Microinverters

Microinverters make their mark in commercial solar sector

Kelsey Misbrener — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 13:00:06 +0000

While microinverters have a clear place in the residential solar ecosystem, commercial projects are usually synonymous with string inverters. But microinverter manufacturers still see a clear place for them in the C&I market, whether it’s satisfying rapid shutdown and optimization requirements or stepping in to handle unique site conditions. Manufacturers like Northern Electric Power (NEP),…

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Enphase ups domestic content percentage in IQ8 microinverters

Kelsey Misbrener — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 13:49:42 +0000

Enphase announced initial shipments of IQ8X Microinverters and IQ8P-3P Commercial Microinverters supplied from manufacturing facilities in the United States with higher domestic content than previous models. The microinverters have SKUs with a “DOM” suffix, indicating an increased amount of domestic content. Enphase announced in July 2024 that certain IQ8 Microinverters, when paired with other U.S.-made…

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Hoymiles opens new microinverter manufacturing facility in Mexico

Kelsey Misbrener — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:12:19 +0000

Hoymiles announced it officially inaugurated its first overseas manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico, marking a significant milestone in the company’s global expansion strategy. Located in the Vynmsa Industrial Park, just six kilometers from the airport, the 6,700-m2 facility is equipped with comprehensive production resources, including dedicated PCBA, materials and finished goods warehouses. With a current…

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2,000-V central inverters, whole-home energy systems and more at RE+ 2024 Editor Kelsey Misbrener provides a rundown of new power electronics

Kelsey Misbrener — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 18:09:14 +0000

Along with domestic content updates, some other trends stuck out with the power electronics manufacturers I talked to at RE+ 2024. Large central inverters are getting bigger — making the jump from 1,500 to 2,000 V. Most are using closed-system liquid cooling technology too to limit the amount of dust, animals and junk that can…

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Editor Kelsey Misbrener provides a rundown of new power electronics appeared first on Solar Power World.

Inverter manufacturers highlight higher domestic content at RE+ 2024 Domestic inverter happenings from editor Kelsey Misbrener

Kelsey Misbrener — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 13:31:26 +0000

The IRA has been the primary topic of conversation at the solar + storage industry’s biggest tradeshow since its inception, but at this year’s trade show, I noticed the talk turned from ambiguous to much more concrete. Manufacturers are crunching the numbers and auditing products to help project owners meet domestic content bonus requirements with…

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Domestic inverter happenings from editor Kelsey Misbrener appeared first on Solar Power World.

At-risk youth win international sustainability competition with off-grid home

Billy Ludt — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 12:00:24 +0000

A judge in the Monterey County Superior Court in California was tired of seeing young people pass through his courtroom on their way to prison. So, he founded the Rancho Cielo school in 2000 to offer general education and curriculum in a range of trades for marginalized youth. The school in Salinas, California, hosts programs…

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Solar microinverter testing in a production environment

Ben Jackson, director product line management, AMETEK Programmable Power — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 12:00:57 +0000

Solar panels are growing more efficient over time. According to the Tracking the Sun report from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in the 10 years between 2011 and 2021, the median solar panel efficiency grew from about 14.5% to about 20.1% and will reach 25% in a few years. As solar panels increase in power,…

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Enphase begins shipping U.S.-made commercial microinverters

Kelsey Misbrener — Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:08:36 +0000

Enphase Energy announced it has started initial shipments of IQ8 Commercial Microinverters produced in the United States. The Inflation Reduction Act has enabled Enphase Energy to manufacture in the United States, supporting jobs and advancing the country’s renewable energy economy. The IQ8P-3P Commercial three-phase Microinverters are designed to support 208-V commercial installations for small- and…

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Hoymiles releases 5,000-W microinverter for C&I, large residential solar projects

Kelsey Misbrener — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 13:06:16 +0000

Hoymiles has released a new 5,000-W microinverter designed for industrial, commercial and large residential projects. Hoymiles guarantees that the new microinverter will require no replacement for 25 years. “The Hoymiles MiT could change the game,” said Hoymiles CTO Dr. Zhao Yi. “It has all the power the industry is looking for, and is extremely cost-efficient.…

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Solvari AC module completes UL 2703 certification testing

Kelly Pickerel — Fri, 31 May 2024 17:30:58 +0000

New AC and smart module company Solvari announced that its Solvari SR solar panel for the residential market has passed UL/CSA 61730 and UL 2703 certification testing. Solvari has also completed testing through NREL to ensure a 25-year performance lifetime. The Solvari SR AC module has mounts pre-installed on its corners, and features a pre-attached…

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US solar industry leans on contract manufacturers to boost domestic output of inverters, trackers

Billy Ludt — Tue, 23 Apr 2024 12:00:20 +0000

Domestic solar manufacturing is seeing an unprecedented boom as the industry reaps the tax benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act. To meet the demands of electrifying and decarbonizing the American grid with products made within its borders, companies are expanding operations in the United States. However, not every solar company producing hardware has the knowhow,…

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Enphase releases updated IQ8 microinverters for higher-power modules

Kelly Pickerel — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 14:03:44 +0000

Enphase Energy has began shipping its updated IQ8 microinverters: the IQ8HC and IQ8X. Both have a peak power output of 384 WAC and can pair with solar modules with ratings up to 540 WDC. IQ8HC can manage a continuous DC current of 14 A, supporting higher-powered solar modules. The microinverter has a 25-year warranty in…

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Microinverter manufacturers are adding string inverters to their lineup 2024 Trends in Solar

Sara Carbone — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 12:59:15 +0000

Module-level rapid shutdown requirements that originated in the 2017 National Electrical Code gave microinverter manufacturers a boost as a simple way for rooftop systems to comply. But as the code and consumer needs have changed, string inverters are having a resurgence. Over the past year, some microinverter makers have decided to go bigger and add…

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Enphase cuts one U.S. factory and lays off 10% of global workforce

Kelsey Misbrener — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 13:54:19 +0000

In a December 18 Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Enphase disclosed it is reducing its global workforce by about 10% and halting contract manufacturing at factories in Wisconsin and Romania. In a message to employees, CEO Badri Kothandaraman said, “Over the last 12 months, the solar market has seen a lot of turbulence worldwide. In…

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Enphase enters commercial market with new three-phase microinverter

Kelsey Misbrener — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 14:03:54 +0000

Enphase Energy has announced the launch of its new IQ8 Commercial Microinverters, featuring the IQ8P-3P Microinverter, for the small commercial solar market in North America. The IQ8P-3P Microinverter enables a peak output power of up to 480 W, supporting small three-phase commercial applications and newer, high-powered solar panels. The IQ8 Commercial Microinverters are built to…

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