Small and Light Three Phase String Inverters Appear at Shanghai Expo

Omnik solar inverter

The SNEC PV Power Expo was held from April 28 to 30 in Shanghai, China Thousands of PV industry companies with their own solar products attended the expo. Omnik New Energy from Suzhou, Jiangsu province also appeared at the expo and exhibited its small and light three phase string inverters there for three days.

Omnik is famous for string inverter manufacturing, and so it brought its high efficiency three phase string inverters and and single string phase inverters to the expo, which drew so much attention of the expo visitors. During the three days my colleagues and many customers from home and abroad discussed issues relating to inverters many times, and one customer from India even visited our booth several times to seek a cooperation opportunity.

The inverters brought to the expo were about 10 or so, and the most attractive ones were two: Omniksol-1K/1.5K-M and Omniksol-10K-TL2. The first one is a single phase inverter, while the second one is a three phase inverter. They don’t look special, but they have their special features that are attractive to customers.

Omniksol-1K/1.5K-M is a newly-launched product by the company in 2015. It weighs 5 kg and doesn’t need any transformers as many other inverters need. The highest efficiency of it can even reach up to 95.5% and its MPP tracking accuracy can be as high as 99.9%.

Omniksol-10k-TL2 is also a new product released by the company. This three phase string inverter weighs 22 kg, which is easier to install and transport and can help save cost.

During the three days Omnik also held a product conference to show the two products to customers who came to the expo to collection information and see new PV products. After the three day expo, Omnik’s staff have already established new relations with more customers from home and abroad.

Grid-Tie PV System VS Off-Grid PV System

There are basically three types of solar PV systems existing today for solar power generation at home, including grid-tie, off-grid and hybrid PV systems. However, as expense and efficiency are concerned, grid-tie and off-grid systems are more popular and most installed around the world. Now let’s compare them with each other and help you decide which system should be suitable for your house.

grid-tie solar PV system

Grid-Tie System

1. This installation requires your system is connected to the local national (utility) grid.
2. After the connection, the system can feed the electricity (usually extra electricity) it generates to the national grid (this helps it earns money from the grid), and your home can get the electricity from the national grid once your system stops generating electricity at night or in special conditions.
3. The current form your solar panels generates is direct current (DC), which must be converted into alternating current (AC) for home use by going through a PV inverter. The current converted by the inverter must be compatible with the voltage of the local grid.
4. The inverter also needs to be a grid-tie type. An off-grid one cannot be used here.

Off-Grid System

off-grid PV system

1. Off-grid means the system is disconnected from the local national grid and cannot feed extra electricity to earn money.
2. This installation needs storage batteries, which usually cost a lot of budget.
3. This system is suitable for installation in areas where houses cannot be connected to the national grid or where residents are far away from grids and cities.
4. It needs a charge controller which is used to charge the batteries of the system.
5. The DC from solar panels usually goes to a battery and then to an inverter.
6. This inverter is an off-grid inverter.

Grid-Tie Advantages

1. It can constantly power your house unless the national grid is down and the system meets its special conditions.
2. It can help earn money from the local government by selling extra electricity.
3. It costs less compared with an off-grid system because it doesn’t need expensive batteries.
4. It works more efficiently because its DC doesn’t to go into a battery. This process causes energy loss.

Off-Grid Advantages

1. It can be used in remote areas where national grids cannot reach.
2. It can store extra energy and use it whenever your house needs.
3. It doesn’t need the grid-connecting process.
4. It is totally environmentally friendly.

Current Condition

In comparison, residents around the world prefer a grid-tie system more, and many countries like the UK, the US, the Netherlands and China are encouraging their residents to install this system. But In India, an off-grid system seems to enjoy more welcome because many regions in the country cannot reach national grids.

Chinese New Energy Company Releases New Solar Inverters for Distributed PV Power

Omnik New Energy

Omnik New Energy (Omnik for short), a Chinese-German joint venture has released a new series of solar inverters. Its new products include single phase, three phase and hybrid inverters. By launching these new products, the solar energy company aims to help develop the distributed solar PV (photovoltaic) industry which is expanding across the globe.

