With growing consumer interest and increased investment in the market, there is currently a high demand for solar energy in the United States. All this increased activity brings better ideas to a mature market. From advanced solar panel technology to multitasking inverters, the solar industry continues to strive to make things better, stronger and faster for installers and customers, and 2023 was a banner year for product announcements.
Solar Power World's editors reviewed as many products as possible at the trade shows we attended and read through many other spec sheets and case studies to find our favorite devices from the past year. Some are new, others may be overlooked compared to previous years, but they are all a big difference in the daily installation work of the industry. We think you'll agree.
Be sure to check out our online database for a more comprehensive list of the best products of 2023.
Topcon technology takes solar panels to the next level
See Canadian Solar's TOPBiHiKu modules
As the solar industry reaches its "mature" status, it can reflect on past predictions to see if goals are being met. After more than 20 years of experience, solar panel technology analysts seem to know their stuff: multicrystalline designs have, as expected, evolved into elegant monocrystalline designs; Normal-sized newborn cells become half cells three times larger; Separated for conventional polysilicon PERC (Passivated Emitter Rear Contact) technology. This continued success supports the prediction that PERC will eventually be surpassed by Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) designs. But what was the art right?
We have the answer: yes, and 2023 was the moment of explosion. Almost every major solar panel brand announced a TOPCon model this year, and it was the technology everyone wanted to talk about at the RE+ show. PERC models have served the industry well for many years, but have reached their limits when it comes to improving efficiency. The next step in increasing efficiency is adding a tunnel oxide layer to a PERC cell, and TOPCon will lead the industry to its next breakthrough.
Canadian Solar kicked off the party with mass production of its Topcon panels at 25% efficiency in the first quarter, which is 1.5% higher than the average cell efficiency of conventional PERC products on the market. The company's TOPBiHiKu (double-sided) and TOPHiKu (single-sided) modules also have high output power, from a minimum of 420W for single-sided panels and a maximum of 705W for double-sided panels. It is the ideal technology for the utility market, which requires high-power modules that can convert most of the sunlight into electricity.
PVEL tests hundreds of solar panels each year for its Reliability Dashboard, and after seeing just one TOPCon module in 2022, the lab had 37 TOPCon panels in 2023 in the "Top Performer" category from six manufacturers, including TOPCon, Jinko's primary supporter. and Trina. The next emerging panel design may be heterojunction technology (HJT), and PVEL tested nine HJT designs this year, up from two in 2022. But HJT adds a layer of amorphous silicon to crystalline silicon cells, which requires more effort to match production Lines instead of just going to TOPCon. A simple manufacturing choice is the answer to rapid efficiency gains and we are only at the beginning of what TOPCon can do for our mature market.
The larger ESS packs more power into the standard container
Hethium is found in ∞blocks
Large-scale energy storage systems are as visually exciting as their residential counterparts: they're just big boxes in muted, industrial tones. And like residential ESS, grid-scale systems come in many sizes, both in terms of physical space and storage capacity. LG Energy Solutions offers a 24-foot (287-inch) container rated at 2.45 MWh, while the Tesla Megapack is about 29 feet (347 inches) long and rated at 3.9 MWh. Some form of standardization would be helpful for storage developers working on multiple cookie-cutter projects, speeding adoption and deployment.
We've taken some steps in the right direction: this year Hithium and CPS Energy launched a 5 MWh LFP energy storage system using standard 20-foot container structures. Not only is the container smaller than other popular brands, but its storage capacity is also much larger.
In addition to using larger battery modules (the Hithium case uses 314 Ah battery modules instead of the 280 Ah or less used in the past), these 5 MWh systems can pack more storage capacity into a smaller space as they use power. Cooling technology to optimize system performance. Eliminating large air-cooled HVAC systems allows you to shrink the entire enclosure and fit more battery modules inside. Heathium also developed a new way to position battery holders so they can be close together without fear of heat escaping. LFP chemistry also contributes to these safety considerations.
Of course, the energy required for each project varies, but the ability to have greater energy density in a smaller space will save projects a lot of money. Moreover, bringing some consistency to the overall network design will help push the storage market to new frontiers.
