Now that California – the largest solar market in the U.S. – has adopted the 2017 National Electrical Code (NEC), many solar installers wonder what a good solution for the Module Level Shutdown (Art. 690.12) requirement looks like. With safety being paramount, this article identifies the major criteria for assessingRead More

The Solar Builder annual Solar PV Inverter Buyer’s Guide is a chance to check in with all of the inverter manufacturers – from the market leaders to the up-and-comers – to get a sense of how their technology has evolved and what new products are now available for installation. ThisRead More

Along with the doubling of the U.S. residential solar + storage market last year, new system providers have cropped up like spring weeds, helping to make the consumer decision about which to select a more difficult proposition. Many of these new providers are banking on well-known brands, strategic acquisitions andRead More

We asked every inverter manufacturer to tell us about their latest and greatest products for our 2019 Solar Inverter Buyer’s Guide. What came back was a range of innovations from the most powerful microinverter on the market to the latest utility-scale string technology. At this point, solar inverter spec sheetsRead More

Update: The 2020 Inverter Buyer’s Guide is now available here! The 2019 solar inverter market is more robust and reliable than ever. From streamlined residential operations to beefed up large-scale string inverters to a cadre of solar+storage options for both on- and off-grid applications, there are products to match anyRead More

Jan. 1, 2019, is almost upon us, which means the National Electric Code (NEC) 2017 is almost in effect. Not all jurisdictions will be up to speed (hell, some aren’t even up on NEC 2014 yet), but around 24 states will require compliance immediately. We asked a variety of manufacturersRead More

String inverter manufacturer Fronius launches the new Fronius Symo Advanced, a three-phase string inverter with an integrated Power Line Communication (PLC) transmitter based on the SunSpec Rapid Shutdown communication standard. In conjunction with the Tigo TS4-F cover, solar installers get a simple and cost-effective solution for Module Level Shutdown. JurisdictionsRead More

As solar markets are getting more established, the competition between installation companies increases. More players, both regional and national, are entering the market. While this is good for solar shoppers and the overall growth of the solar industry, installers might face tougher competition. As a result, differentiation becomes more important.Read More

The commercial and industrial (C&I) space is one of the most challenging environments for solar installations because of high ambient temperatures, high irradiance, obstructions, setbacks or pathways add to the complexity and cost of design. But the segment increased 20 percent in the third quarter of 2017 and may be readyRead More

While inverter oversizing is not new to the solar industry, there are still inverter manufacturers that do not offer an attractive DC:AC ratio for their inverters. This highly impacts cost and profitability of a solar system. Therefore, it’s important for system designers and solar installers to have a closer lookRead More