APS Residential Project of the Year AWARD WINNER: RR Lane Solar Distributing, Bauer installation, Los Molinos, Calif.

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Designing a PV system to meet both residential and agricultural needs required a microinverter solution with flexibility and power.

The challenge was compounded by the distance between the solar array and the monitoring devices in the home. Only a system with robust wireless capabilities would suffice.

When other microinverter systems failed, a resourceful installer contacted Rich Varlinsky, owner of Chico, Calif.-based RR Lane Solar Distributing, to see if a solution could be engineered. Rich proposed the APS microinverter solution to complete the Bauer PV system in Los Molinos, Calif.

For their creative application of APS microinverter technology in this demanding setting, RR Lane Solar Distributing has earned the APS Project of the Year Award for residential applications.

“RR Lane Solar really put our microinverters and monitoring solutions to the test, and they succeeded where competitors just couldn’t get the job done,” said Paul Barlock, APS Senior Vice President. “One of the hallmarks of APS technology is its flexibility and functionality in all environments, and RR Lane proved it.”

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The Bauer system includes three dozen 255-watt modules in a ground-mount array, to serve both the residence and a 3-phase (delta-wye) agricultural pump system. The system was designed with microinverters from a name brand, but once completed could not be made to function.

There were several challenges to overcome. The agricultural pump required the output from 10 modules, but the name-brand microinverters would not support the delta-wye power system without additional transformers – an expensive add-on that the customer did not want to pay for.

The second problem involved wireless communication and monitoring. The array was located 300 feet from the household’s internet source, and the signal had to travel through four walls of the residence. The existing wireless hotspot only had a range of about 40 feet and needed to monitor two communication units at intermittent intervals, as it would not be on continuously.

After a month of fruitless troubleshooting, the installer turned to APS YC500 microinverters for power and the APS Energy Communication Unit for monitoring.

The YC500 microinverters did not require additional transformers to support the delta-wye configuration, and once the APS units were installed, the system performed flawlessly.

The wireless communication challenges were resolved with two inexpensive routers – one for the residence, and one mounted alongside the array and the APS ECU at the agricultural pump site. The second router was redesigned to extend its range and bandwidth, and to negate line-of-sight issues.

This new configuration easily covered the 300-foot distance from the array to the home, and transmitted module performance data even through the stucco walls.

“To our knowledge, this is the first time this particular router, the ECU and a hotspot have been used for a solar array. The design was challenging due to the distance and other factors, but was ultimately successful,” Varlinsky said. “The customer was very pleased, as his cost did not increase and he could monitor the system using his hotspot.”

Varlinsky said the APS solution provided many advantages over the competition. The most important was the microinverters’ ability to function in a delta-wye system without transformers, bringing significant savings and simplifying the installation.

Also, the APS ECU could be programmed with inverter serial numbers and did not depend on line communication for identification. The changes made to the router increased its transmit power and diminished data packet loss. The routers were programmed to constantly check for the hotspot and connect automatically when it was activated.

“The use of APS products saved the customer several thousand dollars in this installation, and gave them flawless ECU communication even with a consumer-grade hotspot,” Varlinsky said.

For information on the RR Lane Solar Distributing, email rich@rrlanesolar.us.

YC1000-3-208 microinverter earns CEC certification

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The new YC1000-3-208 microinverter from APS has earned CEC certification.

The California Energy Commission listing is a key benchmark of solar product efficiency and quality, and qualifies equipment for use and financial incentives under the California Solar Initiative. The CEC standard is also recognized throughout the western U.S. solar market.

The YC1000-3-208 microinverter earned a 94.5 percent efficiency rating from the CEC board.

“We’re very pleased to see the YC1000-3-208 earn the CEC listing,” said Paul Barlock, APS USA Senior Vice President. “APS really has broken new ground with this unit, the first microinverter purpose-designed and built for the commercial segment. This is the innovation the industry has been waiting for.”

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A sister unit that operates at 277/480 grid voltage, the APS YC1000-3-480, earned the CEC listing in November 2014.

The YC1000 microinverter line offers true 3-phase output and handles four PV modules per unit. The 1:4 microinverter-to-module ratio significantly lowers balance of system cost.

Unlike other microinverter products entering the commercial segment, the YC1000 line requires no step-up or step-down transformer to operate. Add-on transformers reduce system efficiency and add thousands of dollars in balance-of-system costs.

“Having to add a transformer is where other offerings in the market fail,” said Thomas Nelson, Vice President of Sales for APS USA. “With the YC1000 microinverter line, commercial system designers now have an advanced, all-in-one solution that wins on both efficiency and cost.”

