APsystems riding crest of commercial microinverter wave

Solar microinverter sales will hit $550 million by 2020, a leading analyst says – and APsystems is pushing the market forward with product innovation and global sales.

Data on the fast-growing microinverter market comes from “Global Solar Microinverters Market 2016-2020,” a new in-depth report on solar market growth in revenue and emerging market trends.

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The report by industry analyst Technavio includes current analysis and forecasts for all application segments, including, residential, community and utility. The report is currently cited by Solar Builder magazine online.

The report notes that APsystems, maker of the YC1000 true 3-phase microinverter, is focusing on the commercial segment during a time of dramatic growth.

“It is estimated that approximately five million commercial buildings in the US can be fitted with solar panels and solar microinverters,” the magazine notes. “With such untapped potential, the demand for solar microinverters from this segment is expected to rise significantly in the future.”

Read the full report here.

APsystems’ Nichols to speak at GTM Solar Summit, May 11-12 in AZ

apsystems-andrew-nicolsAndrew Nichols, APsystems Senior VP Sales USA, will be among the featured speakers at the GTM Solar Summit, May 11-12 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Nichols will be among the panelists for “Rooftop Balance of Systems: Increasing Output and Installation Velocity,” at 2:30 p.m. on the event’s first day. The panel discussion will be moderated by Scott Moskowitz, GTM Research solar analyst.

APsystems is Registration Sponsor for the Solar Summit conference.

Meet the sales team at our booth and find out more about the APsystems solar microinverter line.

Now in its ninth year, Solar Summit is GTM’s flagship annual solar event and attracts leaders from across the solar value chain.

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The two-day conference offers unrivaled networking opportunities and innovative, engaging panel sessions that will provide a unique mix of market intelligence and coordination among industry players.

Use our special discount code APSYSTEMS10 to receive 10% off your  conference registration!

Find out more here.

Why microinverters are a good option for commercial solar projects

Screen Shot 2016-04-26 at 1.52.14 PMSafety and NEC compliance, system monitoring, energy harvest – count the reasons for the popularity of microinverters in the MLPE marketplace.

APsystems and Solar Power World Online recently collaborated on an article and informational webinar discussing these and other advantages of microinverter technology. The webinar event was hosted by Christopher Barrett, technical services manager for APsystems USA.

Read the article here, then sign up to watch the archived webinar and find out why installers worldwide choose APsystems for the residential and commercial customers.

APsystems will exhibit at the upcoming NABCEP Continuing Education Conference

APsystems will be a featured exhibitor and presenter at the upcoming NABCEP Continuing Education Conference, April 4-6 in San Diego.

APsystems is sponsoring the “Module Level Power Electronics Options” panel discussion on April 5 at 1pm, with Christopher Barrett, our technical services manager, sharing his expertise among the distinguished panelists.  See full conference schedule here.

You can also see the APsystems microinverter line at booth 509 on the conference floor.

The North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners offers professional certification and company accreditation programs to renewable energy professionals throughout North America.

The Continuing Ed Conference brings together solar pros with leading manufacturers like APsystems, ranked no. 2 in global market share among microinverter suppliers by shipments in 2014 (source: GTM Research).

See www.nabcep.org, then contact our sales team (sales@APsystems.com) to see the APsystems microinverter line in sunny San Diego.

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Why microinverters are a safer design for solar

Solar power is gaining a coalition of fans, their numbers growing as PV spreads around the globe. But many emergency responders aren’t yet sold, and understandably so. They, and others, are concerned with the electrical safety of these new and often unfamiliar systems. The idea of high-voltage DC sizzling across a rooftop is a stark prospect for anyone who might come in contact with a PV array while battling a building fire, or even performing routine maintenance.

APsystems-supportSeeing the need for safety standards, regulators enacted “Rapid Shutdown” requirements (found in NEC 2014 690.12) to protect first responders from any high-voltage DC hazards that might remain after AC service has been disrupted or shut off. While manufacturers have responded to NEC 2014 with varying strategies–including add-on “DC combiner boxes” for string inverter arrays–one popular PV product already has Rapid Shutdown built into every unit: the microinverter.

When the AC circuit goes down for any reason, each unit in a microinverter array performs its own shutdown function in just 100 milliseconds–100 times faster than the code-specified standard of 10 seconds for shutdown.System voltage at shutdown is about 30V DC, meeting the stringent NEC 2014 requirement and well below the 80-V threshold generally considered safe for contact.

chrisSafety doesn’t end there. Microinverters also offer safety advantages when it comes to the DC conductor requirement in the standard. For example, a system designed using APsystems microinverters will have no DC conductors energized more than 5 ft in length within a building or more than 10 ft from the array, which meets the NEC 2014 standard (and is already looking ahead to NEC 2017).

