A new PV array on the roof of a Seattle-area college is a clean-energy investment with a different sort of payback: solar-savvy graduates.
The Education Building at North Seattle College now sports a 7.4-kW PV system, its primary array perched atop a rotating armature that tracks the sun across the sky each day.
While the array will only yield a small fraction of the building’s energy needs, “power” per se wasn’t the point.
“This isn’t really about generating electricity,” said Mark Weber, faculty and program coordinator for the college’s HVAC and Sustainable Energy Program. “This is an educational tool for our students. It’s a dynamic learning environment rather than a static one, where we can do all sorts of experimentation with module orientation, the effects of weather, all kinds of things.”
About half of the $75,000 system cost was funded by a grant from the Portland, Ore.-based Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which promotes renewable energy and resource conservation. The college made up the balance.
Artisan Electric of Seattle was selected from among three local installers submitting proposals. The combination of a solar tracker, 3-phase output and a mentoring component for students set Artisan’s design apart in the bidding process.
An APS YC1000 is installed on the underside of the array.
The primary array includes thirty 240-watt modules by Talesun. A secondary, fixed-position array of three modules is planned to serve as a system “control,” allowing students to compare the output of the two designs – one that continually aligns itself with the sun to optimize solar harvest, the other pointing eternally south.
Anthony Sarno, system designer for Artisan Electric, selected APS YC1000 microinverters for their true 3-phase output. The APS units tied into the building’s 480-V circuit without the need for step-up transformers, in an electrical room that would have been too small to accommodate a central “string” inverter.
“When I saw the 480 panel, the light bulb went on,” Sarno said. “I saw potential savings by using the YC1000 microinverter, and there was an element of allure to having a cutting edge product in the mix.”
APS and its Washington state distributor, Blue Frog Solar, provided the YC1000 microinverters below cost as a donation to the college.
“The chance to help students learn about PV system design and train for the renewable energy trades was compelling,” said Paul Barlock, APS Senior Vice President. “This project is a showcase for true 3-phase microinverters in a commercial setting, but the fact that it’s in a college environment provides much greater benefit still.”
Tracking the sun
Marketed under the name SolarTrackr, the “smart tracking” system was designed and fabricated by Wovn Energy of Seattle.
Putting the 2-ton apparatus atop a three-story building added a layer of design complexity, the first question being whether the roof could support it.
The structural engineer responsible for the building’s original plans was still in practice, Sarno said, and provided new calculations proving that the roof could bear the load.
The team from Artisan Electric begin attaching modules to the tracking system’s steel armature. The array will rotate and incline to track the sun through the sky. Photo Credit: Wovn Energy
Next came the question of ballasting. Fortuitously, the rooftop featured several low concrete parapets that extended down through the building to the ground. These walls became the foundation for the massive steel armature that was assembled over five days in March.
The completed array rotates around a circular steel rail, inched along by a small electric motor, while a second motor and a piston provide inclination. Together the two motors draw about the same power as a 100-watt light bulb, said Alan Tilley, Wovn Energy vice president and tracking system designer.
Wovn’s solar tracking software uses algorithms provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratories, and also accounts for local weather and atmospheric conditions to optimize the array’s positioning. Solar harvest is projected to be about 45% higher than a static array. Computer control can be manually overridden so students can set the array to other positions for research and data collection.
“Compared to a static system, this thing has so many more opportunities for learning,” Weber said, “not just for solar, but also for engineering. The control system is going to be way cool to play with. We can bring in people from other disciplines, not just our program.”
The founders of Wovn Energy set out on a mission five years ago to provide distributed-energy management systems, out of which the SolarTrackr system evolved, Tilley said.
The product was designed to offset the then-high cost of modules, allowing buyers to achieve greater yield from a smaller array, Tilley said. As module prices have come down, the SolarTrackr is now marketed as a way to make full-sized arrays more powerful still.
Workers assemble the circular steel track on which the 30-module PV array will rotate at North Seattle College. The tracking system was designed and fabricated by Wovn Energy of Seattle. Photo credit: APS USA
The North Seattle College project was the company’s fifth installation, and the first on a rooftop. The biggest challenge previously was a ground mount perched on the side of a mountain.