The YC1000 microinverter connects directly to low-voltage DC modules, eliminating the possibility of “arc” fires from high-voltage arrays typical of conventional string inverter systems. The unit also offers revolutionary trunk cabling, eliminating the need for branch cables and resolving “landscape vs. portrait” configuration issues.

For YC1000-3 product information and data sheets, see www.usa.apsystems.com.

For information on the California Solar Initiative and CEC product certification, see www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov.

APS is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of microinverters based on our proprietary, leading-edge solar technology. Representing APS in the U.S. market, APS USA is based near Seattle.

APS ranked No. 2 in global market share among top microinverter suppliers by shipments in 2013 (source: GTM Research).

APS, Krannich Solar announce distribution partnership

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2015

Industry-leading PV distributor Krannich Solar will offer APS microinverter products through its domestic channels, under a first-time agreement between the two companies.apsystems-krannichKrannich Solar USA maintains sales operations on both coasts, in New Jersey and California, and serves customers throughout the country.

“We pride ourselves on carrying the very best in PV products, and APS certainly fits that bill,” said Juan Romera-Wade, Krannich CEO. “Our customers will appreciate the advanced technology that APS has brought to the solar market.”

Krannich Solar, founded by Kurt Krannich as a family business in 1995, has quickly become one of the world’s largest solar wholesalers and system design houses, designing high-performance PV arrays while supporting both trades people and major energy utilities. Krannich Solar Inc. is now the U.S. office of the international Krannich Solar Group, founded in 2005.

The company recently expanded its Latin America operations with a new sales office in Mexico City.

The installed capacity supplied by the Krannich Group topped 1,600 megawatts worldwide in 2014.

Paul Barlock, APS senior vice president of U.S. operations, welcomed the agreement with a distributor of Krannich Solar’s stature, saying the companies share a strong culture of customer service.

“Krannich is a national top-tier solar supplier, and very exclusive in their offerings,” Barlock said. “When they carry your brand, it says your product line has arrived. Krannich will help us make 2015 another year of rapid growth.”

APS’ flagship product, the groundbreaking YC500 microinverter, handles two PV modules independently and can be configured to support any grid standard anywhere in the world. The YC1000,  the world’s first true 3-phase, four-module microinverter, recently entered the U.S. market after a highly successful rollout overseas.

APS YC500 training video now available

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APS USA has added this new video, “YC500 Microinverter and Energy Communication Unit Installation,” to its lineup of training resources.The training video supplements current webinars for APS installer certification, and can be found here.This video fully explains the YC500 microinverter installation process and provides basic setup of the Energy Communication Unit. Subsequent videos will cover ECU programming and Energy Monitoring and Analysis registration and management.APS USA still hosts WebEx training on the first and third Wednesdays of every month. The first session will cover YC500 and ECU installation procedures, while the mid-month session is on EMA registration and management.

To sign up for APS installer training, send your name, company, email address and phone number to support@apsamerica.com. The training facilitator will send invitations that include WebEx access information in the days leading up to each session.

APS YC500 training video now available

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APS America has added this new video, “YC500 Microinverter and Energy Communication Unit Installation,” to its lineup of training resources.The training video supplements current webinars for APS installer certification, and can be found here.This video fully explains the YC500 microinverter installation process and provides basic setup of the Energy Communication Unit. Subsequent videos will cover ECU programming and Energy Monitoring and Analysis registration and management.APS USA still hosts WebEx training on the first and third Wednesdays of every month. The first session will cover YC500 and ECU installation procedures, while the mid-month session is on EMA registration and management.

To sign up for APS installer training, send your name, company, email address and phone number to support@apsamerica.com. The training facilitator will send invitations that include WebEx access information in the days leading up to each session.

World’s largest true 3-phase microinverter installation powered by APS YC1000

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The groundbreaking YC1000 microinverter from APS will power a milestone true 3-phase installation going into service in China’s Zhejiang Province this week.

More than 1.4 MW of the total 8.13 MW project will be generated using APS microinverter technology – earning it distinction as the world’s largest true 3-phase microinverter installation.

The project at the Haining Hailide Jianshan factory began development four weeks ago, and is planned to join China’s national power grid on Dec. 30.

The installation includes 1,200 APS YC1000 microinverters. Now available in all APS markets worldwide, the YC1000 is the industry’s first true 3-phase microinverter and handles up to four modules per unit, simplifying PV system design and installation while significantly lowering balance of system costs.

The YC1000’s balanced 3-phase output features a low-voltage, parallel circuit design, promoting system safety by negating the possibility of “arc fires” from high-voltage current.