These newly-launched products have capacities ranging from 1 kW to 20 kW, and their difference from traditional inverters is that they don’t need transformers except for one single phase inverter specially made for Japanese users. These products are specially designed and manufactured for residential and commercial solar PV systems which are known as distributed PV power systems.

Aiming to expand its UK solar market, the solar energy company also participated in the Ecobuild 2015 exhibition held in London from March 3 to 5, 2015. During the three days in London, the general manager of Omnik Franz Zhao appeared and communicated with those who visited its booth for relevant information consultation. At the exhibition Omniksol-2k-TL2, Omniksol-3k-TL2-S, Omniksol-1k-M and other newly-launched inverters were displayed.

Headquartered in Suzhou, China, Omnik is an innovative high technology solar company, specializing in R&D and manufacturing and marketing PV inverters, with offices in the UK, the Netherlands and Australia. Outside China Omnik mainly focuses on selling inverters, while in China the company sells inverters and builds distributed solar PV systems for local customers.

Contact the company
Address: bioBAY Park A4-414, XingHu St. No.218, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
Postal code: 215123
Tel: +86-512-6956-8216
Fax: +86-512-6295-6682
E-mail: sales@omnik-solar.com

Solar drones bring a new phase of utilizing solar energy

Facebook solarplane

Solar Impulse 2 is still flying on its mission around the world. This is a typical example for taking advantage of solar energy other than utilizing it to generate power and heat water. Drones are also one of the greatest inventions of mankind, and so far they have been combined with solar power. A new creation comes: solar drone.

Social media giant Facebook hopes to bring the internet infrastructure to the world and has started a solar drone project. It is reported that a prototype of this drone (Aquila) has already been tested somewhere of the UK.

Together with Facebook, the biggest search engine company Google acquired a U.S. unmanned-aircraft solar developer Titan Aerospace in April 2014. This suggests the search engine also hopes to develop business in the solar drone field.

Why are they now turning to solar energy? They haven’t officially released any good reason for this yet, but this is a tendency for solar energy development. The current reality is energy shortage is threatening us, air pollution is protruding mainly because people have burned large amounts of biofuels, and solar energy is free, clean and usable now.

As these projects take into effect, more global citizens will see what solar energy really is and will probably turn to solar. In fact, its effects have been proven by solar power plants, home solar PV systems, solar water heaters and so on.

Apart from all these reasons, solar energy has also been proven successful in power generation. Previously people thought it was too expensive for them to turn to solar power, while today the situation has completely changed, for its power price is even cheaper than that generated by biofuels.

Coming back to solar drones, we find they are seemingly suggesting something to us. Protecting the environment will continue, cheaper power prices are in high demand, and innovative ways for the further development of our world are extremely necessary. Thus, solar drones will become new leading devices that can transform our world, and be able to encourage more people to go solar and reduce air pollution.

Two Ways That Make Solar Electricity Even Cheaper

solar power houses

Although solar electricity has already become cheaper than ever before, we still have ways to make it even cheaper. Traditionally solar goers save money by installing cheaper or fewer solar panels, buying cheaper PV inverters, or employing cheaper laborers. No doubt, these are excellent methods, but they are not essential methods. Recent industry news stories have revealed two essential methods that can reduce its price ultimately.

1.Make solar panels much more efficient than ever before.

No matter whether it is in a distributed solar PV system or in a solar power plant, one of the two most important components is solar panels because they convert sunlight into direct current. Based on this concept, scientists have researched solar panels for years, and of course their research focus has been on solar cells which are cells of solar panels. Now solar scientists have released a new invention that they can push solar panels’ average maximum efficiency (25.6%) to a new higher record 46%, a figure which is even higher than the 40.1% achievement researched by a team of Australian scientists.