AI technology simplifies large-scale O&M inspections
Onsite technology is seen in unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).
Solar projects are relatively low-maintenance energy sources, but require at least annual inspections to meet contract and warranty obligations. For large projects spanning several acres, this typically requires O&M technicians to walk miles in rows and inspect each panel in locations that may be extremely remote and feature adverse weather conditions. The demand for skilled technical labor will only increase as more large-scale solar projects are installed.
"It's a bit difficult for someone to try to document the entire site when there are up to a million solar panels," said Derek Chase, CEO of Onsite Technologies. "The size of the industry has put a lot of pressure on human resources to keep up."
Drones are an effective tool for monitoring sites in human space, but they examine networks from above, while many problems, such as wiring and connectivity issues, are only visible from the ground, Chase said. A new AI-powered robot from Onsite Technology inspects housing from a human perspective with an optical zoom and thermal imaging camera.
Onsite robots scan and analyze every solar panel and connector in a system. The robot then generates a comprehensive report, prioritizing the most urgent problems so technicians can arrive on site and begin repairs.
"It's really taken the mundane stuff out of the hands of high-income technicians to do more technical work, where they actually have to physically replace a solar panel or a connector or whatever the situation is," Chase said.
Robots are rented to customers, shipped to site and commissioned on site by onsite technicians. From there, the devices are 100% remotely controlled.
A robot can scan a site at 1 mile per hour and inspect 50 to 100 MW per month. A large site typically requires three or four robots to cover the entire area, with multiple chargers allowing them to be strategically docked when they run out of juice. The robots can run for about 10 hours a day before recharging.
When technicians leave their jobs, they take their knowledge and experience with them. But O&M robots store their findings and transfer new knowledge to a central neural network that continues to evolve.
“When a robot learns something, it's deployed in the fleet, so we never lose that knowledge base. It continues to grow. And this robot will be around forever. We never get tired of the work,” Chase said.
Onsite's current clients include Duke Energy, McCarthy and NovaSource Power Services. Onsite did not disclose the current size of its fleet, but Chase said its goal is to reach 100 robots in the next three years.
Robots are also trained to perform commissioning tasks, which for large projects can mean miles and miles of reading barcodes on each panel.
While there is a real fear that AI technology could replace human work, tedious operations and maintenance tasks are best left to robots, while experts can spend more time solving problems.
New mounting solution reduces the number of tracks in residential solar systems
Seen in Pegasus Solar's Skiprail
At any level of the market, solar installation is about conducting a building project within the confines of a space that is likely not designed for solar energy. This is especially true on residential roofs, where the only objects found above the shingles, shingles or metal roof line are vents or chimneys. Residential roof rack installation is the art of customizing a surface to resist the elements, including a complete solar system and all associated roof intrusions.
Not all roofs are built to the same surface, so mounting rails are not available in standard lengths. Solar installers are often responsible for cutting the roof to size, fitting track openings if needed, and sealing the edges to hide any cut marks. There are many trackless mounting options on the market, but for the project owner who prefers rail stability and the contractor who wants to carry less rail on the roof, there is the SkipRail from Pegasus Solar.
SkipRail is a row module clamp that can reduce the number of rails needed in a pitched roof solar installation. It works by hooking module frames between two rows and using metal frames as structural support. According to Pegasus Solar, SkipRail can achieve this goal because PV modules on the market are built to standards to withstand extreme environmental conditions, conditions that are not common in most of the United States. Therefore, this fastener can take advantage of the inherent structural strength of a module to reduce the entire row of mounting rails.
SkipRail works with the exclusive Pegasus rail system on networks built in a double configuration, i.e. two tracks support each row of panels. In a system that typically consists of three rows of panels with six supporting tracks, SkipRail will only need four tracks for the entire system to join the rows of panels and provide additional stability. Additionally, SkipRail connects to the system electrically.
Much of the residential solar mounting market has focused on making low-profile connectors with integrated flares — and Pegasus even released its own version — to distract from potential improvements to mounting rails and clamps. But there will always be installers or customers who prefer to use one mounting system over another, and the range of racking and foot mounting systems will likely still need to be improved.
