We are excited to bring on board OutBack Power’s newest battery line, the EnergyCell PLC series. The EnergyCell PLC battery is an advanced pure lead carbon battery that can accommodate 3,000 cycles at 50% DOD!

Key features of the EnergyCell PLC batteries include:

• Purpose-Built: Designed for residential or light commercial off-grid, backup, or self-consumption applications.
• Easy to Install and Maintain: PLC technology provides many consumer benefits such as no periodic watering of cells or re-torquing of terminal connections. PLC batteries have a 2-year shelf life and are 96% recyclable at end of life.
• Single-brand System Solution: Optimized to work seamlessly with OutBack power conversion equipment.

Contact your AEE Solar sales rep or visit AEEExpress.com to place your order today!

About OutBack Power

Founded in 2001, OutBack initially designed and manufactured integration hardware used by solar installers to house and protect power electronics installed in remote environments and harsh condition locations around the world. Soon the company launched an advanced line of rugged inverter products that delivered pure sine wave power for off-grid residential and commercial installations, ultimately expanding its offering to include off-grid inverters with battery backup, grid-tie inverters with battery backup, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) charge controllers, communications products and a complete line of OutBack EnergyCell batteries designed specifically for renewable energy applications.

17 years later, OutBack Power continues to lead the way with advanced off-grid and grid-interactive battery-based renewable energy systems, the fully UL 1741 SA listed Radian Series and FXR Series inverter/chargers and our SystemEdge packages that bundle the right combination of energy storage and power electronics, merging energy independence with smart home technology for a range of common applications.

OutBack is also a member of The Alpha Group — a global alliance of independent companies that share a common philosophy of creating world-class powering solutions for the renewable energy, communication, commercial and industrial markets.

Learn more about OutBack Power on their website.

Q: Do you have solutions for a ground mount with an East-West slope?

A: Yes, AeroCompact offers the AeroCompact G+ ground mount East/West racking solution. The AeroCompact G+ is available in 10° module tilt and is elevated over 15.5″ off the ground. The East/West facing system can be installed with ballast, ground screws or a combination of both.

Q: How do you calculate East-West performance vs South facing arrays?

A: Calculating East/West production depends on what tools are being used to calculate system production. If using PVWatts, I would recommend calculating each plane separately, then adding the production values. The more advanced software will model systems with various tilts and azimuths.

A battery-based inverter converts direct current (DC) from batteries into alternating current (AC) at the appropriate voltage and frequency to operate lights, appliances or anything else that normally operates on electricity supplied by the utility grid. All battery-based inverters can be used in off-grid systems and some can also feed power back into the utility grid using net metering, similar to the more common grid-tie inverters. All of these battery-based inverters require a battery bank to function.

Grid-Interactive Inverters for Backup Power Applications
Grid-interactive inverters, also called dual-function or hybrid inverters, can export power to the utility grid, but can also supply backup power to protected loads during a grid outage. These inverters use a battery bank for energy storage, will not operate without batteries, and include an automatic transfer switch that enables them to safely operate off-grid during a blackout.

The grid-interactive inverter is connected to the battery bank (usually 24 or 48 VDC), an AC sub-panel for protected loads, and the building’s utility entrance. The battery bank is charged by the PV array connected through a charge controller or from a grid tie inverter via AC coupling. Under normal conditions, it will export surplus power produced by the PV array. During a grid outage, the inverter will automatically disconnect from the grid and supply AC power to the protected load sub panel by drawing energy from the battery bank and solar array. When the outage is over, the inverter will automatically switch back to grid-tie operation and recharge the batteries.

There is now a new version of the UL 1741-SA standard to meet the new grid interactive requirements of the utilities in California and Hawaii with more states to be added during the year.

It is important to note that a significant amount of energy is used to maintain the battery bank. For this reason, systems with battery backup typically provide 5 to 10% less energy (kWh) per kW of PV array than equivalent grid-tie systems that don’t include batteries. Grid-Interactive Inverters for Self-Consumption Applications Many of the grid interactive inverters can also work in applications where there is grid power, but net metering is not available or it is better to self-consume the solar power instead of feeding it back to the utility at a reduced rate. Another use for these is for peak load shaving applications, where supplying the peak load from the battery instead of the utility prevents the high peak load rates charged by the utility. There is a new type of hybrid inverter that is primarily a grid direct inverter that will operate without a battery, but can also use a battery bank for self-consumption with backup applications.

Off-Grid Inverters
Off-grid battery-based inverters convert DC electricity from a battery bank to AC. In this case, the PV array and/or wind generator is used to charge the batteries via a charge controller (see Charge Controllers for more information) and only the power demanded by the loads is inverted to AC. Because these systems do not have access to the electrical grid, it is important to properly size the inverter and battery bank.

The nameplate capacity of an inverter is measured by its maximum continuous output in watts. The inverter capacity limits the sum of all AC loads you can operate simultaneously. Most AC appliances list their consumption on a tag located near the power cord and/or in the owner’s manual. You will need to add up the consumption of all the appliances you may need to operate at once – that will represent your minimum inverter size. If your appliances include induction motors, like washers, dryers, dishwashers, furnace blowers, heat pumps, and large power tools, be sure to select an inverter with sufficient surge capability to accommodate the higher start-up loads.