However, there is an obvious question about it: are these cells more expensive than common cells since they work more efficiently? The answer is no. The study was aimed to research some cells that have higher efficiency but don’t cost too much or make financial trouble for consumers. Most commercial solar cells are made from silicon. To make them work more efficiently, these scientists have used tandem solar cells, which can generate more electricity. Their specialty lies in that they can absorb sunlight in multiple ways. If one light-absorbing material is used, the theoretical limit efficiency can reach up to 34%. But when two light-absorbing materials are combined in tandem, the highest efficiency will turn up to 46%. Their smart strategy is to combine silicon and the metal-halide perovskite, which can be manufactured at low cost.

2.Global PV inverter prices are estimated to drop 20–25% by 2020.

Solar panels are one of the two most components in solar power generation, and what is the other half? It is PV inverters, because they work to convert the direct current generated by solar panels into the alternating current that powers every house. In common conditions they are considered the most expensive products in the whole power generation system. But the good news is their prices have declined rapidly from the beginning. The most recent report from Global Data estimates their prices will continuously go down. There must be some critical reasons for that.

PV inverters’ costs have been decreasing rapidly because the global PV systems and solar power plants have dramatically grow in number and watt. According to the report, their prices are estimated to fall by 20–25% by 2020. The global average cost for them was $0.48 per W in 2010, which will drop to $0.13 per Watt by that time. Apart from massive production and installation, another great contributor is tariff cuts, which influence installations and demands for solar power too.

In addition to the two major breakthroughs, there is also one important element worth your attention. That’s market transfer. The solar market including solar panels and PV inverters markets has transferred to North America and Asia-Pacific, and China has become one of the most prominent players. Its solar panels and PV inverters are relatively cheaper, and indeed this can make solar electricity even cheaper too if you choose them.

5 Basic Tips to Know for Home Solar

Home solar is one invention of the new century, but it has expanded to different parts of the world. Since it becomes so popular, it is possible you may decide to power your house with solar power someday. As for home solar power, there are five basic tips you need to know before you build such a system. Below are the five basic tips for you.

Tip 1: Learn the process of how electricity is generated at home.

To generate electricity with sunlight is not a very complicated process. Generally speaking, you need to install a solar PV system in your house which consists of solar panels, a PV inverter (or microinverters), a two-way meter (optional), batteries (optional), racks, wires and so on. These solar panels function to convert sunlight into direct current, which will the be fed to the PV inverter that converts it into alternating current. Why should it be converted? Because your house’s power system can only consume alternating current.

Tip 2: The system does need a rooftop or a spot on the ground.

Since solar panels are part of the system, and they must be installed somewhere. The common installation area is a rooftop which must be under your name. If possible, the roof had better face south, west or east but never north, for these directions guarantee more sunlight can be absorbed. At the same time a slant roof is better than a flat one for the sake of absorbing more sunlight. This has so much to do with the sunlight angle. Or if you don’t think it is possible to install them on your roof, and your alternative is to install them on a piece of ground that belongs to your house.

Tip 3: Keep a clear idea about the lifespan of the system.

The average lifespan of it is about 25 years, while some business owners say their systems can last for 30 years. Indeed this is also possible if the system is well-maintained by you. Another question is: what is the lifespan of your solar panels? They are really good stuff, for they can last for 30 years or so. The flaw is their efficiency declines as they become old. The last question is: what’s the lifespan of your inverter? The maximum figure is between 10 and 15 years. Therefore, you will have to replace your inverter once during the system’s entire life.

Tip 4: You can keep track of the output of your system.

As solar technology improves, you can use some certain software to monitor your system. By doing so, you can learn how much electricity your system generates each day, month or year. What you do is download some software provided by the solar system installer or supplier on to your PC or mobile phone. The power generation statistics will be automatically transmitted to your devices daily.

Tip 5. The system installer will offer you his warranty.

