Product roundup: Panasonic, Silfab Solar, EVgo, and more

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Another week, another bunch of announcements! To stay up to date on what’s new, check out this latest clean energy product roundup:

Panasonic modules ready to ship

Panasonic Corp. of North America’s new EverVolt solar modules are available for shipping. Announced in December 2020 and designed to accompany the company’s EverVolt Battery Storage system, the four new modules are offered in two series.

EverVolt Solar Module Series 370 W/360 W modules feature efficiencies of 21.2% and 20.6%, respectively, a temperature coefficient of -0.26%, and provide maximum power output for residential solar systems. Meanwhile, EverVolt Solar Module Black Series 360 W/350 W modules feature efficiencies of 20.6% and 20%, respectively, and have a temperature coefficient of -0.26%. More info available here.

Image: Panasonic

Fast charging for Tesla drivers

EVgo, a public fast charging network for electric vehicles (EVs), is expanding its offering for Tesla drivers to charge at more EVgo stations across the U.S., upgrading hundreds of its stations with integrated Tesla connectors.

EVgo said this will further its reach as a charging platform that is both 100% renewable electricity powered and capable of charging all three fast-charging standards (CHAdeMO, SAE Combo or CCS, and Tesla) without the need of a separate adaptor. EVgo will deploy more than 400 integrated Tesla connectors at existing EVgo stations, with an additional 200 connectors reserved for new stations planned for this year in key cities. More info available here.

Scalable energy storage

Oregon-based manufacturer ESS Inc. has launched Energy Center, a flexible utility-scale storage system designed and sized to the specific needs of front-of-the-meter use cases and larger commercial and industrial facilities.

In contrast to the company’s Energy Warehouse, a standalone 75 kW/500 kWh containerized system, the Energy Center can be tailored and scaled to accommodate specific projects and enable the stacking of a range of storage applications. The systems can be configured in different power capacities, starting at 3 MW, with energy durations ranging from 6 to 16 hours. More info available here.

Image: ESS

Sunnova brings solar+storage to D.C

Sunnova Energy International Inc. will begin offering its services to the District of Columbia. Homeowners in D.C. will now have access to all of Sunnova’s loan products, including the solar-only system, Sunnova SunSafe solar + battery storage service, and +SunSafe add-on battery service.

For homeowners that are looking to go solar but require a new roof, Sunnova said it also will coordinate roof replacement service by a licensed contractor. The company said its systems are covered by a 25-year Sunnova Protect warranty. More info available here.

Residential panels from Silfab

North American PV manufacturer Silfab Solar has launched a line of back-contact modules made exclusively for the U.S. residential market. The company said its Elite line–SIL 370-380 BK–has an efficiency rating of up to 21.4%, representing the company’s most powerful residential panel to date.

Image: Silfab

Silfab said it has already secured distribution partners for the new model. The company said the panel operates at lower temperatures in concert with superior low-light performance, which together increase energy yield by as much as 6% on a kWh/kWp basis. More info available here.

Smart storage for co-op projects

Stem Inc., a provider of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven clean energy storage systems, has teamed up with Arkansas-based renewable energy company Today’s Power Inc. (TPI). As a certified partner in Stem’s Partner Program, TPI will use Stem’s smart energy storage solution to deliver energy flexibility in electric cooperative projects, starting in northwest Arkansas.

TPI builds, owns and operates its projects, and Stem will provide the turnkey smart storage solution. Stem said its solution for electric cooperatives and other utilities includes its Athena smart storage software, battery hardware procurement, an interface for the utility to schedule battery dispatch in real-time or ahead of time, monitoring network operation center services, and the capability for TPI to monitor battery status and historical performance data. More info available here.

Sensor for grid reliability

LineVision Inc., a provider of non-contact overhead power line sensor solutions, has launched a line rating offering to help utilities comply with rules proposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). LineVision claimed its new LineRate AAR+ provides utilities with a scalable, turnkey solution for FERC compliance while enhancing grid reliability by reducing the times when traditional Ambient Adjusted Rating (AAR) methods would inaccurately overestimate line ratings.

Image: LineVision

FERC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) that would require utilities to implement, at a minimum, AAR while instructing grid operators to prepare to operationalize Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) technologies. LineVision said these methods can increase line ratings, reduce grid congestion, and enable renewable energy integration. The company’s solutions directly monitor the sag and temperature of the conductors and are powered by Velodyne LiDAR sensors, the same technology used in autonomous vehicles. More info available here.

SiC diode modules

Illinois-based Richardson Electronics Ltd. announced the availability of its SemiQ third-generation SiC diode modules. All four modules have been qualified via the JEDEC standard reliability test and come in a SOT-227 package.

With over 20 million hours of testing, GEN3 is designed and built for reliability and ruggedness with high breakdown voltage and high surge current rating, according to Richardson. SemiQ’s third-generation SiC modules are available in 650 V/1,200 V, 50 A/100 A configurations and are suited for renewable energy and electric vehicle charging applications. More info available here.

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