besides solar panels, there are other components like solar inverters that are critical for both consumers and businesses. Particularly, if you are a solar installer, adding solar inverters to your inventory will help your business grow since users need this equipment to maximize and regulate the solar energy of their solar system. 

Solar power inverters have a crucial role to play in a solar system as they convert the electricity of solar panels to make them usable for running various appliances, lighting, and other electronics at homes or businesses.

Before buying solar inverters and supplying them in your local area, you need to be aware of all the functionalities of solar inverters, and the different types of inverters available. Thereafter, you can compare solar quotes on our site with various inverter types.

Why Inverter for PV Systems?

When the solar photovoltaic (PV) systems collect the sunlight, electrons inside the solar cells are activated, which then produce direct current (DC) energy. Then circuits within the cells capture that energy for use at households and offices. 

This is where your business can make its mark by supplying solar inverters to users. Most homes and offices use alternating current (AC) energy, not DC, so the energy that their solar panels generate is not useful in itself.  

Solar inverters convert the direct current (DC) output of panels to the alternating current (AC) on which most residential and commercial appliances run. In short, the inverters work as the mediums between the solar panels and the residential and commercial buildings’ electrical setup. Without the inverter, the power generated by the solar system is kind of useless. 

In simple words, the whole process is when solar panels capture sunlight and converts it into energy, which is sent to the inverter, which turns the DC energy into AC energy. After the energy conversion, solar electricity can power all the appliances and electronics. If the solar panels produce more electricity than required, it goes back into the grid.

Types of Solar Inverters

There are mainly three types of solar inverters — string inverters, micro-inverters, and power optimizers. All these inverters have a different system. However, they have the same function, which is collecting DC power from batteries and convert into AC, though with different levels of efficiency. As a solar installer, you can guide your customers, which type of inverter is suitable for their home or office. Here are the details on each type of inverter:

String Inverters 

String inverters are standard centralized inverters. Usually, a majority of small solar systems use string inverters or “centralized” inverters. In a solar PV system that comes with a string inverter, all the solar panels are connected together into “strings.” 

When the panels generate energy, it all goes to a single inverter, which is generally placed in a residential building, in a garage, or in the basement. The inverter will convert all the electricity from solar panels into AC electricity to power a property.

String inverters are the most economical among other options and are a proven inverter technology. These inverters are also the easiest to maintain as they are easy to access. 

If a solar system uses a string inverter, it will produce limited electricity. It means using string inverters with a solar system can create a bottleneck when it comes to producing electricity. In fact, overall production of electricity may go down drastically even just one or two panels are in the shade or do not operate properly.

Power Optimizers

Power optimizers work as an option to pair with a string inverter. This type of inverters is considered a compromise between string inverters and microinverters. Just in the case of microinverters, power optimizers are placed on the roof next to individual solar panels. However, systems that have power optimizers still send energy to a centralized inverter.

Power optimizers do not convert the DC electricity into AC electricity at the solar panel site. Rather, they prepare or condition the DC electricity by fixing the electricity voltage, and at that certain point, the electricity is sent to the string inverter. A system that pairs power optimizers with a string inverter is considered more efficient than that uses a stand-alone string inverter.

Similar to microinverters, power optimizers are capable of improving the efficiency of a solar panel system, and they are cheaper less than microinverters. Power optimizers also provide the benefit of monitoring the performance of individual solar panels. The systems with power optimizers can still generate sufficient electricity even if one or two panels are not functioning or underperforming.

Microinverters

Microinverters are high-performance inverters for complex solar systems. Typically, microinverters are “distributed” inverters. Solar PV systems with microinverters have a small inverter installed for each individual solar panel. 

Instead of sending energy from every panel to a single inverter, microinverters convert the DC energy to AC energy on the roof itself.

Microinverters are located on the roof near the solar panels, due to which these inverters are more efficient than string inverters when it comes to converting energy. Solar systems with microinverters can still generate electricity, even if one or two panels do not perform properly. 

Microinverters also enable to monitor of the performance of specific solar panels, which makes it easier to identify solar production issues if they crop up. 

The cost of microinverters is significantly higher than string inverters and can be more challenging to maintain or repair if any problem occurs because they are located on the roof.

Why Buy Wholesale Solar Inverters from Us?

We, at SolarFeeds, have brought together nearly all the popular solar inverter wholesalers, who offer a large number of inverters at much cheaper pricing compared to the retail market.

We are a multiple wholesale vendor e-commerce marketplaces, and our main objective is to connect solar installers with manufacturers/suppliers. Our online marketplace particularly focuses on providing a platform to individuals, Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and Large Enterprises.