“That one was a real bear,” Tilley said. “This one is tame by comparison.”
Wovn expects to have about 15 installations in its portfolio by midyear, he said, with two more already underway in the Seattle area.
For students, by students
Befitting an educational venture, the North Seattle College project engaged students from the start.
Students from nearby Shoreline Community College, which offers a two-year degree in Clean Energy Technology, were brought in to do a solar site assessment. Their report became the baseline against which formal proposals were evaluated.
North Seattle information technology student Christoph Strouse was a key member of the solar project team, and system designer Sarno is a graduate of Shoreline program.
“Artisan kind of plucked me out of the program, and things have fallen into place very well,” Sarno said.
Because the array shoots up 25 feet above the roof of an already tall building, it has become a billboard of sorts for North Seattle College. The array is visible from adjacent neighborhoods, from a popular commercial center a mile to the east, and to passing motorists on the busy I-5 freeway.
Alan Tilley, engineering vice present and tracking system designer for Wovn Energy. The North Seattle College project is the Seattle company’s fifth installation. Photo Credit: APS USA
It is also becoming both a valuable asset and a recruiting tool. Weber said the college is in talks with other area schools and a major research university to share solar performance data collected by students. The colleges are also beginning to collaborate on programs to meet the evolving demands of the clean-energy and construction industries.
Weber and Strouse envision a hybrid program in “High Performance Building Technology.” Students might someday take electronics and IT classes at one school, HVAC or facilities management at another, and PV system design at a third toward an integrated degree.
Having an advanced solar installation could make North Seattle College the program’s logical hub, and the investment is already paying off for students.
“I’m very lucky to have been here at the right time to be a part of this team and experience this project from paper to completion,” Strouse said. “As a learning experience, it doesn’t get much better than this.”
Project Details
North Seattle College 3-phase 7.4-kw PV system
Designer/installer: Artisan Electric, Seattle
Tracking system and racking: SolarTrackr by Wovn Energy, Seattle
Microinverters: 8 APS YC1000 true 3-phase
Monitoring: APS Energy Communication Unit/Energy Monitoring and Analysis software
Modules: 30 Talesun 240W
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APS, Krannich team up for microinverter installation training in NJ
/in Events, General News, Trainings/by APsystems TeamAPS and Krannich Solar are teaming up to offer training in microinverter installation and setup for East Coast installers.
The Solar Innovations Day runs 8:30 to 3 p.m. April 30 at the Krannich location in Pennsauken, N.J. Training with solar products by other vendors will also be included.
The presentation will include APS microinverter system design, tools of the trade, monitoring setup, and hands-on training with the YC500 and YC1000 microinverters.
Earn NABCEP credits for attending the event, and enjoy a continental breakfast and luncheon on us.
To sign up for the unique and informational Solar Innovations Day training event, follow this link to the registration site. Contact your Krannich sales representative or call (856) 802-0991 for more information.
Email sales@apsamerica.com to learn more about APS microinverter products.
APS, National Solar bring microinverter installation training to Edmonton, AB
/in Events, General News, Trainings/by APsystems TeamThe APS microinverter training event runs 8:30 to 1 p.m. April 23 at National Solar’s distribution center in Edmonton, AB.
Earn three NABCEP credits for completing the course, which will cover proper design and installation of APS microinverter systems.
Join in hands-on demonstrations with the APS YC500 dual-module and YC1000 true 3-phase, 4-module commercial microinverters and monitoring systems, including best practices and tools of the trade.
Continental breakfast and luncheon will be provided.
Space is limited. Sign up today (please register before April 20) by emailing info@nationalsolar.ca.
APS is prime sponsor of GTM Solar Summit in Phoenix, April 14-16
/in Events, General News/by APsystems TeamGlobal microinverter technology leader APS is among the prime sponsors of this year’s GTM Solar Summit, April 14-16 in Phoenix.
APS will serve as exclusive Registration Sponsor throughout the event, which brings together key leaders from throughout the solar industry for market analysis and exchange.
APS USA Senior Vice President of American Operations Paul Barlock will be a featured panelist during summit’s first full day of events, April 15.
Barlock will appear in a panel discussion on “Dynamics in the Distributed PV Inverter Market,” beginning at 2:15 p.m. The panel will be moderated by MJ Shiao, director of solar research for GTM Research.
