It’s hard to believe that it’s been a decade since the solar construction boom of 2010. With renewable energy flourishing nationally and abroad, industry progress has been nothing short of astonishing. In the United States alone, solar has experienced an average annual growth rate of 49% since 2010. Indeed, solar,Read More

Nothing confuses a grid-tied solar newbie more than the fact that they won’t have power when the grid goes down. Standard inverters need the grid to maintain the AC voltage waveform and provide surge power, and without the grid, a standard inverter can’t function. Sorry, that’s just the way itRead More

Rapid shutdown probably feels like old news at this point, but the product market is just now hitting its stride. Initially, the NEC 2017 and 2020 code changes directly favored the technology of certain module-level power electronic brands, and early versions of inverter-agnostic rapid shutdown devices that paired with stringRead More

As part of our Wire and Cable Management Buyer’s Guide, we asked manufacturers for some installation tips. Here is what they had to say. Working off the roof. Installers are still doing most of the wire management assembly once they are up on the roof. We have seen several installersRead More

One of the most impressive things about walking around (at least most) utility-scale PV sites, is how neat, orderly, and consistent the cable management is. Unfortunately though this might be covering up some of the issues that happened during the install phase. Issues that create weak points and compromised components,Read More

Whether you build, operate or own utility-scale PV, managing costs while ensuring quality is top of mind for all involved. At first glance, cable management might not be as critical as modules or central inverters. Over time, cable management issues — specifically cable tie failures — can affect a site’sRead More

As commercial and utility-scale solar projects become more widespread, fires and failures shouldn’t. Unfortunately, the number of rooftop solar installation fires in the United States each year increased 69 percent between 2016 and 2018, according to U.S. Fire Administration data. Unprotected, improperly connected or incompatible connectors are some of theRead More

Wire and cable management decisions can seem small, but they have both short- and long-term ramifications, from boosting installation efficiencies and cutting site-prep costs to reducing O&M burdens and improving a project’s levelized cost of energy (LCOE). We reached out to providers of wire and cable management systems for residentialRead More

Russelectric, a Siemens Business and manufacturer of power control systems and automatic transfer switches, debuted a new, lower-price point RTSCD commercial duty transfer switch for commercial spaces. Educational campuses, high-rise complexes, industrial plants, and manufacturing facilities can rely on the RTSCD to provide emergency power needed to keep critical operationsRead More

APsystems welcomes SMA to its growing network of inverter manufacturers compatible with its APsmart brand of Sunspec standard-compliant Photovoltaic Rapid Shutdown Equipment (PVRSE). Solar professionals in the United States can now combine the complete range of SunSpec Rapid Shutdown-certified SMA inverters with a reliable, safe and cost-effective APsmart Rapid ShutdownRead More