By using our online platform and buying wholesale solar inverters, you can: 

  • Diversify and expand your solar business
  • Enhance your business’ credibility by offering popular brands of inverters
  • Earn higher profit margin
  • Stay ahead of your competitors.

SolarFeeds brings you thousands of products, including solar inverters, batteries, solar panels, and other major categories at wholesale pricing. 

If you want to buy wholesale solar inverters in a low price range, then check out the online marketplace to explore a wide range of quality inverters. You can also send us your query at info@solarfeeds.com

OEM

Custom Made Solar Products OEM

OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer which is commonly referred to as a company that manufactures and offers parts and accessories of items that are used as components of a product from another company. To sum it up, OEM commonly manufactures specific items on behalf of brands. Though OEM typically operates in the computer and technology industries, it also works in the solar industry.

Factories for White Label Solar Products

In the case of the solar industry, most solar companies work with solar OEMs to build and design their own solar products such as solar panels, cells, modules, etc. OEM becomes their outsourcing partner that helps them in assembling and reproducing their solar products.

Nowadays, a huge number of solar companies, particularly those large solar manufacturing companies, are partnering with outstanding solar OEMs to deliver the best quality solar products to their solar customers. Mainly, the reason is, these solar OEMs help solar manufacturers cut down their production costs since they no longer have to operate their own factories, purchase needed materials and hire labour to produce their solar products.

As a solar manufacturing company, the first thing you need to consider is to find the most reliable solar OEM in the market. One of the biggest perks of the internet these days is you can now easily find these OEMs even in the comfort of your home. With the help of a solar outsourcing marketplace such as SolarFeeds.com, you can easily find the most reliable and right OEM partner for your solar company. Solar outsourcing marketplace helps solar industry professionals gather accurate and timely information about solar including the list of most trusted Solar Original Equipment Manufacturers.

United States

The Solar Potential of USA

According to a 1998 report by the United States Department of Energy, it has been discovered that available domestic solar energy, including biomass, was technically accessible regardless of cost amounted to 586,687 Quadrillion BTUs (Quads). Of that number, 95% was biomass. Coal represented the second largest resource, with 38,147 Quads. Predictions of how much solar power was economically possible to collect added up to 352 quads, compared with 5,266 quads from coal.

All the estimations that were used in the report were based on a prediction that the price of a barrel oil would become $38 in 2010. Additionally, they were also based on multiplied annual renewable resources by 30 for comparison with non-renewable resources. In 2007, the total annual energy consumption of the United States was about 100 Quads, which was less than 0.5% of what is theoretically available from sunlight.

Moreover, in 2012, a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) described the technically available renewable energy resources for each state. In addition to that, the report estimated that urban utility-scale photovoltaics could supply 2,232 TWh per year, rural utility-scale PV 280,613 TWh per year, rooftop PV 818 TWh per year, and CSP 116,146 TWh per year. All these amounted for a total of almost 400,000 TWh per year, which was 100 times the current consumption of 3,856 TWh in 2011. For comparison, at the time, onshore wind potential was estimated at 32,784 TWh per year, offshore wind at 16,976 TWh per year, and the total available from all renewable resources was estimated at 481,963 TWh per year.

 

United States Government Support

A complete list of incentives can be found at the Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE). A lot of solar power systems are grid-connected and use net metering laws to allow the use of electricity in the evening that was generated during the daytime. New Jersey is the state with the least restrictive net metering law while California is the one that has the most number of homes that have solar panels installed.

Many were installed because of the million solar roofs initiative, which entails a vision introduced back in 2007 where solar PV panels are to be installed on an additional million rooftops of home or businesses in the state of California by 2018.

In some states, like Florida, solar power is subject to legal restrictions that discourage its use.

Federal Tax Credit

The federal tax credit for solar was extended for eight years as part of the financial bailout bill, H.R. 1424, until the end of 2016. It was predicted that this will create about 440,000 jobs and 28 GW of solar power. Additionally, it was also predicted that this will lead to a $300 billion market for solar panels. This prediction did not take into account the removal of the $2,000 cap on residential tax credits at the end of 2008.

Moreover, a 30% tax credit is available for residential and commercial installations. For 2009 through 2011, this was a 30% grant instead of a tax credit, and at the time, it was known as the 1603 grant program.

The federal Residential Energy Efficient Property Credit, an income tax credit on IRS Form 5695, for residential PV and solar thermal was extended in December 2015 to remain at 30% of system cost (parts and installations) for systems that are put into service by the end of 2019, then 26% until the end of 2020, and then 22% until the end of 2021. This applies to a taxpayer’s principal and/or second residences, but this can’t be applied to a property that is rented out. There is no maximum cap on the credit, and the credit can be applied toward the Alternative Minimum Tax. Any excess credit (greater than that year’s tax liability) can be rolled into the following year.

