Greentech Lead America: eIQ Energy has launched the new
vBoost 600 DC-to-DC converter module, which reduces the installed cost and
improves the efficiency of solar power arrays.
The company claims that this is the latest and
highest-capacity addition to its vBoost DC Parallel System.
The new vBoost 600 modules are designed to boost the
output of solar panels to a predictable, constant voltage while providing up to
600 watts of power capacity. The new modules use fewer components and provide
more efficient power conversion than eIQ Energy’s previous 250- and 350-watt
modules.
“By nearly doubling the power capacity of our latest
vBoost modules, eIQ Energy continues to lower the overall costs of solar power
generation. With fewer vBoosts required per solar array, system installers and
operators can save on both materials and labor on solar installations,”
said Jerry Cutini, chief executive officer for eIQ Energy.
eIQ Energy’s vBoost DC Parallel System includes vBoost
converter modules, vComm communication modules and web-based Monitoring System
software.
It is designed to enable solar panels to be wired in
parallel rather than in series. Studies have shown that up-front costs are
lower for a Parallel Solar installation, because cable and combiner box
requirements are cut by more than an order of magnitude; this also slashes the
amount of on-site interconnection labor. Parallel wiring also removes many
design and installation constraints.
The company claims that the vBoost converters provide
distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT). This ensures that each panel
contributes its full generating potential at all times, regardless of panel
shading, soiling, and other design and operational issues, allowing the
inverter to operate at optimal efficiency. It also simplifies array design,
extends the life of system components and increases power harvest by 5 to 30
percent.
The vBoost DC Parallel System’s parallel wiring
architecture enables well over 100 thin-film solar panels to be connected on a
single cable, 20 times more than traditional series wiring schemes permit.
eIQ Energy’s vBoost DC converter modules were recently
used to complete a new 1.2-megawatt solar system for Granite Construction in
Coalinga, Calif. The system is believed to be the largest completed PV electric
generating system to use distributed power electronics.