ECU-R Video Series launched for Installation Pros

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Now available on the APsystems website and its YouTube channel, professional installers can learn the ins and outs of the installation, setup and commissioning of the ECU-R gateway. A collection of 5 videos, the ECU-R series covers the tools needed, features overview, placement, connections, use of the ECU APP, inverter scanning, syncing with the ECU-R, and final setup steps in the APsystems online EMA monitoring platform.
 
“The new video series covers the majority of the basics professional installers need to know on the ECU-R,” says Jason Higginson, Senior Director of Marketing. “These videos will allow them to move more quickly and easily through the setup process.”
 
There is also a wealth of additional product information, install manuals and training materials available on the APsystems website and the APsystems YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/APsystemsSolar

QS1 Cabling Video

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Have you seen our new QS1 cabling & connection video? This video provides information on QS1 inverter/PV module connection in different scenarios such as portrait vs. landscape, tandem use with the YC600, use with split cell/half-cut cell modules and when to use DC extension cables.

APsystems Exhibiting at OSEC in Portland May 7-9

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The Oregon Solar Energy Conference will be held in Portland, Oregon May 7-9 and APsystems will have its portfolio of microinverter and gateway products on display, including the YC600, the most advanced microinverter in the world, and the new QS1, designed for fast and cost-effective installation.

Join us for a Networking Happy Hour on Wednesday, May 8th at 5 PM sponsored by your friends at APsystems and stop by our Booth #19 to check out our latest and greatest products and meet our team members.

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QS1 & YC600 Compatibility Showcased at NABCEP

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APsystems proudly showcased the QS1 and YC600 microinverters at the NABCEP event in San Diego last month, and spent some time highlighting one of the best and most understated qualities of those products for attending installers: QS1 and YC600 compatibility on the same circuit. Thanks to a smart engineering design strategy, the QS1 4-in-1 microinverter can be placed on the same trunk cable as the YC600 2-in-1 microinverter and plug-and-play together on the same 20A circuit. This functionality adds tremendous flexibility to an installer’s design layout, and thanks to the nature of multi-module microinverters, also saves them time and money.

Thanks to all the installers who came by our booth or attended our training at the NABCEP conference. We look forward to seeing you at the next event!

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Diamond Sponsor APsystems offers training at NABCEP, March 25-28

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APsystems will offer installer training at the NABCEP Continuing Education Conference 2019, March 25-28 in San Diego, California. Chris Barrett, APsystems Senior Director of Technical Support, will be conducting training on “Next-gen multi-module microinverters to reduce installation costs.” APsystems has been approved by NABCEP to confer continuing education credits on its training.

APsystems is proud to be a Diamond Sponsor and exhibitor at this year’s conference! In addition to valuable training, attendees will have an opportunity to see the latest and greatest products from APsystems and ask questions of our team members.

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To register for the seminar, installers can log into their NABCEP profile and choose the training session offered by APsystems. See more information about the conference schedule and other exhibition details here.

About our presenter:
Chris Barrett brings more than 20 years’ experience in the solar and semiconductor industries. He previously held positions with Brooks Automation, Netmercury, Ferrotec, and SolarBridge Technologies. At APsystems, Chris oversees U.S. technical support and training.  Chris holds a Bachelor of Science  degree in industrial engineering with business management from Keene State University, and an Associate of Science degree in electromechanical drafting and design technology from New Hampshire Technical College.

About the NABCEP CE Conference:
This conference is primarily intended for NABCEP Certified Professionals who need continuing education credits in order to maintain their certification. The content presented in this conference is geared toward seasoned PV industry professionals who have several years of installation and/or technical sales experience. This is the ideal opportunity for NABCEP Certified PV Installation Professionals and PV Technical Sales Professionals to obtain all of the continuing education credits needed for recertification (18 hours every three years). Non-certified professionals can earn up to 18 hours toward certification eligibility.

Swiss Solar Tech, Okanagan Solar earn 2018 APsystems Project of the Year Awards

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2018-iconAPsystems congratulates installers Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. and Okanagan Solar Ltd., both of British Columbia, Canada, as winners of our annual Project of the Year Awards.

Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. is honored in the Commercial category for the Poplar Grove Winery/Vanilla Pod Restaurant project in BC’s Okanagan Valley. The project creatively showcases APsystems YC1000 true 3-phase microinverters as a visual design element in the 46.36 kW array, creating a solar-shaded outdoor restaurant patio.

Okanagan Solar Ltd. is honored in the Residential category for the Carrington View Apartments installation in West Kelowna, BC. The 225 kW project uses APsystems YC1000-3 microinverters to create an ambitious three-building, 240-unit solar-powered complex, demonstrating the vitality and growth of multifamily solar.

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APsystems thanks all installers and customers who participated in the 2018 Project of the Year Awards contest.

Read more about the Swiss Solar Tech commercial installation here.

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Read more about the Okanagan Sola residential project here.

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2018 Residential Award Winner: Carrington View Apartments

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As single-family residential solar booms across North America, multi-family projects are catching on as a vibrant market segment for developers and installers alike. 

A developer in West Kelowna, British Columbia, is leading the trend, now completing its eighth multi-family residential solar project in just a short time with installer Okanagan Solar Ltd.

Their newest showcase: the Carrington View Apartments, an ambitious three-building, 240-unit solar-powered complex.

For demonstrating the vitality of multifamily solar, Carrington View by Okanagan Solar, Ltd., earns an APsystems Project of the Year Award in the Residential category.

Robert Monteith of Okanagan Solar Ltd. credited “trust and training” received from distributor National Solar and the APsystems technical and sales team for choosing APsystems microinverters for the project. The rooftop arrays use the APsystems YC1000 3-phase units.

okanagan-logo“After our first APsystems install, we really liked the product for performance and ease of install,” Monteith said. “I have APsystems YC500s installed on my own home.”

Before the install, Monteith took APsystems microinverters and related components to the local electrical inspection branch for their review. He also invited them to an install at the nearby St. Hubertus Winery, where code-compliance inspectors tested the rapid-shutdown capability of the APsystems utility-interactive inverters.

Inspectors came away suitably impressed with the APsystems safety features, not least the fact that the microinverters went to low-voltage AC right at the solar panel. 

CR2-5c0aeb0277137“Since that encounter our licensed electricians rarely see them come for an inspection as they know there is nothing to see that they are worried about,” Monteith said. “Having credibility with the electrical inspection branch is an advantage in our business.”

At Carrington View, rooftop modules are arrayed in a crisscross pattern to fit amongst structural elements. Each array feeds the house “common area” panel, Monteith said, “so the common area power costs nothing for the owner to operate once completed.”

Notwithstanding its scale, Monteith said the install went without a hitch; technical challenges were resolved ahead of time with good planning and communication with the entire consultant team.

The APsystems technical support team made a site visit during planning and offered suggestions to make the install run smoothly.

CR3-5c0aeb027719fThere’s more to come – Okanagan Solar Ltd. will install 1.5mW of solar for this same client in 2019. The builder has embraced renewables, Monteith said, and will soon complete the first net-zero residential building in the province.

What is the most rewarding aspect of the Carrington View project? 

“Being able to showcase and demonstrate that we do not have to burn coal, dam rivers or build nuclear power plants to generate significant power at a cost per kilowatt-hour that is less than what the utility charges is great,” Monteith said, “because ‘deniers’ cannot argue with it.”  

Installer: Okanagan Solar Ltd.
Project name: Carrington View Apartments
Location: West Kelowna, BC
Total system capacity: 225kW (75kW/building over 3 buildings)
Microinverters: APsystems YC1000 3-phase
Total number of microinverters used: 204
Brand/wattage of modules: Canadian Solar 270W Mono all-black

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2018 Commercial Award Winner: Poplar Grove Winery/Vanilla Pod Restaurant, Okanagan, B.C.

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2018-iconThe same temperate climate and generous sunlight that makes the Okanagan Valley ideal for growing grapes makes it perfect for a natural harvest of another sort: solar.

When Tony and Barbara Holler, owners of Poplar Grove Winery, decided to add a solar-covered patio to the winery’s Vanilla Pod Restaurant, they worked with installer Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. for a design that not only optimized harvest, but highlighted the solar technology itself.

For showcasing solar in a popular restaurant setting, the Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. is the winner of the APsystems 2018 Project of the Year Award for the Commercial category.

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Poplar Grove winery and its 100-acre estate vineyards are perched on a mountainside overlooking the picturesque Okanagan Valley Lake and the town of Penticton in British Columbia, Canada.

