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2013 Was A Great Year For Industry Innovations

As the growth of the industry accelerated in 2013, so did the advances in technology. From panels to inverters to racking-and-mounting (not to mention operations-and-maintenance, monitoring and a host of balance-of-systems (BOS) components), the innovations emerged practically every day.

If you were an installer or an EPC, it was hard to keep up with them. Even if you visited every show, from PV America to SPI, you couldn’t possibly visit every booth to see what was new. Let your head spin no more.

We’ve brought you the product introductions we believe you can use to make your business better. Understanding what’s available to you is the first step toward providing the best installation possible to your customers.

As the products rolled in, the Solar Power World team, each of whom has a specific segment to cover (Managing Editor Kathie Zipp handles inverters, Assistant Editor Steven Bushong handles racking-and-mounting, and yours truly handles panels), noticed a few trends:

Panels:

The emphasis in the panel segment this year was durability and aesthetics. You’ll see more glass-on-glass panels, which are said to provide stronger panels better able to handle the rigor of long-term installations. Black panels are also all the rage, as consumers are looking for alternatives to the traditional blue-gray option.

Inverters:

What we heard nearly all year (so much so we had a webinar on the subject in September) was the ongoing discussion of how microinverters and power optimizers can enhance the power of systems. In other inverter segments, manufacturers are pushing for more power density in leaner designs. We have a selection of each kind here so you can compare models for yourself.

Racking-And-Mounting:

The theme of 2013 was simplification. With prices for panels coming down precipitously over the past three years, the attention of the industry has turned to bringing down the BOS costs. Racking systems are the centerpiece of those systems, and manufacturers are finding ways to bring the prices down. Some are moving away from traditional metal materials (aluminum and polymers are popular choices), while others are reducing the number of parts and tools it takes to install them (lowering labor costs).

As the industry hurtles toward what I’m sure will be another stellar year in 2014, you can expect the innovations to come fast and furious. Take a look at what great products came to market this year, and dream of what new technologies await us in the new one.