APS returns to PV America leveraging strong growth in East Coast market

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APS comes to the 2015 PV America show in Boston, March 9-10, with strong opportunities for East Coast distributors and installers.

apsystems-pvamerica-web3The region has seen outstanding growth for APS over the past 12 months, including agreements with leading solar distributors in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic markets.

“A continued focus on the East Coast is a priority for APS,” said Ryan Davies, APS Director of Sales, East Region. “The abundance of tech-savvy installers and end users, coupled in a region with diverse topography, makes APS the perfect solution for every installation.”

APS expects continued growth in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and North Carolina in 2015, and is looking for new distribution and installation partners in those key markets, said Paul Barlock, APS Senior Vice President.
The APS team will be at booth no. 511 on the PV America exhibition hall floor.

To set up a meeting, visit the booth or email sales@apsamerica.com.

Showcased throughout the event will be the YC500, a powerful dual-module microinverter and the APS flagship product.

Also featured will be the new YC1000 true 3-phase microinverter, purpose-designed and built for commercial applications and offering an unprecedented 1:4 microinverter-to-module ratio to significantly lower BOS costs.
Unlike other microinverter products entering the commercial segment, the YC1000 line requires no expensive step-up or step-down transformers 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 that commercial-scale solar has been waiting for,” Barlock said. “APS innovation has made microinverters viable in the commercial segment for the first time.”

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APS, Glenn International announce partnership in Caribbean, Central America markets

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APS microinverters will be represented by Glenn International in the Caribbean and Central America regions, in a first-time partnership between the companies.

The agreement extends APS’ product reach in the fast-growing Latin America solar market.

Headquartered in Puerto Rico, Glenn International is a leading supplier of electrical, lighting and telecom equipment for the Caribbean and Central America. The company also maintains offices in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Trinidad.

Solar equipment is marketed and supported by the company’s EcoGlenn division.

“APS microinverters are very high quality, the best the industry has to offer,” said Ignacio Diaz, Director of Sales and Marketing for Glenn International. apsystems-glenn“Our customers will benefit greatly as we add them to our product line.”

APS microinverter technology is ideally suited for the Caribbean region, where grid standards can vary from one market to the next. APS’ proven chip-based architecture can be configured for any grid standard anywhere in the world.

“Glenn International has a long-established presence in the Caribbean and is very knowledgeable of solar,” said Thomas Nelson, APS Vice President of Sales. “We’re very pleased to partner with them to bring our advanced microinverter products to more customers in what has become a dynamic region for solar.”

The partnership is the latest between APS and a top-tier distributor to bring the company’s advanced microinverter products to new international markets.

APS recently introduced the YC1000, the world’s first true 3-phase, four-module microinverter, specially designed for large-scale commercial applications.

APS’ flagship product, the YC500 microinverter, handles two PV modules with independent monitoring and 500W maximum output.

ABOUT GLENN INTERNATIONAL: Glenn International was founded in Puerto Rico in 1967 by Raul Rodriguez, as an offshoot of longtime Atlanta, Ga., electrical systems contractor Glenn Associates. In 1970, electrical engineer Carlos Diaz joined the company, bringing several new equipment lines into the Glenn portfolio. New office and warehouse facilities soon set the company on a trajectory of growth to become a leading player in the electrical construction products industry. Carlos Diaz later acquired all shares from Raul Rodriguez, and now runs Glenn International with sons Ignacio and Ricardo, and a staff of dedicated employees.

For information on Glenn International, see www.glenninternational.com.

 

tenKsolar, RR Lane Solar Distributing earn APS Project of the Year Awards

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APSaward-iconFrom the rooftops of landmark buildings to ground-mount arrays on rural farmsteads, solar power can find a place in just about any setting.

We asked our APS partners to send us their best, most outstanding solar installations from the past year, and that’s exactly what they sent us.

Now APS is proud to congratulate tenKsolar and RR Lane Solar Distributing for earning Project of the Year Awards for commercial and residential applications, respectively.

Find out about these dynamic examples of solar ingenuity and APS technology at work in challenging applications, and join us in congratulating tenKsolar and RR Lane Solar Distributing for their inspiring efforts.

Read about tenKsolar’s DAR Constitution Hall project here  and RR Lane’s Bauer residential/agricultural project here.

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APS Commercial Project of the Year AWARD WINNER: tenKsolar, DAR Constitution Hall installation, Washington, D.C.

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The Daughters of the American Revolution Constitution Hall is the largest concert space in Washington, D.C., and one of the most revered buildings in the nation’s capital.

Bringing solar to this National Historic Landmark Building posed an exceptional challenge: any renovation or addition would have to preserve the architectural integrity of the structure – including the roof.

TenKsolar and installer Standard Solar met the challenge with the proprietary REFLECT PV system, which includes APS YC500 microinverters.

For this outstanding application of APS microinverter technology atop one of the nation’s landmark buildings, tenKsolar has earned the APS Project of the Year Award for commercial applications.

“We salute tenKsolar for what is truly a showcase solar installation,” said Paul Barlock, APS Senior Vice President. “Constitution Hall holds a special place among our nation’s historic buildings, and we’re very honored that tenKsolar and APsystems could help preserve and enhance it.”

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Built in 1929, the DAR Constitution Hall sits just off the National Mall a short distance from the White House. Half a million visitors enjoy performances in the spectacular concert setting each year.

Standard Solar’s structural engineering report revealed the building’s roof could not support the original legacy solar array they had designed, and the limited roof space would make installation of standard inverters and AC equipment exceedingly difficult.

Needing a better solution, they turned to tenK to provide a PV system that could match the original system’s energy production at a lower weight. Not only did the REFLECT PV System provide the low-weight array the building required, it produces more DC energy in the same roof area.

The Constitution Hall ended up with a larger, and lighter sys­tem, maximizing the DAR organization’s solar investment, and preserving the national landmark building for years to come.

The array, completed in June 2014, has a 69.29 kW capacity. Annual production for the concert hall is projected to be nearly 1.1 megawatt.

APS YC500 microinverters are integral to the REFLECT PV module system, built by tenKsolar in Minneapolis, Minn.

“We’re very proud to bring solar to this beautiful landmark building in our nation’s capital, and to showcase both tenK and APS technology in the project,” said Joel Cannon, tenKsolar CEO. “This project shows that our technology can overcome space and weight issues to bring solar to even challenging, historic structures.”

For more information, on the tenKsolar REFLECT PV system, see www.tenksolar.com.

See more photos of the project here.

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.”

rrlane_bauer_array

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.