National Semiconductor, Shoals Technologies collaborate on smart panel product lines

MUNICH, GERMANY; INTERSOLAR EUROPE: National Semiconductor Corp. and Shoals Technologies Group, providers of energy solutions that create and maintain clean and sustainable energy, have developed the first in a series of new "smart" Shoals products: junction boxes with National Semiconductor's SolarMagic™ power optimization technology inside.

National's award-winning SolarMagic suite of products are intelligent power electronics that maximize energy output capture at either the panel or string level. Coupling this technology with Shoals' offerings—which include junction boxes, combiner boxes, "plug-and-play" harness solutions, photovoltaic monitoring systems and racking—provides system integrators a complete smart panel solution that cost-effectively optimizes solar energy system performance.

National and Shoals will demonstrate SolarMagic smart panel junction boxes at Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany, June 9-11, 2010.

"Balance of system solutions like SolarMagic are essential to driving the solar market forward. As the market evolves, customer demand increases for smart electronics products that maximize power production at the lowest cost," said Mike Polacek, Senior Vice President, National Semiconductor.

"By collaborating with Shoals Technologies, a global leader in balance of system components, National Semiconductor is further improving the cost-effectiveness of solar power optimization and facilitating a quicker return on investment for array owners."

"We are excited to collaborate with a power management pioneer like National Semiconductor to incorporate SolarMagic technology into our industry-leading products," said Dean Solon, President and CEO, Shoals Technologies Group.

"With this strategic relationship in place, we are able to develop and introduce to the market the next generation of smart solar electronics that will shape the direction of the industry." Shoals expects that global photovoltaic installations of its solar products will exceed one gigawatt peak (GWp) in 2010.