THE LEADER IN
MICROINVERTER INNOVATION
May / 14 / 2015

Community solar project hits 50kW with APS microinverters

 

Demand for shares in an eastern Washington community solar installation was so strong, sponsoring utility Inland Power & Light boosted capacity with a second array.

The project's second phase, completed in late March, added a 20 kW ground-mount array to the existing 30 kW array that went into service last fall.
  

 

The arrays are powered by APS YC500 microinverters, distributed by Blue Frog Solar of Poulsbo, Wash. Installation was by Brimma Solar of Seattle.

A member-owned utility, Inland Power made units in the solar installation available to its ratepayers through a lottery. 

"The project sold out immediately," said John Francisco, chief of energy resources for Inland Power. 

Unit holders will get credit for their portion of the array's power production, along with a pro rata rebate from the state under Washington's Renewable Energy Cost Recovery program.   

Inland Power & Light serves about 39,000 residential and commercial customers in 13 counties in eastern Washington and northern Idaho. Founded in 1937, it is the largest electric cooperative in Washington.

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APS joins SunSpec Alliance


 APS has joined the SunSpec Alliance to promote consistent information standards and enable "plug and play" interoperability between distributed energy systems.

 

SunSpec standards address the operational aspects of solar PV power and energy storage plants on the smart grid - including residential, commercial, and utility-scale systems - to promote technology innovation and accelerate industry growth.

 

The goal is an ecosystem of PV products, services, and information systems that cost less to build and operate, and work well together wherever they are deployed.

 

APS joins more than 70 member organizations in the trade alliance, including global leaders from Asia, Europe, and North America.  

 

For information see www.sunspec.org. 

 

APS Tech Corner  


ECU Software Upgrade:  The Energy Communication Unit (ECU) software has been updated to version v3.10.2NA to include the following enhancement:

  • Replaced the 'Device Search' function on the LCD menu with a 'PLC Signal Strength' meter. The PLC strength can also be viewed on the 'Home' screen of the ECU programming menu. Depress the Menu button on the right side of the ECU until 'Signal Level' is displayed. Release the button to display the PLC signal strength. The display will be blank if the ECU doesn't detect a signal.
  • The signal level displayed on the ECU and Home screens reflects the PLC strength of the entire array rather than individual inverters. The signal level will be between 1-5 bars; the stronger the signal, the more bars will be displayed.

This function will only work on ECUs with UID numbers greater than 203000018226.
 
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Contact our sales team: sales@apsamerica.com 
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