Off-grid inverters will output either sine-wave or modified-sine-wave (modified-square-wave) AC waveforms. Sine-wave inverters can closely mimic utility-grid power and will run virtually any AC appliance. Modified-sine-wave inverters are an economical choice when waveform is not critical. They often have a high surge capacity for motor starting and generally retain good efficiency when partially loaded. Unfortunately, this type of inverter may damage or fail to operate some sensitive appliances, such as rechargeable tools and flashlights, laser printers, copiers, variable speed drives, and any equipment with silicon controlled rectifiers (SCRs). Some audio equipment will have a background buzz when operated with a modified-sine-wave inverter.

Output Voltage
In the past, most battery-based inverters supplied only 120 VAC 60 Hz single-phase outputs. Now, many of the more popular residential-sized inverters, like the OutBack Radian, Schneider XW, and Magnum MS-PAE inverters, deliver 120/240 VAC power from one inverter. These inverters can also be wired in parallel for greater power output. Pairs of some 120 VAC output inverters like the OutBack FXR series and Sunny Island inverters can also be wired in series for 120/240 VAC split-phase, or 120/208 VAC three-phase output.

Inverters that supply 50 Hz power are also available for most product lines for export to other countries. Please contact us with any special requirements you may have.

Interference
Battery-based inverters may interfere with radio and television reception, causing noise on telephones or buzz in audio equipment. Interference can be minimized by using sine wave inverters and by locating the inverter as close to the batteries as practical, twisting together the cables that connect the inverter to the battery, running AC lines separate from other wiring (such as telephone wires), and locating the inverter away from appliances that are susceptible to interference. All inverters are likely to cause interference with AM radio reception.

Wiring Considerations
Battery-based inverters require high current from a battery bank to operate large loads. A 2 kW inverter will draw nearly 200 A from a 12 VDC battery bank. Large cables and good connections are required for safe operation. Use caution when plugging a small inverter into a lighter outlet in a vehicle, as these outlets are usually not robust enough to handle high current for long periods of time. All battery-based inverters require proper overcurrent protection between the battery and the inverter.

Pre-wired power systems are available with most battery-based inverters to minimize design and wiring issues. Custom configurations are available for most OutBack FLEXware-based power systems. Prewired power systems with Schneider Electric, Magnum Energy and SMA Sunny Island inverters are also available. Please contact us for additional information.

Looking for single-phase string inverters for your next residential PV installation? ABB’s newest inverter family, the UNO-DM-PLUS, has power ratings from 3.3kW to 6.0kW and has a new lightweight and compact design. Pairing this with quality engineering and easy-to-install Plug and Play connectors, this inverter is an optimal solution for residential installation.

Visit AEEExpress.com or contact your AEE Solar Sales Rep for more information or to get a quote for ABB UNO-DM-PLUS inverters!

ABB has been busy providing solar energy to the world! Read about how they helped Dubai achieve their first all-electric city here.

About ABB

ABB is a global leader in industrial technology. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, the company employs 136,000 people and operates in approximately 100 countries. The firm’s shares are traded on the stock exchanges of Zurich, Stockholm and New York.

ABB’s North American operations are headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, and employ about 30,000 people in multiple manufacturing, service and other major facilities.

The company in its current form was created in 1988, and quickly established a presence in the US through acquisitions as well as organic growth.  Westinghouse, Combustion Engineering, Bailey Controls and many other highly respected firms joined the ABB family. In the last few years, ABB has dramatically expanded its US operations with the acquisitions of Baldor (motors, mechanical power transmission), Thomas & Betts (low-voltage products), Ventyx (enterprise software), PowerOne (solar inverters) and Los Gatos Research (measurement instruments).

ABB’s success has been driven particularly by a strong focus on research and development. One of its seven global R&D centers is located on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh along with its Smart Grid Center of Excellence and the regional headquarters for ABB’s power-related businesses.

This focus on technology development has produced numerous breakthroughs and industry firsts, many in the United States, from the world’s largest drive at NASA’s National Transonic Facility Wind Tunnel in Virginia to the world’s largest battery energy storage system in Fairbanks, Alaska. ABB has even supplied robots featured in the Terminator and Iron Man films.

Today, ABB stands as a global leader in industrial technology, and the US represents its largest growth market.

The REC TwinPeak module pairs the years of experience and dependability of REC Group, with advancement in multicrystalline solar panel technology. The innovative TwinPeak technology provides more power output per panel surface area, with the TwinPeak 2 Series providing at least 20 Wp more per panel. The higher power output can help you decrease costs by requiring fewer panels to meet the homeowners power requirement.

The TwinPeak 2 Series module is available at AEE Solar in 290W with a black frame. This multicrystalline module comes with a 10-year product warranty and 25-year linear power output warranty, ensuring your satisfaction as well as the homeowner’s.

Download the TwinPeak 2 Series Datasheet

About REC Americas

Founded in Norway in 1996, REC is a leading vertically integrated solar energy company.

Through integrated manufacturing from silicon to wafers, cells, high-quality panels and extending to solar solutions, REC provides the world with a reliable source of clean energy. REC’s renowned product quality is supported by the lowest warranty claims rate in the industry.

REC is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway and operational headquarters in Singapore. REC employs more than 2,000 employees worldwide, producing 1.4 GW solar panels annually.