SMA prepping for ‘exponential growth’, shipping solar inverters ready for AC-coupled energy storage
The SMA Sunny Boy-Storage is now shipping to the United States. The inverter offers 3.7/5.0/6.0 sizes and can accept up to three AC-coupled battery connections. SMA believes the solar + storage market will offer exponential growth.
SolarEdge and Panasonic sitting in a tree…
The HIT S-Series smart module is being launched via a collaboration between Panasonic and SolarEdge. The pair is aiming to boost the installation speed and total electricity output of solar modules. The initial unit noted is a 330W solar module.
Smarter homes with solar+storage by Sonnen
The Sonnen ecoLinx adds home automation skills, via powerful industry partner tools, complementing the company’s energy storage, grid management and microgrid expertise.
RBI Solar integrates, literally and figuratively, SolarBOS
Gibraltar Industries, owner of solar racking company RBI Solar, of Cincinnati, OH has acquired balance of system designer SolarBOS, of California.
OhmConnect’s distributed demand response network adds automated Nest management
OhmConnect has joined Googles “Work with Nest” program to increase automation in its home energy management program. Users in OhmConnect’s select marketplaces actually earn a share of the demand response services.
Arcadia Power raises $25 million to extend community solar and energy platform
The company looks to add engineers and data scientists to expand its renter-focused platform offering electricity discounts via access to community wind and solar power installations.
Enphase finalizes purchase of SunPower mincroinverter business
The deal gives SunPower $25 million in cash and 7.5 million shares in Enphase. Enphase also gains access to SunPower microinverter IP, and rights to SunPower’s Equinox AC modules line.
32% tandem cell solar still competitive at triple the price
ASU researchers have determined that a 32% efficient perovskite-silicon tandem cell could produce electricity at the same price as cutting-edge 22% efficient panels in the most cost-competitive of situations.
Tesla’s mad growth in energy storage
In the first two quarters of 2018 Tesla deployed 40% more energy storage than all of 2017, with 300-400% growth expected for 2019. Solar power deployments grew 11% to 84 MW over a low Q1 value.
This isn’t your parents’ SolarEdge
The inverter-optimizer manufacturer has expanded from its residential focus and now gets 40% of its revenue from commercial sales. The company is also supplying a soon-to-be commissioned 53 MW-AC solar power project.
