BP Solar and SolarEdge announced a joint agreement to explore commercialization of a PV module-integrated power harvesting system embedded directly into BP Solar modules.
Standard power system architectures and designs may lead to losses of
up to 20% or more per solar field in some installations due to module
and array mismatch and partial shading, the companies said in a
release. The combined solution will maximize energy generation throughout the life of the solar power system while dramatically reducing complexities and costs.
BP Solar is working to integrate SolarEdge’s and other active electronics directly into their modules. The combined technologies are currently undergoing rigorous thermal cycle testing to emulate 25 years of volatile solar field conditions.
“We are impressed with the initial performance and reliability tests of SolarEdge’s solution,” said Eric Daniels, Chief Technology Officer of BP Solar. “We believe the SolarEdge technology, when combined with BP Solar’s patented IntegraBus™ module power strip, can significantly enhance the energy output of residential and commercial scale systems.”
BP Solar and SolarEdge have been awarded a research grant by the Israeli and US governments as part of the BIRD (Bi-national Industrial Research and Development) foundation, which contributes to joint development.
Other solar companies have also begun pairing their modules with specific monitoring and power management systems.
In February, Akeena Solar (Nasdaq: AKNS) partnered with Enphase to develop and market comboined systems with Akeena’s Andalay solar panel systems.
And in April, rooftop PV company Solyndra formed a strategic partnership with solar inverter company Satcon (NASDAQ CM: SATC) to market their systems together.