MBJ Services GmbH, Hamburg, Germany has developed a Mobile PV Testcenter to test the performance of PV modules. The solution combines for the first time different ways of measuring the performance of solar modules, such as recording the current-voltage curve, inspecting electroluminescence and using infrared imagery. A sophisticated LED solar simulator plays a role in this. The jury was impressed by the device’s high testing speed and its flexible on-site application: The Testcenter, which has been especially designed for use in the field in harsh surroundings, requires only a limited amount of energy and is capable of testing up to 18 solar modules per hour.
The solution is key for the future, as the large-scale installations constructed over the last two to three years have now reached an age where problems are more likely to occur. The importance of rectifying faults in PV installations is therefore becoming increasingly greater. In addition to developing the technology to do this, MBJ has also used its business model to create a franchise concept to market and sell its Mobile PV Testcenters.

The company SolarEdge Technologies GmbH, Grasbrunn, Germany has developed a power optimizer for solar modules which regulates the relationship between voltage and output in accordance with the constantly updated optimums determined for each individual module (MPPT/Maximum Power Point Tracking). Instead of applying MMPT to each separate module, industry solutions have until now monitored all the modules connected in a series as a whole, disregarding the requirements and specific characteristics of individual modules in terms of solar radiation, temperature and individual performance.
The new generation of performance optimizers which is currently being put forward is for the first time compatible with all inverters on the market. The innovative IndOP technology means that the power optimizer does not require any additional interface to work with inverters produced by other manufacturers. In addition, the solution includes safety functions such as electric arc detection. The jury was won over by the optimizer’s increased efficiency and the minimal output loss when used in
older PV plants. It regarded the reduction in cost as a key indication that the solution is on its way to becoming increasingly competitive in the market of module-integrated electronic products.

Solon Corporation, Tucson, USA is an internationally operating manufacturer of solar modules, specializing in turnkey solutions. Solon uses frameless modules in its installation system for flat roofs, SOLON SOLquick. Thanks to this material-efficient technology the modules are well-protected during transportation and easy to install. The brackets are fitted to the solar module ex works, meaning assembly is quick, easy and does not require any tools, and the module fastening stage can be skipped.
The modules are suitable for installation onto a variety of roof types, either through self-stabilization, the use of ballasts or by penetrating them through the roof. Since metal is not used, they do not require grounding. The module support structures are made from wood fiber and a thermoplastic polymer, making them low in weight. The jury pays tribute to the fact that SOLON Corporation kept the overall costs in mind when developing its installation system, and that during the manufacturing stage the modules and brackets are fixed together so that they are ready to be fitted to the flat roofs.

Zurich based company ABB Schweiz AG specializes in reducing common losses in the production of solar power. It has developed an intelligent product for photovoltaic applications, the “S800” high performance process system. The system ensures that unaffected strings continue to function normally and deliver yield in the event of a partial failure in the photovoltaic installation. Thanks to its low energy consumption levels, the strings can be controlled without great losses, and a remote switching unit (RSU) provides additional security (e.g. in the event of fire). The product’s longevity and its lack of harmful components ensure that greater benefits for the environment are achieved.

Owing to the cost reduction potential offered by larger scale products, solar modules are becoming ever bigger and therefore proportionately heavier, which makes manual installation virtually impossible. Gehrlicher Solar AG based in Neustadt and Dornbach, Germany, has developed an innovative transportation and mounting system for large-scale photovoltaic modules. In this complete system, the entire process from manufacture to installation is linked together. The system guarantees the smooth transportation of up to 18 large modules, and a unique rail system (backrail solution) facilitates installation. The concept minimizes assembly time, and therefore costs as well.

SMA Solar Technology AG of Niestetal, Germany, has been singled out for a central inverter which meets all modern demands and combines the latest technical components in one practical unit. Its “Sunny Central 800CP” is the world’s first weatherproof single device with a nominal power output of 800 kVA. The high power output is enabled by an intelligent power management and ventilation concept. Furthermore, the system features an integrated monitoring unit (string monitoring) with selflearning error management. Installation is greatly simplified and transport costs reduced thanks to the inverter’s compact design.

The product range of Skytron Energy includes installation monitoring systems for photovoltaic power plants. The outstanding monitoring solutions PVGuard and StringGuard are essential components of a total system used to monitor the running of PV power plants. These new measurement systems were developed in order to keep pace with rapidly growing use of thin-film solar modules in large photovoltaics power plants. The Skytron Energy system works with fiberglass data lines and can cover distances of several kilometers, so even large power plant configurations can be monitored. The innovative monitoring system makes the operation of these installations significantly more profitable.

SMA Solar Technology has succeeded in making considerable developmental advances with its ‘SUNNY BOY 5000TL’ inverter. The new generation is the first to provide wireless networked installation monitoring. It is the first inverter to facilitate wireless installation monitoring using Bluetooth technology. Bluetooth is a reliable and proven wireless standard used throughout the world for data transfer. The new technology enables up to 100 inverters to be automatically networked together and to communicate with each other. At the same time, it is now possible to have safe and rapid control of the PV installation via a built-in interface. With data transfer cables no longer necessary, important data is communicated wirelessly, enabling considerable cost savings to be made when constructing the installation. The new equipment can achieve 97% peak operating efficiency.

Bridge building provided the core idea for one of their latest products, the Phoenix Power Bridge. The innovative sub-structure, a new type of assembly system, enables photovoltaic modules to be mounted on roofs more conveniently and safely, and in greater widths. The system makes it possible to have gaps between supports of up to six meters, at one-meter intervals on either side. The new on-roof assembly system also places fewer burdens on the rafters. This removes the need for the statics documentation, which would otherwise be needed because the stability of the assembly frame and the maintenance of the roof statics are assured at all times. Thanks to the Power Bridge, roofs which were previously unsuitable can now be fitted with photovoltaic installations. Finally, supports can be spaced at wider intervals meaning a fitter needs only one third of the roof hooks that used to be necessary, which in turn reduces assembly time by 40%.