Also, any present low-voltage lines will be located beneath solar modules, eliminating the chance of contact during rooftop activity.
Powerful, reliable, economical, microinverters have had plenty to recommend them since they entered the MLPE product field. As electrical codes evolve to protect responders and homeowners alike, the humble microinverter is not only meeting these tough new standards, but anticipating them.

By: Christopher Barrett, engineering and technical services manager for APsystems USA. Contact him at christopher.barrett@apsystems.com.

To learn more, watch his webinar presentation here. 

ECU + EMA = a powerful duo for your microinverter array

Module-level monitoring is an essential feature of a microinverter solar array. APsystems offers advanced and user-friendly system monitoring for installers and end users alike.

The APsystems Energy Communication Unit is the gateway to our microinverters. An array can be easily configured BEFORE reaching the jobsite, so commissioning is a breeze. And the ECU requires no additional wiring; the simple plug-and-power design simplifies setup at the customer’s home or business.

The Energy Monitoring & Analysis software offers comprehensive, round-the-clock assurance of system performance. The homeowner’s EMA account provides module-level data, production and savings over time, while the installer account offers a more robust feature set for system configuration, mapping and control.

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Find out all about the ECU and EMA and our advanced microinverter solutions here.

Join APsystems at Intersolar Summit East in Brooklyn, March 24

The eastern U.S. solar markets of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts are hot in 2016, and APsystems has the solutions installers need.

Our team will be at the Intersolar Summit East in Brooklyn, N.Y., on March 24, to present the APsystems microinverter line to new customers and longtime solar partners alike.

This important industry platform brings together manufacturers, distributors, installers and other leaders to keep on top of the latest policies, opportunities and issues impacting East Coast renewable production and storage markets.

Find out more at www.intersolar.us, and set up a meeting with the APsystems team by emailing sales@APsystems.com.

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A Great Start to 2016

Thank you from the APsystems team to all of our solar partners, for connecting with us at the Solar Power PV Conference and Expo in Boston this past month. What a great start to the year, for APsystems and the solar industry.

APsystems was proud to showcase the world’s most advanced microinverters at the PV Expo event, and to discuss our outstanding value and support with installers and distributors alike. We’re grateful for your interest and have much more to share – you’ll be hearing more from us throughout the coming weeks.

Another highlight: introducing solar industry veteran Andrew Nichols, our new Senior Vice President of Sales, USA. Thank you to all who came by the APsystems booth to congratulate Andrew and welcome him to our team.

With such a dynamic year ahead, we look forward to working with each of you to bring the power of solar to customers across the nation and worldwide. Striving together toward a clean energy horizon, our future is bright.

— The APsystems team

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Nichols Joins APsystems as Senior VP, USA Sales

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEATTLE – Solar industry veteran Andrew Nichols has joined APsystems as Senior Vice President of Sales, USA.

apsystems-andrew-nicolsAndrew comes to APsystems with over 30 years in high technology and alternative energy sales. He most recently served as Vice President of Worldwide Sales for SolarBridge Technologies through its successful acquisition by SunPower Corporation.

Prior to this he served as Vice President of Sales and Customer Support for Enphase Energy, as it went from zero revenue to over $200 million in annual sales and an eventual IPO.

He also ran North American Renewable Energy Sales for Xantrex Technology (acquired by Schneider Electric). He began his career at IBM/ROLM and held positions of increasing responsibility at Apple before committing the last 11-plus years to the renewable energy industry.

He holds a BA in social sciences from the University of California, Berkeley.

“APsystems is the emergent front-runner in solar microinverter technology, and I’m honored to join their team,” Nichols said.

“Their commitment to innovation in module-level electronics is really showing the way forward in this fast-growing segment.”

Andrew Lonseth, APsystems president for U.S. operations, said Nichols’ broad experience in renewable energy brings both strategic and customer-facing value.

“Andrew Nichols knows the domestic and international solar market like few others,” Lonseth said. “Bringing his expertise into play as we grow our product portfolio and market share will serve both APsystems and our customers very well.”

Since its founding in Silicon Valley in 2009, APsystems has emerged as an industry leader through innovative solar products including dual-module microinverters and the first true 3-phase, four-module unit.

APsystems ranked no. 2 in global market share among microinverter suppliers by shipments in 2014 (source: GTM Research).

APsystems USA has offices in Cupertino, Calif., and Seattle, with manufacturing in Washington state.

See APsystems microinverters at Solar Power PV Conference & Expo

PVshowAPsystems brings its industry-leading microinverter technology to Solar Power PV Conference and Expo, Feb. 24-25 in Boston.

See the APsystems YC500 dual-module and YC1000 true 3-phase microinverters, and learn how our advanced, chip-based product architecture means superior reliability and value for installers and end users alike.

APsystems will be at booth 515 on the convention floor in the Westin Boston Waterfront’s Galleria Hall.

Find out why APsystems ranked no. 2 in global market share among microinverter suppliers by shipments in 2014 (source: GTM Research).

Set up a meeting with the APsystems team: email sales@APsystems.com.

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