15 December 2011

GreenVolts claims first fully integrated solar system

Concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system maker GreenVolts Inc of Fremont, CA, USA has unveiled what it claims is the first complete and fully integrated solar system, including modules, trackers, inverters, energy management software, networking, AC and DC disconnects, and all DC wiring. The firm says that, through control of the entire system design, it has improved performance, simplified project engineering and installation, and reduced costs in all stages of the project lifecycle.

“Customers get simplicity, elegance, and precision in a utility-scale solar system that delivers higher performance and richer energy management than anything else,” reckons president & CEO David Gudmundson.

Traditional photovoltaic (PV) systems consist of parts sourced from different suppliers, including solar panels, inverters, trackers, and monitoring. Because these parts are not designed to work specifically with each other, the overall system performance suffers, says GreenVolts. In contrast, the firm is providing a complete and fully integrated solar system, with installations producing 30-40% more energy than traditional PV, it is reckoned.

“We have had success with GreenVolts on our recent project in Yuma, Arizona, and are excited to work with them again on future projects,” comments Jonathan W. Postal, senior VP business development at solar project developer and financier Main Street Power Co of Boulder, CO.

Additionally, the GreenVolts solution includes ISIS energy management software. Because ISIS was designed with, and fully integrated into, the complete solar system, it offers deeper access and more sophisticated capabilities than are available in third-party software products, the firm claims. ISIS includes: real-time monitoring of site conditions and energy production; extensive fault isolation and diagnostics at the site, system or component level; inventory and asset management; operation and maintenance logs; hundreds of alerts and alarms; extensive and programmable reporting capability; and remote access and control of the entire system. ISIS is Internet-based, secure, fast, and easy to access from a PC or mobile device, the firm adds.

The system is installed at numerous customer locations across the Southwest USA in Pacific Gas & Electric Co, Southern California Edison, Tucson Electric, Imperial Irrigation District, and Arizona Power Service territories. Existing projects include agricultural, utility, municipal, commercial and industrial applications.

“Having built numerous solar projects from various solar vendors, we appreciate the fast and efficient installation of the GreenVolts system, which minimizes the possibility of mistakes, thus providing better cost estimates and on-time schedules,” comments Brian Bothman, vice president at Robert A. Bothman Construction Inc. “Their approach simplifies everything, from logistics and site engineering, training and installation, to final commissioning,” he adds.

Key features of the GreenVolts system include:

• Increased efficiency: advanced CPV modules are 2-3 times more efficient than those of traditional PV or thin film modules.
• Greater energy yield: a high-precision, two-axis, intelligent tracking system accurately follows the sun, allowing modules to operate at peak efficiency throughout the day and resulting in greater energy yield than single-axis or fixed-tilt PV systems.
• Integrated inverters and motion control: bi-polar, transformerless inverters, working with the tracker motion control, continually seek the maximum power output for the system.
• Intelligent Solar Information System (ISIS): the energy management software provides monitoring, diagnostics, reporting, and system control.
• Increased durability and decreased maintenance: weather and solar monitoring stations at each site ensure that the system is stowed in a face-down position during harsh conditions, as well as at night to reduce soiling, dust, and condensation.
• Sophisticated solar information network: all subsystems and components are interconnected for communications, including GPS and Wi-Fi for intrasite status, and Internet communication via secure VPN.
• Comprehensive customer care: GreenVolts provides a single point of support over the life of the project, from sales, to planning and design, to installation, to operation and maintenance.

Tags: GreenVolts CPV

Visit: www.greenvolts.com