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Inside AE Solar Energy
Welcome to the Advanced Energy’s Solar Energy quarterly industry analyst newsletter. At Advanced Energy (AE), we’re uniquely positioned to understand the complex and increasing energy challenges that we face on a global scale.
In May 2010, Advanced Energy acquired Bend, Oregon company, PV Powered. Now a part of Advanced Energy’s Solar Energy Business unit, PV Powered will continue to be marketed under its product brand name, alongside Solaron, AE's inverter product line.
We always strive to enhance communications with our analyst community, and welcome your questions or suggestions on how to improve this newsletter. Please feel free to contact us at aesolarenergy@schwartzcomm.com
Advanced Energy—Project Spotlight
Advanced Energy’s Solaron® PV inverters have been installed at a 35-megawatt (MW) solar project located near Coalinga, California. The project was awarded to AE by engineering and construction company Cupertino Electric, Inc. earlier this year based on the Solaron PV inverter’s industry-leading energy-efficiency ratings and lowest Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). The 35 MW project consists of two sites owned by PG&E: Stroud, a 20 MW site, and Westside, a 15 MW site. The two sites are part of the first phase of a five-year PG&E plan to build 250 MWs of solar power. The Stroud and Westside installations include 70 of AE’s 500 kW Solaron® grid-tied PV inverters, which provide low voltage ride through (LVRT) and reactive power control.
“After considering all of the options, we found AE to be the best overall choice thanks to their combination of technical solution and price,” said Meisa Kassis, project manager with Cupertino Electric, Inc. “Our successful delivery of this project to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) was made possible by the contributions of subcontractors and suppliers like AE.”
Advanced Energy—Utility Scale inverters
During the last quarter AE also introduced the AE Solar Plant Controller, which offers intelligent plant level control for enhanced grid integration of solar power. The AE Plant Controller provides customers with both the utility-scale power plant control they require as well as state-of-the-art actionable site performance metrology.
The AE Plant Controller is intelligent interface that communicates with the Smart Grid and utility SCADA systems, enabling seamless integration and energy management of solar power plants in high-penetration areas.
AE Plant Controller Key Features
• Control up to 40 inverters (20 MW) per AE Plant Controller
• Collect all site data for integration with SCADA/data monitoring systems
• Secure DNP3 connection to utility SCADA systems robust, industrial controller
• Integrated web-based portal for easy configuration
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Available in the North American market, the AE Plant Controller is a direct result of AE’s work with the Solar Energy Grid Integration System (SEGIS) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Program.
The AE Solaron 500 1kV inverter was also unveiled during Solar Power International. The Solaron 500 1kV Inverters provide durable, robust building blocks for utility-scale PV installations, featuring very high efficiency and new utility interactive controls, including fixed power factor to 0.90 leading or lagging, low and zero voltage ride-through (LVRT, ZVRT) and better over/under frequency response. Solaron 500 1kV models are outdoor ready for cost-effective installation.
Advanced Energy – Commercial Inverters
At Solar Power International, AE Solar Energy showcased the latest addition to its commercial offerings—the PV Powered 500 kW. The PVP 500 kW features the industry’s first inverter integrated DC circuit breaker subcombiner, which enables low cost compliance with NEC2011 and improves serviceability. Designed for the needs of large commercial and utility-scale applications, the PVP 500 kW accelerates payback with an estimated 98.2 percent peak efficiency and 97.5 percent CEC efficiency. The highly configurable PVP 500 kW will begin shipping Q1 2012 and will also be available in a stainless steel enclosure.
Advanced Energy – Inverter Direct Monitoring
To coincide with the release of the PV Powered 500 and PV Powered String HE inverter, Advanced Energy has also enhanced its industry-leading web-based inverter direct monitoring service. AE’s inverter direct monitoring consists of a comprehensive suite of tools for system owners, installers and financiers to monitor, respond to, and maximize the ROI of each solar installation. It is compatible with all PV Powered inverters equipped with inverter-direct monitoring hardware and consists of a system owner portal, an advanced O&M portal with alerting module and public dashboard which enables complete fleet management. AE will hold a series of customer webinars in the New Year to further educate users and explore additional functionality. To learn more, visit www.mypvpower.com.
Advanced Energy—String Inverters
Earlier this month, AE unveiled its next generation string inverters with the PV Powered (PVP) HE String inverter line, an all-new line of high-performance string inverters ideally suited for North American residential and small-commercial rooftop installations. The new PVP HE String line is the industry’s first inverter to offer standard ZigBee wireless monitoring. The innovative inverter also offers high-efficiency and multiple ease-of-installation features.
 ZigBee based wireless monitoring allows the new PVP HE String inverters to communicate with an optional AE wireless gateway enabling easy access to vital inverter performance information at no cost, using MyPVpower.com. The integrated design and wireless features eliminate the need for inverter modifications in the field as well as complex cable configuration from the inverter. Integrating ZigBee monitoring also allows compatibility with other ZigBee enabled Smart Grid communication devices such as smart appliances, utility Smart Meters or home area network (HAN) controllers. Overall, AE’s innovative approach to integrated wireless monitoring provides customers with key capabilities not offered by other competitive solutions and sets the industry benchmark for Smart Grid interoperability.
 With a 97 percent California Energy Commission (CEC) efficiency, the PVP HE String inverters produce more power throughout the day, and have features that lower total installation costs. The new inverter line’s wide maximum power point tracking (MPPT) window provides designers with a variety of stringing options for a multitude of roof types. Selectable AC voltage also offers flexibility by enabling the same inverter model to be used for multiple installation applications. Installation is made safer and easier with the inverters’ integrated front and side lifting handles, strategically located knockout sizes and integrated AC/DC fusing, making external combiner boxes or fuse boxes unnecessary.
The PVP HE String line offers power ranges from 3.8 to 7 kW and will be available in Q2 2012. AE’s new line of string inverters are covered by a standard 10-year warranty with optional 15- and 20-year warranties.
Advanced Energy—In the News
"A New Metric For Measuring The Competitive Cost Of Solar" A guest post written by Todd Miklos, the senior director of solar inverter marketing at Advanced Energy of Fort Collins, CO. Read the complete article here.
Meet the AE Solar Energy Team
Brent Cheldelin--Senior Product Manager, Data Monitoring & DC BoS, AE Solar Energy
 Based in Bend, Oregon, Brent Cheldelin is senior product manager for Data Monitoring and DC balance of system components for AE Solar Energy and has been in the renewables industry since 2005. Since 2005, he has held a variety of roles in product development as well as project and program management. Cheldelin has worked with various multi-national companies in aviation, automotive and electronics on product definition, design for manufacturability and the overall product development process. In addition, he has delivered a variety of lectures to graduate students, U.S. and international companies on design methodologies for effective product development.
Cheldelin has a BSME from Oregon State University and MSME and PhD from Stanford University.
EYE ON IT— Industry Trends
"As prices for PV modules, inverters and other system components continue to decline, project developers and EPCs are placing an increased emphasis on a project's balance-of-system (BOS) costs,” said Cheldelin. “Factory- integrated data monitoring solutions help lower overall BOS and installation costs from the start. Coupled with timely system performance information system operators are able to schedule operations & maintenance (O&M) services resulting in improved energy harvest. Data monitoring is key to maximizing any PV investment and we expect to see its use growing considerably."
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