Optimizers & Inverters

This Swiss giant is following a trend as large multinational high-tech companies see their role as redesigning infrastructure rather than supplying inverters at ever lower margins. Schneider Electric has pulled out of large scale solar, Siemens’ Kaco acquisition and Junelight launch show increasing interest in the C&I and residential markets, and GE is likely to divest its power conversion business due to low profit margins in that sector.

Roth Capital Partners reports that the inverter maker ceased U.S. sales last Friday, laying off all of its U.S. citizen staff, amid rising tensions between the Trump Administration and China.

NREL has announced finalists in its first round of seeking new solar technologies that have significant market potential.

“Another week, another trade crisis.”

The Fronius Symo Advanced product line, which had already been NEC 2017 compliant when coupled with a Tigo TS-4, is now also certified for rapid shutdown by the SunSpec Alliance.

The testing company’s first inverter scorecard found widespread failures of basic tests in UL- and IEC-tested products.

Cree, which pioneered the innovative semiconductor material, is planning to increase silicon carbide production 30x through a massive investment in a fab and materials megafactory in Durham, North Carolina.

Research by NREL and First Solar has produced highly accurate, real-time estimates of available aggregate peak power that a curtailed solar power plant can deliver to support the broader needs of the grid.

The Israeli power electronics maker’s revenues and shipments keep rising as it absorbs more companies, but the pending increase in Section 301 tariffs leaves some clouds in the future.

Most large manufacturers supplying the inverter market have diversified production outside of China, but this will affect Huawei and other Chinese inverter makers, as well as U.S. module makers.