The decision to go solar, Tony Holler said, “really revolves around the Okanagan’s high sunlight hours, the increased efficiency and lower costs of solar panels and our belief that if you can use a renewable energy source like solar rather than fossil fuels, why wouldn’t you do it? Solar also has the lowest environmental footprint of other renewable energy sources like hydro and wind.”

It’s the Hollers’ second winery to go solar using APsystems microinverter products. In 2017, they installed a 389–module array at their nearby Monster Winery.

poplargrove5At Poplar Grove, Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. came up with an attractive, innovative design: a solar shaded restaurant patio that would provide enjoyable lunches and dinners for visitors, while harnessing the sun’s energy year round.

The bifacial glass modules overhead make brilliant use of the sun by generating up to 35 percent more energy per watt than traditional single-sided modules. APsystems YC1000 3-phase microinverters tie in directly to the low-voltage DC modules, increasing safety for the guests under the patio awning while eliminating the possibility of high-voltage “arc” fires. 

A bold design touch: the APsystems microinverters were left exposed on the patio beam face, in full view of restaurant patrons below. It’s a rare moment in the sun, so to speak, for a solar component generally covered over by modules or otherwise tucked out of site.

poplargrove-1It’s a practical application, said Susan Huber of Swiss Solar Tech Ltd., as the open installation allows for easy inspection and maintenance, while the YC-1000’s NEMA-6 metal enclosures offer robust protection from the elements.

But there was a more important reason: for the Hollers, this project was not just about harnessing solar, but promoting it.

“The Hollers liked the sophisticated, hi-tech look of the APsystems microinverters,” Huber said, “and they want to share that with their customers.”

Installer: Swiss Solar Tech Ltd.
Project name: Poplar Grove Winery/Vanilla Pod Restaurant
Location: Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Total system capacity: 46.36kW
Microinverters: APsystems YC1000-3-208
Total number of microinverters used: 42
Brand/wattage of modules: Prism Solar Bi60 bi-facial, 368 watt
Number of modules: 126

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Need for Speed: Inside the upgrades to the most powerful microinverter on the market

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A smart grid needs a very smart inverter – and fast data communications. Solar Builder Magazine dives into the high-speed ZigBee communications capability built into the APsystems QS1, the most powerful microinverter on the market. Up to 3x faster than standard PLC, the QS1 ZigBee creates a 2.4GhZ “mesh” network for fast, reliable performance tracking across your array. Get the whole story in Solar Builder here.

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APsystems QS1 Microinverter NOW SHIPPING in USA

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APsystems-QS1-trans-web-1 copyThe APsystems QS1, an innovative four-module, single-phase microinverter for residential applications, is now shipping in the USA.

A bold step forward in microinverter technology, the QS1 offers 300% faster installation time, while offering the highest peak output power and up to 3X faster data transmission speed than PLC. A wider MPPT voltage range will result in a greater energy harvest for homeowners.

The first of its kind, the QS1 is designed to accommodate today’s high output PV panels up to 375W, offering 300W AC output per channel, highest in the microinverter segment. The unit significantly reduces installation time and costs, taking the place of four conventional microinverters per each QS1 installed while providing independent MPPT for each module.

The QS1 shares common AC trunk cabling with APsystems’popular dual-module YC600 microinverter, offering flexible mix-and-match compatibility on the same circuit to enhance site design capability and maximize circuit capacity. Both microinverters utilize the same gateways; installers can choose from the ECU-R, for single or multi-residential installations, or the ECU-C, for applications requiring consumption monitoring and advanced contact/relay features.

QS1-Banner-english-shipThe QS1 builds on the successful APsystems line of multi-module microinverters, simplifying installation while reducing installer costs and time on the job site.

QS1 features include:

  • Four-module microinverter with independent MPPT
  • 300% faster installation than conventional microinverters
  • 300VA peak output per channel
  • Accommodates modules up to 375W
  • Wide MPPT voltage range (22V-45V)
  • Meets NEC 2014/2017 690.12 Rapid Shutdown requirements
  • Ultra-fast 2.4 GHz ZigBee communications & Free Monitoring

Contact your local distributor or sales.usa@APsystems.com to bring the QS1 to your customers today.