The residential solar + storage market is still more buzz than business as we finish out 2019, but Generac, the largest brand in the home standby generator space, has plans to single-handedly change that going into 2020. I don’t think that’s an overstatement, either. There is momentum in residential solarRead More

Solar Power International is an untamable beast for us trade publication writers. Hundreds of exhibitors with new products and services, tracks and tracks of educational sessions and a ton of on- and off-the-record tidbits from casual conversations. Plus, beers start pouring around noon. So, yeah. I jotted down as muchRead 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

Pika Energy, maker of the Pika Energy Island smart solar-plus-storage platform, announced a price cut of $1,000 for its Coral smart battery, effective immediately. The price reduction follows the previous announcement of cost reductions to Pika’s Harbor smart battery line, lowering prices across all of Pika’s smart battery products. PikaRead More

Panasonic Eco Solutions of North America sent word of a significant upgrade to the Harbor Smart Battery portfolio with the Harbor Plus Smart Battery, which now clocks in as the solar industry’s most powerful and efficient smart battery with 17.1 kilowatt hours (kWh) of capacity and real power output of upRead More

Pika Energy Inc.’s Harbor Smart Battery product line, which sold out during its beta production run, now features expanded energy storage capacities and reduced pricing, the U.S.-based manufacturer announced at Solar Power International. The Harbor Smart Battery, co-developed with Panasonic, is now available in two configurations: Harbor Plus, with 15.9 kWh ofRead More

Big leap for microinverters APsystems will unveil the YC600, a dual-module, smart grid and Rule 21 compliant microinverter at SPI in Las Vegas. A groundbreaking design in microinverter technology, the YC600 will offer the highest peak output power, faster transmission speed and more modules allowed per string than comparable microinverters.Read More

APsystems: True three-phrase microinverters APsystems boasts an industry best-selling 3-phase solar microinverter and the industry’s first true 3-phase (phase-balanced & phase-monitored) unit, the YC1000-3. This model handles 208V or 277Y/480V grid voltages with 900 watts maximum output, 95 percent peak efficiency and comes with ZigBee communication and integrated ground. AtRead More

Panasonic Eco Solutions North America and U.S.-based inverter manufacturer Pika Energy, Inc. are partnering to offer a DC-coupled solar smart battery with industry-leading performance specifications. The Harbor 10P/15P will begin shipping in late 2017 and is available for pre-order today, the companies announced. The solar-ready Harbor Smart Battery combines Panasonic’s renownedRead More

You don’t need to install a battery (yet) to give solar customers a next-gen solar-plus-storage system. Your customer wants reassurance Solar-plus-storage is finally ready for mainstream adoption, thanks to technology enhancements in DC-coupled inverters and continued cost reductions in smart battery technology. Batteries with grid-tied PV will soon be theRead More