APS is exclusive sponsor of the day’s second track of presentations, including this panel discussion, under the broad theme of PV Inverter Advancement.
APS will also present its advanced microinverter line in the summit exhibition space throughout the event.
To set up a meeting with the APS team during the GTM Solar Summit event, come by the exhibit or email sales@apsamerica.com.
Showcased at the event will be the groundbreaking YC1000 microinverter line, offering true 3-phase output and handling four PV modules per unit. The 1:4 microinverter-to-module ratio significantly lowers BOS costs.
Unlike other microinverter products entering the commercial segment, the YC1000 line requires no expensive step-up or step-down transformer to operate.
The YC1000 is available in both 208V and 277/480V configurations, and is now shipping in all APS markets.
“The YC1000 is the solution commercial-scale solar has been waiting for,” Barlock, said. “APS innovation is making microinverters viable in the 3-phase commercial segment for the first time.”
For information on the GTM Solar Summit, see www.greentechmedia.com.
Five common mistakes that can ruin your PV installation
/in Press Coverage/by APsystems TeamYou don’t understand the voltages of microinverters in relation to modules. Microinverters operate in a specific voltage window, and give optimal performance with modules designed for the same range. Having an undersized or oversized module may affect production and potentially cause output “clipping.”
Mistake No. 2:
You think of monitoring as an “add-on” rather than an integral part of the system. The homeowner likes to know the solar array is working properly and efficiently, and the installer needs it to help diagnose problems (and possibly gives the installer a way to sell a service package). Some installers do not include monitoring in their installations, which leaves both installer and homeowner flying blind. Make monitoring a priority.
Mistake No. 3:
You install the gateway device in a poor location. Communication units that relay module performance data need to be sited properly to facilitate strong Power Line Communication between the PV system components.
Mistake No. 4:
You set up the communication unit incorrectly. Always make sure to designate inverter numbers and configure local grid parameters properly, to prevent crosstalk with other systems in the area.
Mistake No. 5:
You don’t know your local codes and jurisdictions. Some inspectors may be using 2008, 2011 or 2014 NEC codes, based on state adoption. This could affect the connections and any safety measures needed. Always make friends with the inspector.
Cancelled: APS, Krannich team up for microinverter installation training
/in Events, General News, Trainings/by APsystems TeamBreakfast bagels and coffee and a luncheon are included with event registration.
To sign up for the unique and informational Solar Innovations Day training event, click here.
Email sales@apsamerica.com for more information.
APS USA VP Barlock featured panelist at GTM Solar Summit
/in Events, General News, Press Releases/by APsystems TeamFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 2, 2015
Seattle: APS USA Senior Vice President Paul Barlock will be a featured panelist at the GTM Solar Summit, April 14-16 in Phoenix.
Barlock will appear in a panel discussion on “Dynamics in the Distributed PV Inverter Market,” beginning at 2:15 p.m. April 15.
The panel will be moderated by MJ Shiao, director of solar research for GTM Research.
“This is an exciting time to be in solar, especially the fast-growing microinverter segment,” Barlock said. “I look forward to sharing insights with the panel and audience, and discussing how microinverter technology has so dramatically changed the PV installation landscape.”
APS is sponsoring the day’s second track of presentations under the broad theme of PV Inverter Advancement.
Barlock has been a senior sales and marketing executive in power electronics firms ranging from startups to large multinational corporations, including Alpha Technologies, TDI and Advance Power. His work experience has been in custom power supply design, UPS, telecom power, cable TV backup power, and most recently in renewable energy.
He holds an undergraduate degree in physics from the University of Pittsburgh and an MBA from Boston College. He also holds the rank of lieutenant colonel in the USMC (retired).
APS is a global leader providing advanced, powerful solar microinverter technology for residential and commercial systems. The APS solution combines highly efficient power inversion with a user-friendly monitoring interface for reliable, intelligent energy.
APS ranked No. 2 in global market share among top microinverter suppliers by shipment in 2013 (source: GTM Research).
Powered by the research and economic analysis of GTM Research’s team, the GTM Solar Summit brings together major players from throughout the solar sphere.
