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Title: Development of an AC Module System: Final Technical Report

Abstract

The GreenRay Inc. program focused on simplifying solar electricity and making it affordable and accessible to the mainstream population. This was accomplished by integrating a solar module, micro-inverter, mounting and monitoring into a reliable, 'plug and play' AC system for residential rooftops, offering the following advantages: (1) Reduced Cost: Reduction in installation labor with fewer components, faster mounting, faster wiring. (2) Maximized Energy Production: Each AC Module operates at its maximum, reducing overall losses from shading, mismatch, or module downtime. (3) Increased Safety. Electrical and fire safety experts agree that AC Modules have significant benefits, with no energized wiring or live connections during installation, maintenance or emergency conditions. (4) Simplified PV for a Broader Group of Installers. Dramatic simplification of design and installation of a solar power system, enabling faster and more efficient delivery of the product into the market through well-established, mainstream channels. This makes solar more accessible to the public. (5) Broadened the Rooftop Market: AC Modules enable solar for many homes that have shading, split roofs, or obstructions. In addition, due to the smaller building block size of 200W vs. 1000W, homeowners with budget limitations can start small and add to their systems over time. Through thismore » DOE program GreenRay developed the all-in-one AC Module system with an integrated PV Module and microinverter, custom residential mounting and performance monitoring. Development efforts took the product from its initial concept, through prototypes, to a commercial product sold and deployed in the residential market. This pilot deployment has demonstrated the technical effectiveness of the AC Module system in meeting the needs and solving the problems of the residential market. While more expensive than the traditional central inverter systems at the pilot scale, the economics of AC Modules become more and more favorable as the product matures and is made in high volumes. GreenRay's early customers have been highly enthusiastic about the AC Module system benefits.« less

Authors:
;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
GreenRay, Inc
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE); USDOE EE Office of Solar Energy Technology (EE-2A)
OSTI Identifier:
1043437
Report Number(s):
DOE/GO/17050-1
TRN: US201214%%129
DOE Contract Number:  
FC36-07GO17050
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION; 14 SOLAR ENERGY; AC SYSTEMS; DESIGN; ECONOMICS; ELECTRICITY; INVERTERS; MAINTENANCE; MARKET; MONITORING; PERFORMANCE; POWER SYSTEMS; PRODUCTION; ROOFS; SAFETY; SHADING; AC Module; microinverter; inverter; PV Module

Citation Formats

Kadam, Suparna, and Russell, Miles. Development of an AC Module System: Final Technical Report. United States: N. p., 2012. Web. doi:10.2172/1043437.
Kadam, Suparna, & Russell, Miles. Development of an AC Module System: Final Technical Report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1043437
Kadam, Suparna, and Russell, Miles. 2012. "Development of an AC Module System: Final Technical Report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/1043437. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1043437.
@article{osti_1043437,
title = {Development of an AC Module System: Final Technical Report},
author = {Kadam, Suparna and Russell, Miles},
abstractNote = {The GreenRay Inc. program focused on simplifying solar electricity and making it affordable and accessible to the mainstream population. This was accomplished by integrating a solar module, micro-inverter, mounting and monitoring into a reliable, 'plug and play' AC system for residential rooftops, offering the following advantages: (1) Reduced Cost: Reduction in installation labor with fewer components, faster mounting, faster wiring. (2) Maximized Energy Production: Each AC Module operates at its maximum, reducing overall losses from shading, mismatch, or module downtime. (3) Increased Safety. Electrical and fire safety experts agree that AC Modules have significant benefits, with no energized wiring or live connections during installation, maintenance or emergency conditions. (4) Simplified PV for a Broader Group of Installers. Dramatic simplification of design and installation of a solar power system, enabling faster and more efficient delivery of the product into the market through well-established, mainstream channels. This makes solar more accessible to the public. (5) Broadened the Rooftop Market: AC Modules enable solar for many homes that have shading, split roofs, or obstructions. In addition, due to the smaller building block size of 200W vs. 1000W, homeowners with budget limitations can start small and add to their systems over time. Through this DOE program GreenRay developed the all-in-one AC Module system with an integrated PV Module and microinverter, custom residential mounting and performance monitoring. Development efforts took the product from its initial concept, through prototypes, to a commercial product sold and deployed in the residential market. This pilot deployment has demonstrated the technical effectiveness of the AC Module system in meeting the needs and solving the problems of the residential market. While more expensive than the traditional central inverter systems at the pilot scale, the economics of AC Modules become more and more favorable as the product matures and is made in high volumes. GreenRay's early customers have been highly enthusiastic about the AC Module system benefits.},
doi = {10.2172/1043437},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1043437}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Fri Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}