The solar industry and utilities clashed extensively on renewal, but the solar industry won. The renewal is expected to add $38 billion of investment for 20 GW of solar.

Section 1603 Grants

President Barack Obama’s stimulus bill in 2009 created a program known as Section 1603 grants. This program was designed so as to give federal grants to solar companies for 30% of investments into solar energy. Since 2009, the federal government has given solar companies $25 billion in grant money through this program. However, the Section 1603 grant program expired in 2011.

The United States Treasury Department has been investigating solar companies for potential fraud since 2013. The department promised a report by June 2015, but the report had not been released as of 2016.

Solar America Initiative

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) announced on September 29, 2008, that it will invest $17.6 million, subject to annual appropriations, in six company-led, early-stage PV projects under the Solar America Initiative’s “PV Incubator” funding opportunity. The PV Incubator project is designed to fund prototype PV components and systems with the goal of moving them through the commercialization process by 2010. The 2008 award is the second funding opportunity released under the PV Incubator project. With the cost-share from the industry, which is at least 20%, up to $35.4 million would be invested in these projects. These projects would run for 18 months and are subcontracted through DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Most of the projects were to receive up to $3 million in funding, except Solasta and Spire Semiconductor which would receive up to $2.6 million and $2.97 million, respectively. Some of the projects under this initiative include:

  • Massachusetts-based 1366 Technologies developing a new cell architecture for low-cost, multi-crystalline silicon cells, which will enhance cell performance through improved light-trapping texturing and grooves for self-aligned metallization fingers
  • California’s Innovalight using ink-jet printing to transfer their “silicon ink” onto thin-crystalline silicon wafers so as to produce high-efficiency and low-cost solar cells and modules
  • Skyline Solar, also in California, developing an integrated, lightweight, and single-axis tracked system that reflects and concentrates sunlight over 10 times onto silicon cells
  • Solasta, in Massachusetts, working on a novel cell design that increases currents and lowers materials cost
  • Solexel, another California-based company, commercializing a disruptive, 3D high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon cell technology that dramatically reduces manufacturing cost per watt
  • Spire Semiconductor in New Hampshire developing three-junction tandem solar cells that better optimize the optical properties of their device layers. This company is targeting cell efficiencies over 42% using a low-cost manufacturing method.

The PV Incubator project is part of the Solar America Initiative (SAI), which plans to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional forms of electricity by 2015 (grid parity).

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) will achieve the goals of the SAI through partnerships and strategic alliances by focusing mainly on four areas. These are:

  • Market Transformation: activities that address marketplace barriers and offer the chance for market expansion
  • Device and Process Proof of Concept: R&D activities addressing novel devices or processes with a potentially significant performance or cost advantages
  • Component Prototype and Pilot-Scale Production: R&D activities emphasizing the development of prototype PV components or systems that are produced at pilot-scale with demonstrated cost, reliability, or performance advantages
  • System Development and Manufacturing: collaborative R&D activities among industry and university partners to develop and improve solar energy technologies

Another thing that is a part of the Solar America Initiative is the Solar America Showcase. For this activity, preference is given to large-scale, highly visible, and highly replicable installations that involve cutting-edge solar technologies or novel applications of solar.

SunShot Initiative

Announced by the Department of Energy in 2011, the SunShot Initiative aims to reduce the cost of solar power by 75% from 2010 to 2020. In great detail, this initiative’s goals are as follows:

  • Residential system prices reduced from $6/W to $1.50/W
  • Commercial system prices reduced from $5/W to $1.25/W
  • Utility-scale system prices reduced from $4/W to $1/W (CSP, CPV, and PV)

Additionally, the Department of Energy announced a $29 million investment in four projects that would help advance affordable and reliable clean energy for American families and businesses. The $29 million would be separated into two investments:

  • $21 million investment over five years to design plug-and-play PV systems that can be purchased, installed, and operational in one day
  • $8 million investment in two projects to help utilities and grid operators better forecast when, where, and how much solar power will be produced at U.S. solar energy plants

Other projects under the SunShot Initiative are the following:

  • Fraunhofer USA’s Center for Sustainable Energy Systems in Cambridge, Massachusetts developing PV technologies that allow homeowners to easily select the right solar system for their house and install, wire and connect to the grid
  • North Carolina State University leading a project to create standard PV components and system designs that can adapt simply to any residential roof and can be installed and connected to the grid quickly and efficiently
  • IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Armonk, New York leading a new project based on the Watson computer system that uses big data processing and self-adjusting algorithms to integrate different prediction models and learning technologies

All these projects are working with the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to improve the accuracy of solar forecasts and share the results of this work with industry and academia.

