Greentech Lead America: Cupertino Electric, an
engineering and construction services company, has opened a solar Technology
Evaluation Laboratory at its San Jose, California headquarters to gather
module, inverter and racking performance and installation data. The lab
features 18 technologies installed in a construction site-type environment that
generate data regarding performance, price, installation technique, longevity
and quality.
“This first solar technology evaluation laboratory
from an Engineering/Procurement/Construction (EPC) perspective enables our
customers to make highly-informed decisions regarding their solar
projects,” said John Curcio, Cupertino Electric’s chief commercial
officer.
Poly crystalline, mono crystalline, thin film, Cd Tl,
CIGS and AC modules alongside micro inverters and distributed optimization
technologies will be evaluated in the lab. Various integrated, elevated and
rail racking systems are also being evaluated at the facility.
All of the technologies offered at the on-site lab are
modeled and monitored through Cupertino Electric’s own custom-built asset
management platform, along with highly-accurate meteorological data displayed
on a kiosk and accessible via the cloud.
“Only a company like Cupertino Electric understands
how to integrate engineering and technology into what and how systems get
built. Researching technologies based on how they perform relative to price and
installation is important because we are able to quickly take the knowledge
gained from the lab to improve upon the engineering and construction process in
the field.” Curcio added.