Independent output and tracking optimizes the performance of each PV module while minimizing shading effects across the whole array.

APS microinverter technology increases array output by 5-25 percent compared to conventional “string” inverter systems.

Using the integrated APS Energy Communication Unit (ECU), Haining system managers will be able to track power output, voltage, current, temperature and other performance data of every module in the array.

The completed project will provide approximately 8.14 million kWh of energy per year, saving nearly 3,000 tons of coal while reducing CO2 admissions by more than 700 tons. Over the plant’s projected 25-year lifespan, the reduction in coal use and carbon and sulfur dioxide emissions will be multiplied many times over.

The year 2014 has marked the first widespread development of distributed PV power throughout China, an effort vigorously promoted by the Chinese government.

The electricity generated by the Haining system promises a strong economic return for investors, powering the factory even as it protects the local environment and promotes APS 3-phase microinverter technology in the robust China market and worldwide.

APS Solar Project of the Year Awards

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Dear APS installer,

APSaward-iconThank you for choosing APS microinverters for your solar installations. We’re grateful for your patronage and your ongoing support of our advanced microinverter solutions.

As 2014 winds down, we’d like to look back on the great solar successes of the past year and share our very best stories with the world.

So we’re pleased to announce our first ever APS Solar Project of the Year Awards – and we hope you’ll enter.

What made your project outstanding? You tell us — in terms of scale, design, power output, challenging conditions, or just creative application of APS microinverter technology.

We invite you to submit your project details here, including a brief write-up about your best installation(s) along with some high resolution photographs including some showing our microinverters.  The project can be under construction or completed. Entries will be judged by our APS team.

We will be giving awards in both Residential and Commercial categories.

We’ll announce the APS Solar Project of the Year Award winners early in the new year through promotions that highlight your project and your company.

The winner in each category will receive an iPad Mini 3!

We’re excited to announce this contest to highlight the excellence of APS microinverter installations as they multiply around the US. APS is committed to helping you grow your solar business even as we grow ours, so this is a cross-promotion opportunity not to be missed.

Submit your project entries here by January 9th 2015. Please read the Terms and conditions before entering.

If you have any questions about the contest, please contact Deb Henderson, media@apsamerica.com

Thank you for partnership and support,

Your friends at APS USA

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VP Ludgate gives video tour of APS line

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APS VP Michael Ludgate offered a quick video tour of the company’s microinverter line at Solar Power International ’14 in Las Vegas recently. The display shows the APS product evolution as it increases in power, is optimized for the residential segment, and moves into commercial applications with the YC1000 3-phase unit.

Western Nevada Supply adds APS microinverter line

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 8, 2014

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SEATTLE — Regionally renowned equipment distributor Western Nevada Supply has added the APS microinverter line to its solar product offerings.

Known as “the Blue Team,” Western Nevada marked 50 years of local family ownership in 2014, and serves customers throughout the Nevada and California markets with an extensive line of solar, HVAC, irrigation, plumbing and industrial supplies.

“We’ve added the APS microinverter line to our solar offerings to expand our already strong lineup of solar products, and to offer our customers microinverter options in our northern Nevada and Eastern Sierra markets,” said Russ Cartwright, Solar Sales team member for Western Nevada.

Paul Barlock, APS America senior vice president, said the industry-leading APS microinverter brand is proud to be distributed by a company with such a strong history of family ownership and business success.

“Western Nevada is a great company and a great partner for APS,” Barlock said. “Given their geographic coverage, offering APS microinverters will give them a distinct competitive advantage in the Nevada solar market.”

Founded by Jack Reviglio and Bill Higgin, Western Nevada Supply opened shop in a rented 1,200 square-foot warehouse in Sparks, Nev., in 1964. From a modest beginning as a wholesale plumbing house, the business quickly grew, and in 1967 Jack’s brother, Tom Reviglio, joined the firm as marketer.

The company soon expanded with the addition of a waterworks sales department and relocated to a 7,000 square-foot facility. In 1973, strong growth again prompted a move, this time to a 10-acre site, which now has expanded to 20 acres with 40,000 square feet of inventory under one roof.

Today, a second generation of Reviglios run the family business. To better serve outlying areas, the company has opened branches in Elko, Carson City, and Winnemucca, Nev., and South Lake Tahoe, Bishop, Susanville and Truckee, Calif.

APS was founded in Silicon Valley in 2009, and is now a global leader in the development, manufacturing and marketing of microinverters based on their own proprietary, leading-edge solar technology. APS America, representing APS in the US market, is based near Seattle.

Recent major distribution deals have brought the APS line to the American Southwest, central California, mountain and mid-Atlantic solar markets.