The warranty usually can be available for 5 to 10 years. Besides, each installer also offers extra maintenance options. This means you can get a longer warranty as long as you pay some money for him. Usually this expense is not that expensive, but this service also differs from country to country. Before buying this service, you should let them clearly tell you how much you do enjoy.

These tips are just very basic ideas about home solar, and can be helpful for some who have no any idea about home solar power. If you need to know more, please consult professionals, who will explain even every detailed step for it to you.

How to install and maintain your PV system?

home PV system

How do install a home PV system? This is a question always asked and concerned about by those who wish to go solar. But others think this is not a big issue because installers will help you solve the problem. My answer is you had better learn something about it.

First, you should make your self clear that your community permits this. I have heard that some communities don’t approve this. So, making sure of this will save lots of your energy.

Second, before the solar panels are transported to your home, you need a slant rooftop with an area of at least 30 square meters. The rooftop had better be a slope with a certain angle, for this is the best for absorbing sunlight. If you don’t have such a rooftop but only a flat one, you need racks to support your solar panels with such an angle. Or if you don’t think installing panels on your rooftop is possible, you can also ask the installer to install them on the ground to which you own the property right.

Third, when your panels arrive, you may pick out a spot on your rooftop or ground to install them properly. No matter whether you install them on your roof or on the ground, you should make sure they face south, east or west, so that they can catch the most sunlight and generate the most direct current.

Fourth, install some racks on your roof or on the ground to fasten solar panels. After this process you can install the panels on them in the angles that suit your local latitude condition the most.

After the installation, you may connect your panels to the solar inverter or microinverters for the sake of converting direct current into alternating current. Finally, connect your whole PV system to the local utility grid. If you are intended to do so, you may also need to install the prepared batteries into the system to satisfy the constant power supply for your house. Some who have enough financial support can connect to the grid and install batteries.

Once the installation job is over, you must be considering how to maintain it. To be honest, such a system doesn’t need too much of your time for its maintenance. You only need to make sure the panels are always clean, without anything like bird droppings, dust or snow on them. Three or four times of cleaning in a year is enough, unless you meet special extreme conditions. In addition, make sure your solar inverters are free from dust and moisture.

India to Create 1 Million Jobs and Boost PV Inverter Market by Solar Ambition

PV Park in India

India has been in unfavorable conditions until recently when its moves become inspirational as it targets to create miracles in the solar energy industry. As Modi took office, all kinds of projects about solar power have been put into practice or are being practiced. Recently news reports from the country have announced that India has set up a solar energy ambition of getting 100 GW of solar energy by 2022. More astonishingly, it is estimated that the goal will create 1 million job positions in India.

In the country many areas are out of reach for the national utility grids, and so these areas have been living in the dark. If some large-scale solar power projects can be built in the country, numerous families having no access to electricity will be able to rid of blackouts at night. On the other hand, when these projects are to be built across the country, human labor will be needed, and so jobs will be created. In detail, the jobs mainly come from project planning, construction, installation and operations.

By setting such a goal, India will not only create 1 million jobs to power the country’s economy and root out its high unemployment rate, but also it will boost the PV inverter market in the coming years. The basic knowledge is solar power doesn’t generate itself, it needs solar panels to convert sunlight into direct current and then PV invters to turn direct current to alternating current, which sustains each family’s power needs. In this process large numbers of PV inverters will be manufactured to do the converting job along with innumerable solar panels.

Currently there are two different situations found in the inverter market in India. One is these photovoltaic inverters will only be used in solar power plants. If so, string, single phase and three phase inverters will be produced to meet the needs. Simultaneously, other types of inverters specially made for these factories must be made. This is the majority of the total inverter market share. The other half share is manufacturers inside the country should also produce microinverters, which are the new invention in recent years. Their specialty lies in that they are only suitable for home power systems. By using these inverters, more electricity will be generated. This requires large sums of money of investment, which most Indian civilians cannot bear at all. Today, the quota for this part is very small but serves as the other half.