State and Local

There have been numerous instances throughout the years that showcase the efforts that state and local government officials have undergone to make solar possible. The following are the most well-known of these instances:

  • Governor Jerry Brown has signed legislation requiring California’s utilities to get 50% of their electricity from renewable energy sources by the end of 2030.
  • The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed solar incentives of up to $6,000 for homeowners and up to $10,000 for businesses. Applications for the program started on July 1, 2008. In April 2016, they passed a law that requires all new buildings below 10 stories to have rooftop solar panels. This made San Francisco the first major U.S. city to do so.
  • In 2008, Berkeley initiated a revolutionary pilot program where homeowners are able to add the cost of solar panels to their property tax assessment and pay for them out of their electricity cost savings. In 2009, over a dozen states passed legislation allowing property tax financing. All in all, 27 states offer loans for solar projects.
  • The California Solar Initiative has set a goal to create 3,000 MW of new, solar-produced electricity by 2016.
  • New Hampshire has a $3,750 residential rebate program for up to 50% of system cost for systems less than 5 kWp ($6,000 from July 1, 2008, until 2010).
  • Louisiana has a 50% tax credit up to $12,500 for the installation of a wind or solar system.
  • New Jersey law provides new solar power installations with exemptions from the 7% state sales tax and from any increase in property assessment (local property tax increases), subject to certain registration requirements.

Feed-in Tariff

According to experience, a feed-in tariff is both the least expensive and the most effective means of developing solar power. This is because investors need certainty, and a feed-in tariff definitely gives them that.

California enacted a feed-in tariff that began on February 14, 2008, while Washington has a feed-in tariff of 15¢/kWh which increases to 54¢/kWh if components are manufactured in the state. Hawaii, Michigan, and Vermont also have feed-in tariffs.

In 2010, the Federal Energy Regulatory (FERC) ruled that states were able to implement above-market feed-in tariffs for specific technologies.

Solar Renewable Energy Certificates

In recent years, states that have passed the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) or the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) laws have relied on the use of solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) to meet state requirements. They have achieved this by adding a specific solar carve-out to the state RPS. The first SREC program was implemented in 2005 by New Jersey. Soon enough, this program has expanded to several other states, including Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.

SREC offers many advantages, but one of its major problems is the lack of certainty for investors. A feed-in tariff provides a known return on investment, but an SREC program provides only a possible return of investment.

Power Purchase Agreement

In 2006, investors started offering free solar panel installation in return for a 25-year contract. They also began offering a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), which is a contract between two parties — one which generates electricity (the seller) and one which is looking to purchase electricity (the buyer).

By 2009, over 90% of commercial PV installed in the United States were installed using a PPA. About 90% of the PV installed in the United States is in states that specifically address PPAs.

New Construction Mandates

In March 2013, Lancaster California became the first U.S. city to mandate the inclusion of solar panels on new homes, requiring that every new housing development must average 1 kW per house.

PACE Financing

The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Financing is a means of financing energy efficiency upgrades, disaster resiliency improvements, water conservation measures, or renewable energy installations of residential, commercial, and industrial property owners. This innovative financing arrangement lends money to a homeowner for a solar system, to be repaid via an additional tax assessment on the property for 20 years. This kind of financing arrangement allows the installation of the solar system at “relatively little up-front cost to the property owner.”

The principal feature of this program is that the balance of the loan is transferred to the new owners in the event the property is sold, and the loan is paid for entirely through electric bill savings. Unlike a mortgage loan, no funds are transferred when the property is sold — only the repayment obligation is transferred.

PACE programs are currently operating in eight states, California, Colorado, Florida, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, New York, and Wisconsin. Additionally, they are on hold in many other states.

Current Status of Solar Power in the United States

Published on June 2019, the report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie Power and Renewables, a market research group, have discovered that the first quarter of 2019 was the strongest in the U.S. solar industry’s history. A total of 2.7 GW of solar capacity was added to the grid at this time.

Aside from that, new solar installations should grow 25% from 2018, thus amounting to 13.3 GW. This bounceback — after solar installations dipped 2% last year — was driven by larger-scale utility solar projects, which account for 61% of the first quarter’s growth.

This development is a remarkable change from what was expected last year when President Trump announced that he was putting tariffs on imported solar cells and modules. During this time, the industry was worried that the tariffs would hinder solar. However, solar installations shot past the 2-million mark this year instead.

Moreover, the industry expects this growth to continue well past 2019. A number of U.S. utilities have solar projects in the works, and they should be a reality by 2024. And both residential and non-residential solar markets have grown tremendously over the years. Overall, solar power in the United States is currently on an uphill climb.

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