Advantages of new inverters Avoid expensive upgrades of electrical panels
Seen in the latest SolarEdge home hubs and wave inverters from SolarEdge
Going solar isn't cheap, but knowing you're investing in technology is a great motivator to cut a potential return on investment check. When solar systems cannot be installed without an expensive main panel upgrade, this can be a problem.
Older homes typically have 100-amp electrical panels Historically, these homes were limited by the National Electric Code to a maximum solar inverter size of 3.8 kW, about half the average system size of 7.5 kW. To install a larger system, a homeowner had no choice but to upgrade the main panel to a higher amperage rating.
"A lot of homeowners will say, I don't know if I want to do this because all of a sudden the bill goes up $4,000 or $5,000," said Chris Thompson, SolarEdge's vice president of marketing and product engineering.
Electronic signal manufacturers are working to eliminate the need for this upgrade in many situations using the new power control system (PCS) technology.
Solredge introduced new versions of home hub and wave inverters with PCS technology, which converts a previously disabled electric panel into an active and intelligent panel. Except for this smart metering and control technology, the electrical code assumes that your home charging hub is working in maximum capacity, all devices are in maximum energy. In fact, homes usually use a small fraction of all available amplifters. Energy control system ensures that the limit is not exceeded.
"Your charging hub works like traffic police to ensure that the charging hub is not overwhelmed," Thompson said. "For us, it means making solar energy more accessible to more people because it reduces entry barrier; It reduces the cost of adding solar energy.
Homeowners have complete visibility of their systems and strengths through the Solaredge Monitoring App.
Thompson said the manufacturers of some other electronic signals were introducing PCS technology through a separate meter, but he saw an obvious advantage in creating this effectiveness directly in the inverters.
"It is very easy to install, installed very fast, very economical and very reliable in this sense that it is a very perfect meter - all the contacts are built -in," Thompson said.
Giving homeowners to invest in greater solar + storage systems without the need for a large panel upgrade is becoming increasingly important because machinery and vehicles are growing electricity. Investing in solar energy is much more attractive to homeowners than spending money to upgrade the charging station.
"You can get a much big solar panel at $ 4,000 or $ 5,000, which will give you a much better return to your investment because you will get energy from it," said Thompson. "People hate paying up the original panel because you can't say, 'Oh, I get more solar power from it.'
The weather observation system makes the production of solar energy more estimated
The Baushas Solar version is shown at automatic weather station (aws810)
The solar system, like everything else on earth, survives and dies in the presence of the sun. Photovoltike modules are pointing to the sky and hope that they provide enough energy to sustain the entity that seem to be easy enough in the theory. But the reality is that our planet is a dynamic place subject to power outside our control. This large blue rock rotates and hit through space, orbit a giant, hot stars that we are trying to use as a source of energy; The sky on the planet is always full of clouds that can obscure the sun or cause rain, snow or hail to the ground.
Whether installed or rotated all day in a steady position, several variables can hinder the production of a solar module. And since humanity did not find any way to control the elements, the next best option is to monitor, predict and prepare for low-visible conditions for solar PV. One such solution is Vaisala Aws810 Solar Edition, a weather and solar radiation monitoring center.
AWS810 measures the situation of real-time global and local scattered light and reflected solar radiation in the case of solar power projects. Vaisala has designed the weather station to be easy to install, with modular components that can be expanded as needed. In terms of weather measurements, AWS810 observes the speed and direction of the wind, rain, moisture and air pressure, as well as the module temperature and contamination.
The system offers optional access to wireless observation that can interface with Scada and Cloud-based management platforms. AWS810 comes with a standard Visala Weather Transmitter (WTX530), but the system can also be integrated with third -party sensors. Some optional ingredients available for AWS810 are a albedometer, a rain gauge and a rear grill level sensor. The system is powered by an attached solar module.
Optimizing the performance of the solar system involves the effects of the external elements to predict and reduce the effects. Fortunately, there are alternatives like Vicela AWS810 in the market that helps these modules to produce more energy because the earth continues through space.
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