This year’s event at the Wigwam Resort in Phoenix includes panel discussions and debates among the industry’s top thought leaders, and an interactive polling session to let attendees see how their views measure up against the experts.
For information on the GTM Solar Summit, see www.greentechmedia.com.
Seattle project produces solar-savvy graduates
/in Article, Case Studies, General News/by APsystems TeamA new PV array on the roof of a Seattle-area college is a clean-energy investment with a different sort of payback: solar-savvy graduates.
The Education Building at North Seattle College now sports a 7.4-kW PV system, its primary array perched atop a rotating armature that tracks the sun across the sky each day.
While the array will only yield a small fraction of the building’s energy needs, “power” per se wasn’t the point.
“This isn’t really about generating electricity,” said Mark Weber, faculty and program coordinator for the college’s HVAC and Sustainable Energy Program. “This is an educational tool for our students. It’s a dynamic learning environment rather than a static one, where we can do all sorts of experimentation with module orientation, the effects of weather, all kinds of things.”
About half of the $75,000 system cost was funded by a grant from the Portland, Ore.-based Bonneville Environmental Foundation, which promotes renewable energy and resource conservation. The college made up the balance.
Artisan Electric of Seattle was selected from among three local installers submitting proposals. The combination of a solar tracker, 3-phase output and a mentoring component for students set Artisan’s design apart in the bidding process.
An APS YC1000 is installed on the underside of the array.
The primary array includes thirty 240-watt modules by Talesun. A secondary, fixed-position array of three modules is planned to serve as a system “control,” allowing students to compare the output of the two designs – one that continually aligns itself with the sun to optimize solar harvest, the other pointing eternally south.
Anthony Sarno, system designer for Artisan Electric, selected APS YC1000 microinverters for their true 3-phase output. The APS units tied into the building’s 480-V circuit without the need for step-up transformers, in an electrical room that would have been too small to accommodate a central “string” inverter.
“When I saw the 480 panel, the light bulb went on,” Sarno said. “I saw potential savings by using the YC1000 microinverter, and there was an element of allure to having a cutting edge product in the mix.”
APS and its Washington state distributor, Blue Frog Solar, provided the YC1000 microinverters below cost as a donation to the college.
“The chance to help students learn about PV system design and train for the renewable energy trades was compelling,” said Paul Barlock, APS Senior Vice President. “This project is a showcase for true 3-phase microinverters in a commercial setting, but the fact that it’s in a college environment provides much greater benefit still.”
Tracking the sun
Marketed under the name SolarTrackr, the “smart tracking” system was designed and fabricated by Wovn Energy of Seattle.
Putting the 2-ton apparatus atop a three-story building added a layer of design complexity, the first question being whether the roof could support it.
The structural engineer responsible for the building’s original plans was still in practice, Sarno said, and provided new calculations proving that the roof could bear the load.
The team from Artisan Electric begin attaching modules to the tracking system’s steel armature. The array will rotate and incline to track the sun through the sky. Photo Credit: Wovn Energy
Next came the question of ballasting. Fortuitously, the rooftop featured several low concrete parapets that extended down through the building to the ground. These walls became the foundation for the massive steel armature that was assembled over five days in March.
The completed array rotates around a circular steel rail, inched along by a small electric motor, while a second motor and a piston provide inclination. Together the two motors draw about the same power as a 100-watt light bulb, said Alan Tilley, Wovn Energy vice president and tracking system designer.
Wovn’s solar tracking software uses algorithms provided by the National Renewable Energy Laboratories, and also accounts for local weather and atmospheric conditions to optimize the array’s positioning. Solar harvest is projected to be about 45% higher than a static array. Computer control can be manually overridden so students can set the array to other positions for research and data collection.
“Compared to a static system, this thing has so many more opportunities for learning,” Weber said, “not just for solar, but also for engineering. The control system is going to be way cool to play with. We can bring in people from other disciplines, not just our program.”
The founders of Wovn Energy set out on a mission five years ago to provide distributed-energy management systems, out of which the SolarTrackr system evolved, Tilley said.
The product was designed to offset the then-high cost of modules, allowing buyers to achieve greater yield from a smaller array, Tilley said. As module prices have come down, the SolarTrackr is now marketed as a way to make full-sized arrays more powerful still.
