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.
December 8, 2014
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 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.
The 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.
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.”
With the national day of gratitude upon us, the APS team would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of our solar partners across the U.S.We have a lot to be thankful for. Distributors, installers and end-users alike, your enthusiasm and support have helped make APS the #2 microinverter provider in the solar industry. We’re here because of you – thank you!Our latest groundbreaking microinverter product will roll out after the holiday weekend, so be watching our newsletter for details. For now, as we pause to acknowledge the bounties that we enjoy and share, please accept our deep appreciation for your affiliation with APS.
November 13, 2014
SEATTLE — Leading international distributor Albasolar has added APS microinverters to their select PV product line.
The APS YC500 microinverter and related products are now available through Albasolar in the U.S., Spain and Portugal markets. Introduction of APS equipment to other European and Latin American solar markets through Albasolar channels will follow.
“APS is emerging as a dominant player in the microinverter space both here in the U.S. and abroad,” said Thomas Nelson, APS Vice President for Sales. “Albasolar’s multi-country presence gives us another key partner in the U.S., while this same channel allows us to expand internationally.”
Albasolar was founded in Europe in 1993. Always loyal to a pure wholesale distribution model, the company has supplied thousands of PV installations in Europe and North and South America.
The company’s industry experience means it can offer superior logistics and create strategic agreements with the industry’s leading manufacturers like APS. This allows Albasolar to offer best-in-class products at excellent prices.
“The microinverter is still a young product compared to string inverters, and APS has come to play a good role in the growth of this market,” said Alberto Medrano, CEO of Albasolar. “APS, with its 500-wattoutput model, will be a leader in this category.”
Albasolar’s U.S. operations are headquartered in Boston, Mass., and the company maintains additional offices and wholesale distribution centers in California, Florida, and across Europe.
APS product design positions the line for success in a growing number of international markets like those served by Albasolar.
APS microinverters’ unique chip-based architecture allows each unit to be easily programmed to accommodate the various grid voltages found in different regional markets – a flexibility built into each APS unit and unmatched by other microinverter products.
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 USA, representing APS in the US market, is based near Seattle.
APS ranked No. 2 in global market share among leading microinverter suppliers by shipments in 2013 (source: GTM Research).
For information on Albasolar, see www.albasolar.com
Information on APS microinverter products can be found at www.usa.apsystems.com.
November 11, 2014
Mexico City-based Advance Green Power is bringing APS microinverter technology to the fast-developing Mexico market.
The company will offer APS products as part of its comprehensive line of residential and commercial PV solutions.
Advance Green Power’s mission is to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases while raising awareness of the ecological and economic benefits of sustainable energy, helping individuals and organizations adopt these new technologies to positively impact the environment.
“We are always looking for cutting edge technology in order to offer the best solutions,” said Oscar Jiménez Velázquez, Advance Green Power director general. “Our technology partners in the United States like APS always provide us with the best quality products.”
The agreement comes as APS rapidly expands its presence in new regional markets around the globe. Already the market leader in China and Australia and with a rapidly growing presence in the U.S., APS now offers its advanced microinverter products to customers in Latin America and Europe.
Thomas Nelson, APS vice president of sales, noted that Latin America is a fast-growing region for the solar market.
“Mexico has tremendous potential for clean-energy development, and it’s a natural fit for our microinverter technology,” Nelson said. “We’re pleased to bring our PV solutions to consumers there.”
APS microinverters’ unique chip-based architecture allows each unit to be specially programmed to accommodate the various grid voltages found in different regional markets – a flexibility built into each APS unit and unmatched by other microinverter products.
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 USA, representing APS in the US market, is based near Seattle.
APS ranked No. 2 in global market share among leading microinverter suppliers by shipments in 2013 (source: GTM Research).
For information on Advance Green Power, see www.adgreenpower.com
Information on APS microinverter products can be found at www.usa.apsystems.com.
November 4, 2014
SEATTLE —APs microinverters join the product offerings of US Solar Distributing and CFM Equipment Distributors in a new agreement between the companies.
Sacamento-based CFM is a top distributor of HVAC systems, with locations in Northern California and Nevada, and also offers solar products through those channels. Its subsidiary US Solar deals exclusively in photovoltaics, and works directly with independent solar contractors through locations in California, Hawaii and New Jersey.
Thomas Nelson, APs vice president for sales, said the agreement strengthens APS’ position in key markets and adds two knowledgeable partners to the growing distribution channel.
“US Solar Distributing and CFM Equipment are a well-respected presence in the national PV market, and we’re proud to partner with them,” Nelson said.
CFM Equipment Distributors was founded more than 30 years ago and later spun off US Solar as an independent division, with a goal of providing professional contractors with a “one-stop” supply resource.
The companies offer complete lines of photovoltaic equipment, along with design and engineering services, professional training, and same- or next-day shipping throughout North America.
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 USA, representing APS in the US market, is based near Seattle, Washington.
Recent major distribution deals have brought the APS product 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 US Solar and CFM Equipment Distributors,
see www.ussolardistributing.com or www.cfmequipment.com.
Information on APS microinverter products can be found at www.usa.apsystems.com.
APS microinverters power the uber-green Grow Community, a runner-up in Solar Builder magazine’s 2014 Project of the Year awards.
The roof-mount installation earns a feature in the magazine’s new issue, on newsstands now.
“We wanted to deliver a product that both was designed to be extremely energy efficient but also had the idea of solar in mind at the time of design,” project manager Greg Lotakis tells Solar Builder. “We started at the roof, asked how many panels we could get on it, designed the roof for that, [estimated] what we expected [to] produce, and then we used that energy budget and worked backwards into the house. What we are really striving to do: deliver a really healthy, energy-efficient home that has the ability to be net zero with solar.”
Grow Community is already the largest planned solar community in Washington state, with more solar on the way in two new neighborhoods now under development.
The installation includes 260-watt modules by itek Energy and racking by SunModo.
The project is being developed by Asani LLC, with construction by PHC.
APS would like to say THANK YOU to everyone who met with us at our Solar Power International ’14 booth. The show was a tremendous success, all thanks to your generous interest and support.
Our new YC1000 3-phase microinverter was a big hit throughout the show, and we established great new relationships with distributors that we’ll be announcing shortly. We’re grateful to have shared our exciting new technology and products with you all at this premier event.
Now we hope you’ll stay in touch with the APS sales and customer service teams to learn more about the YC1000 3-phase, 277/480 unit and the rest of our microinverter line. Please don’t hesitate to call us for distribution and installation opportunities. After a strong year that brought APS technology to many new markets across the US, we’re looking forward to an even bigger 2015. We hope you’ll be a part of it.
Click here for detailed product information and technical data on our entire product line, as well as testimonials from our customers who have made APS their microinverter of choice. Take a moment to find out what APS microinverters can do for you — and thank you again!
The US microinverter market is dynamic and rewards innovation, APS VP Michael Ludgate tells Greentech Media — and GTM agrees. Michael is one of several industry insiders asked to comment on the state of the growing microinverter field and claims by one of the “big guys” that the battle for the market is over.
No competition? That’s news to us — and our many satisfied customers.
“As we enter new markets across the U.S., we’re enjoying tremendous year-over-year growth,” Michael tells GTM. “We’re also profitable, a measure of success that seems to elude some of the more vocal players.”
Read the whole story here.
