Another week, a few more announcements! To stay on the cutting edge, check out this latest roundup of clean energy products:
FTC solar tracker for larger modules
FTC Solar has announced Voyager +, the next generation of its single-axis Voyager tracker. The Texas-based company engineered the new tracker to be compatible with large-format modules that are expected to increasingly enter the solar market.
The company said the tracker can accommodate large-format modules with 182mm and 210mm cells and achieve a power of more than 500W. FTC Solar is currently testing at its research facility near Denver, Colorado and will evaluate the performance and structural requirements of a variety of large format modules. More information here.
KiloVault deep cycle batteries
KiloVault, a Massachusetts-based home and commercial energy storage company, has released the 1200 HLX and 1200 CHLX high-capacity deep-cycle lithium batteries.
These 1,200 Wh batteries complement the existing 1,800 Wh and 3,600 Wh models from KiloVault and process 80 A continuous charging current and 100 A continuous discharge current. The company said the lower capacity and weight of the 1200 HLX and 1200 CHLX make it suitable for a variety of applications, including off-grid solar energy storage. More information here.
Image: KiloVault
Enphase expands digital platform
Enphase Energy, an energy management company and provider of Solar + storage systems based on microinverters, has expanded its digital offering with the acquisition of the Canadian company Sofdesk Inc.
According to Enphase, Sofdesk's integrated software platform Solargraf offers digital tools and services designed to simplify and accelerate the end-to-end sales process in the solar industry for private households. The Solargraf platform enables solar installers to design, quote and manage workflow prior to sale from any PC, tablet or mobile device. In addition, Sofdesk offers Roofgraf, a software product that enables roofers to use machine learning technology to make suggestions for homeowners. More information here.
Schottky Diodes from Vishay Intertechnology
Vishay Intertechnology has introduced 10 new Schottky diodes made from 650 V silicon carbide (SiC). The semiconductor devices feature a fused PIN Schottky (MPS) design and are designed to increase the efficiency of high frequency applications by reducing switching losses regardless of the effects of temperature deviations and by allowing the diodes to operate at higher temperatures.
According to the company, the MPS design of the diodes shields the electric field from the Schottky barrier to reduce leakage currents while increasing the surge current capability through hole injection. The devices are intended for PFC and output rectification in flyback power supplies and LLC converters for servers, telecommunications equipment, UPSs and solar inverters. More information here.
Fimer three-phase string inverter
The Italian company Fimer has announced two new three-row inverters for PV projects in residential, commercial and industrial areas. The inverters marked PVS-10 / 12.5 / 15-TL and PVS-20/30/33-TL have an output of 10 kW to 33 kW and should achieve an input voltage of 1100 V (DC).
Fimer is launching its new PVS-10 / 12.5 / 15-TL and PVS-20/30/33-TL platforms initially in Italy, France, Germany, Thailand, India and Australia, followed by a global rollout in the first Half-year is planned for the year. More information here.
Image: Fimer
CleanSpark mVSO microgrid software
CleanSpark Inc. announced upgrades to mVSO, the company's microgrid planning and suggestion software solution for energy, solar, and storage developers, as well as engineering, procurement, and construction companies.
The company said the latest version includes improvements to all customer reports and financial analysis. From top-level financial metrics to a 20-year project duration, to sample operating charts with a resolution of 15 minutes, various aspects of the proposed microgrid are available in simple terms. According to CleanSpark, mVSO can now seamlessly collect results from a variety of other renewable energy software, including Helioscope, PVSyst, and PVWatts modeling systems. More information here.
Span secures $ 20 million, Alexa connection
Span, a supplier of control panels for smart homes, has secured an additional $ 20 million in funding and voice integration from Amazon Alexa for its devices. The company began shipping the Span Smart Panel to customers in the summer of 2020 and will use this latest investment to expand its reach to homeowners and develop new products.
According to the company, the Span Smart Panel is designed to facilitate the adoption of clean energy and offers circuit-level energy monitoring, real-time control and built-in intelligence. From insights into home energy usage to customizable backups that extend home battery failure protection, Span is accessible through the Span Home app and will soon be available with Amazon Alexa features. More information here.
Image: Span
Technical integration for charging electric vehicles
AutoGrid has teamed up with FLO and the AddEnergie Group, an operator of the FLO electric vehicle (EV) charging system and smart charger software and device provider, to provide AutoGrid Flex to manage smart charger endpoints.
With the AI-based analyzes and real-time operating data from AutoGrid Flex, utility companies can receive endpoint and network-wide transparency and information on participating intelligent charging stations manufactured by AddEnergie that are used in the FLO network in their service areas. The partner companies stated that this provides the ability to manage loads for peak demand reductions, improve the stability of EV charging loads, and improve grid reliability. More information here.
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