Workers assemble the circular steel track on which the 30-module PV array will rotate at North Seattle College. The tracking system was designed and fabricated by Wovn Energy of Seattle. Photo credit: APS USA
The North Seattle College project was the company’s fifth installation, and the first on a rooftop. The biggest challenge previously was a ground mount perched on the side of a mountain.
“That one was a real bear,” Tilley said. “This one is tame by comparison.”
Wovn expects to have about 15 installations in its portfolio by midyear, he said, with two more already underway in the Seattle area.
For students, by students
Befitting an educational venture, the North Seattle College project engaged students from the start.
Students from nearby Shoreline Community College, which offers a two-year degree in Clean Energy Technology, were brought in to do a solar site assessment. Their report became the baseline against which formal proposals were evaluated.
North Seattle information technology student Christoph Strouse was a key member of the solar project team, and system designer Sarno is a graduate of Shoreline program.
“Artisan kind of plucked me out of the program, and things have fallen into place very well,” Sarno said.
Because the array shoots up 25 feet above the roof of an already tall building, it has become a billboard of sorts for North Seattle College. The array is visible from adjacent neighborhoods, from a popular commercial center a mile to the east, and to passing motorists on the busy I-5 freeway.
Alan Tilley, engineering vice present and tracking system designer for Wovn Energy. The North Seattle College project is the Seattle company’s fifth installation. Photo Credit: APS USA
It is also becoming both a valuable asset and a recruiting tool. Weber said the college is in talks with other area schools and a major research university to share solar performance data collected by students. The colleges are also beginning to collaborate on programs to meet the evolving demands of the clean-energy and construction industries.
Weber and Strouse envision a hybrid program in “High Performance Building Technology.” Students might someday take electronics and IT classes at one school, HVAC or facilities management at another, and PV system design at a third toward an integrated degree.
Having an advanced solar installation could make North Seattle College the program’s logical hub, and the investment is already paying off for students.
“I’m very lucky to have been here at the right time to be a part of this team and experience this project from paper to completion,” Strouse said. “As a learning experience, it doesn’t get much better than this.”
Project Details
North Seattle College 3-phase 7.4-kw PV system
Designer/installer: Artisan Electric, Seattle
Tracking system and racking: SolarTrackr by Wovn Energy, Seattle
Microinverters: 8 APS YC1000 true 3-phase
Monitoring: APS Energy Communication Unit/Energy Monitoring and Analysis software
Modules: 30 Talesun 240W
APS offers installers microinverter training in Northern CA
/in Events, General News, Trainings/by APsystems TeamLOCATIONS:
WHAT YOU’ll LEARN:
We Pay You: Introducing the APS A+ Rewards program for Installers
/in A+ Rewards, General News/by APsystems TeamAPS is pleased to introduce A+ Rewards, our outstanding new rebate program that will give installers cash back for purchasing APS YC500 microinverters.
Every APS YC500 microinverter you (an installer) purchase from a participating distributor now through May 31, 2015, will earn you $10 back from APS. Show proof of purchase through our rebate website, and APS will send you a Visa® Gift Card with $10 value added for every microinverter purchased during that period.
This is a great opportunity to bring APS advanced microinverter technology to your solar customers and get cash back in the bargain.
Full terms and conditions on A+ Rewards are available at www.installer-rebate.aplus-rewards.com, or email aplus@apsamerica.com.
Glad we got to meet you at PV America
/in Events, General News/by APsystems TeamThank you for your interest in APS microinverters. and for taking the time to visit our booth at PV America this week.
The Boston show reflected our tremendous success in the the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic solar markets. Demand for APS advanced microinverter technology is stronger than ever, and we’re continuing to grow into new markets around the world.
If you would like more information on our microinverters and how to bring APS products to your customers, please don’t hesitate to call or email our sales team at sales@apsamerica.com. APS is the industry leader in microinverter innovation, quality, pricing and support, and we look forward to showing you what we have to offer.
Remember that our APSamerica.com website has detailed product information and technical data, as well as testimonials from installers and potential partners like you who have made APS their microinverter of choice. We’re dedicated to building our business by helping our solar partners build theirs.
Thank you again, and we hope you’ll join with APS for a dynamic and successful 2015.