The APsystems QS1, an innovative four-module, single-phase microinverter for residential applications, is now shipping in the United States.
The QS1 offers 300% faster installation time, while offering the highest peak output power and up to three times faster data transmission speed than PLC. A wider MPPT voltage range will result in a greater energy harvest for homeowners.
The first of its kind, the QS1 is designed to accommodate today’s high-output PV panels up to 375 W, offering 300 WAC output per channel, highest in the microinverter segment. The unit significantly reduces installation time and costs, taking the place of four conventional microinverters per each QS1 installed while providing independent MPPT for each module.
The QS1 shares common AC trunk cabling with APsystems’ popular dual-module YC600 microinverter, offering flexible mix-and-match compatibility on the same circuit to enhance site design capability and maximize circuit capacity. Both microinverters utilize the same gateways; installers can choose from the ECU-R, for single or multi-residential installations, or the ECU-C, for applications requiring consumption monitoring and advanced contact/relay features.
QS1 features include:
- Four-module microinverter with independent MPPT
- 300% faster installation than conventional microinverters
- 300VA peak output per channel
- Accommodates modules up to 375W
- Wide MPPT voltage range (22V-45V)
- Meets NEC 2014/2017 690.12 Rapid Shutdown requirements
- Ultra-fast 2.4 GHz ZigBee communications & Free Monitoring
Contact your local distributor or [email protected] to bring the QS1 to your customers today.
News item from APsystems
Would an APS QS1 be damaged if 2 350 watt panels were connected in parallel on each of the four inputs with one panel on an East slope and its partner on the West slope?
There should be a roof pitch where no more than 350 watts was available on each input. If the roof is a lower pitch, there would be a time when more than 350 watts would be possible. Such a configuration would support eight panels for each QS1 and supply maximum energy over a more extended period, kind of a poor man’s single axes tracking system.
Given that the typical 72-cell 350-watt panel has a maximum short circuit current of about 9.6, I did not see any over 10 amps, the roof pitch could be fairly flat before the pair exceeded 15A in a real-life rather than laboratory installation.
The underlying question is, ” What happens if the available current exceeds the QS1 datasheet of Maximum Input Current 12A x 4 or Maximum DC short circuit current 15A x 4?”
If the QS1 could not handle such a configuration could a trunk cable utilize more than supported QS1 work if half of them were on the opposite slope?
I still wish the trunk system could support 30 amp breakers. A system designed for 30 amp breaker maximum would rarely get to 30 amps and the vast majority of the time it would be running under 20 or even 15 amps.