Solar Power World

meteocontrol Expands Into United States

                  Benjamin A. Compton, COO & VP, Commercial Operations of meteocontrol North America, explains what his company can bring to solar projects, from the design phase all the way through to the completion and maintenance. Compton appeared at the Intersolar Show in San Francisco last month.   Watch:Find more videos like this on The Engineering Exchange      Read More

Redesigned panel now snow, salt, and hurricane tollerant

Using SolidWorks design and simulation software, Solar Infra developed a more rugged solar array for use in areas that once were environmentally prohibitive. Harnessing the sun’s energy can be challenging, especially when some of the sunniest regions have environmental conditions that preclude traditional solar modules. Standard solar arrays are often installed no less than 25 miles inland from the coast because of wind, humidity, and salt exposure. Deep mountain snows and searing... Read More

Designing a more reliable solar tracker

USS was formed to commercialize actuator technology that helps to lower tracking costs for all solar formats. Utility Scale Solar, Inc., a California-based solar device maker, uses Autodesk digital prototyping and data management software to design a more efficient and reliable solar tracker. Its Megahelion MH144 product, a heliostat, precisely follows the sun as it moves across the sky while pointing a photovoltaic (PV) array, concentrating solar power mirror, or other solar... Read More

Software helps determine hybrid energy sources

By Laura Carrabine, Senior Editor HOMER energy modeling software is used to design and analyze hybrid power systems that contain a mix of conventional generators, cogeneration, wind turbines, solar photovoltaics, hydropower, batteries, fuel cells, hydropower, biomass, and other inputs. For either grid-tied or off-grid environments, the software helps determine how variable resources such as wind and solar can be best integrated into hybrid systems. Engineers and non-professionals... Read More

Reducing your utility bills

Regulating and conserving energy are major concerns for large and small businesses. Now many are seeking to reduce costs by altering their operations and establishing new energy-efficient practices and policies. To help facility managers, building occupants, and executives do this, two companies have partnered to offer customers the visibility and data they need to understand their energy usage, pinpoint problems, and reduce costs. Pulse delivers data to three user groups. As... Read More

Software for PV plants

A manufacturer of automation systems, low-voltage switchgear, and industrial software has developed planning software for calculating the best possible configuration of PV plants. Siemens’ program, Sinvert Select V2.2, is free and enables the planner to evaluate in advance the cost-effectiveness of PV plants from 350 kW up to the megawatt range. The program is used for dimensioning, analyzing, and optimizing inverters for PV plants. Based on inputs, it automatically calculates... Read More

Analyzing a New Solar Power Generator

by Laura Carrabine, Senior Editor Company uses reliability and predictability software to analyze a solar power system. Enphase Energy designed a new microinverter system to improve the reliability, maintainability, and energy output of solar arrays while offering scalability to meet the diverse solar energy needs of homes and businesses. Enphase Energy designed a new microinverter unit to create a scalable, distributed solar power generation system. In traditional solar energy... Read More