In addition, the media report that India hopes to make contributions to climate change by boosting its solar power. The typical example is that Modi and Obama have solidified their common commitment to fighting against climate change.

The Solar Inverters of Omnik New Energy

Omnik is a Suzhou-based company specializing in manufacturing solar inverters which include single phase, three phase, hybrid and micro inverters. Besides, the new energy company also produces monitoring devices, solar software and solar accessories. In Suzhou, China it is also able to install solar PV systems for residential and commercial buildings.

Single Phase Inverters
Omnik’s single phase inverters are highly efficient with their highest conversion efficiency reaching up to 97.8% and their highest MPPT efficiency reaching up to 99.9%. Their AC power ranges are from 1 kW to 5 kW. The outstanding feature of these products is all these inverters are transformerless. In addition, among them is one series designed mainly for the Japanese market.

Three Phase Inverters
These three phase inverters are mainly designed and produced for residential and large-scale commercial solar power plants. Their highest efficiency can reach up to 98.2% and their highest MPPT rate can reach up to 99.9%. Apart from these two features, these solar products are equipped with the IP65 technology which is water- and dust-proof. Also, the built-in Wi-Fi technology is also available.

Hybrid Inverters
These hybrid solar inverters combine the features of single phase and three phase inverters. The amazing feature of them lie in that they can be used in a grid-tied or an off-grid solar PV system with their highest conversion efficiency being 98.3%. Their AC power ranges are from 3 kW to 5 kW. Each device is designed with the IP21 technology and is suitable for any kind of installation at home.

Micro inverters
Omnik’s micro solar inverters are specially made for home solar power systems. They have transformers and their AC power ranges are from 300W to 600W. Their highest efficiency is 96.5%. They are designed with the AC/DC high frequency isolation technology. At most, 15 of them can be connected in a parallel format to convert DC.

Its monitoring devices are used to monitor its inverters, and Wifi-Kit, GPRS-Kit and PMB are its three monitoring products. Its software products include solar design software and design PV mobile apps. By using some of the software, you will be able to view the electricity statistics of your solar power system with your smart phone or iPad. Its accessories include weather station, PV model and battery.

Working principle of a grid-tied PV inverter

Before learning the working principle of a grid-tied PV inverter, you need to learn the basic function of a PV inverter. What is it? It functions to convert direct current into alternating current. Where does the direct current come from? It comes from the solar panels that absorb sunlight and turns it to direct current which a common family using alternating current cannot use. Thus, an inverter comes into use. The principle of a grid-tied inverter is similar to that of a common inverter.

The direct current generated by these solar panels is fed to an inverter. In daytime the solar modules generate solar electricity and keep feeding the inverter. As this happens the solar inverter directs the generated electricity to the household electrical loads or is fed to the grid.

The amount of electricity generated depends on the quality of sunlight. If your system produces more electricity than you need, the remained electricity will be directed to the utility grid. If you require more power than the power produced, the extra electricity will be drawn from the utility grid. Thus the utility grid serves as an infinite battery back-up for your system.

At the DC side of the system the power output of a module depends on the voltage. So by varying the voltage and the current the maximum power point can be found. Therefore, most inverters grid- tied or off-grid include a Maximum Power Point Tracking system.

At the AC side the grid interactive inverter supplies power in the sinusoidal form. The frequency of the power generated must be synchronized with the grid frequency. The feed in voltage must not be greater than that of the grid voltage.

On the occurrence of a power outage in the electricity grid, the grid-tied inverter is shut down. This shut-down ensures the safety of the service personnel who is responsible for the problem of power outage. Each grid interactive inverter must have this feature as mentioned in the National Electricity Code (NEC). This feature of autonomy is a key differentiating factor between solar inverters and grid tied PV inverters.

The quality of an inverter is essentially decided by its efficiency, which guarantees how much electricity can be finally generated and how much money one can finally earn by using the solar power system. The highest conversion efficiency is 98.5%, and the highest conversion efficiency of a micro grid-tied inverter is 96.5% or so.