APS ranked No. 2 in global market share among leading microinverter suppliers by shipments in 2013 (source: GTM Research).

For more information on Western Nevada Supply, see www.goblueteam.com.
Information on APS microinverter products can be found at www.usa.apsystems.com.

APS microinverters power new community solar project in Spokane

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APS dual-module microinverters power a prominent new “community solar” installation in Spokane, Wash.

“It’s producing extremely well,” said John Francisco, chief of energy resources for Inland Power & Light, as he monitored the output of the new 30kW installation outside the utility’s office. “We were fortunate to finish construction and energize the array during the span of several cloudless days so we could get a good feel for the performance of the array.”

The ground-mount array sits in view of passing motorists on I-90, a prominent display of APS microinverter capability.

It’s the first significant venture into solar for Inland Power, a member-owned utility serving about 39,000 residential and commercial customers in 13 counties in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Founded in 1937, it is the largest electric cooperative in Washington.

brimma2-smThe full cost of the system was funded by participating utility members, who were given the chance to buy shares in the system and reap the financial benefits of solar investment.

The project is also a showcase for Washington’s thriving solar industry. The installation includes 56 APS YC500-MIW microinverters distributed by Blue Frog Solar of Poulsbo, 112 PV modules by Itek Energy of Bellingham, and racking by SunModo of Vancouver, Wash.

The installation was completed in late August by Brimma Solar of Vancouver, the winning bidder among three firms that vied for the project.

John Harley, Brimma Solar vice president, said the project’s impact extends far beyond the customers who will benefit from its power production.

“When a utility installs a system, it helps promote solar for their customers,” Harley said. “Customers with solar, or thinking about installing solar, feel comfort when they know their utility supports solar.”

For Washington solar manufacturers, the project is also chance to demonstrate the high quality of solar components being produced by local industry.

“We think this is exactly the sort of project our legislators hoped to encourage when they envisioned community solar,” said Tim Bailey, Blue Frog Solar co-founder and APS microinverter distributor. “To see locally made solar equipment in a showcase project like this is tremendous, and really shows solar’s success in Washington.”

Inland Power is the fourth Washington utility to develop an array under the community solar model, according to Phil Lou of the Washington State University Energy Program, which tracks the industry. About 30 community solar projects totaling 872 kW capacity have been developed statewide.

Those have supplemented residential and commercial solar installations in the growing industry. About 8 MW of solar capacity was installed across Washington in 2013, a 54 percent increase over the previous year.

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COMMUNITY SOLAR

In 2005, the Washington state Legislature enacted solar production incentives to promote the development of alternative energy sources including solar and wind.
Homeowners and businesses that install a solar system can earn a power rebate of 54 cents per kilowatt-hour of energy they put back into the grid – a “distributed generation” model – up to $5,000 per year.

The Legislature later extended the incentives to “community solar” projects, encouraging utilities and local governments to add clean energy arrays to their own production capacity. The sponsoring utility earns a state tax credit that is passed along to participating customers in the form of production incentives.

Inland Power already had about 80 customers with residential solar arrays. The utility also had a modest, 2.24 kW ground-mount array of its own that went up when it built a new office five years ago.

The opportunity to build a larger, community array on the same property made financial sense to the utility, and was met with strong support from members when it was proposed.

“We wanted to expand solar participation, and community solar was an excellent avenue due to the low entry cost to each participant and the very generous state incentive structure,” Francisco said.

With the array now up and running, members got the chance to buy in. Shares were made available to Inland Power members at $300 each, with a limit of 10 shares per member. A total of 526 shares were available.

The shares were priced high enough to keep the total number manageable by the utility, and low enough to allow participation even by customers of modest means, Francisco said.

Because of strong demand, Inland Power offered the shares to members through a lottery in October.

“We were way oversold, and the lottery was a fair approach to allocating the available shares,” Francisco said. Inland had approximately 1,300 members submit their names for the lottery, and 87 members were drawn.

Solar shareholders will receive the benefit of net metering, that is, the positive difference between their own power consumption and what their portion of the community solar system generates. They will also see a pro rata rebate from Inland Power per kilowatt hour of power produced.

“We are excited to help a broader section of our members enjoy the environmental benefits of solar power, contribute to our state economy by supporting in-state manufacturing and take advantage of the state-sponsored incentive program for community solar,” Francisco said.

Francisco said the project is already a success for Inland Power customers. If the utility is seen in the vanguard of community solar in Washington, that’s okay too.
“We’re doing this for the right reasons, but it’s nice to be recognized,” he said. “We believe in it, otherwise we wouldn’t do it.”