SunReports unveils Apollo1 solar performance monitoring solution

SAN FRANCISCO, USA: SunReports Inc., a provider of performance monitoring solutions for residential and small commercial solar installations, has unveiled the Apollo1 – the industry’s first comprehensive, cost-effective performance monitoring solution for both solar electric and solar thermal systems.

Designed with solar system installers’ and end-users’ needs in mind, Apollo1 is an on-site energy monitoring device that simultaneously captures PV, solar hot water or solar pool heating system performance data and communicates with SunReports’ performance analysis software and data center. Up-to-date performance data is then presented via SunReports’ user-friendly web-based graphical display portals.

“Without a monitoring solution in place to measure and verify system performance, investments in solar installations are essentially ‘faith-based’,” said Thomas Dinkel, CEO of SunReports. “With Apollo1, installers and system owners can monitor, measure and verify that their solar installations are achieving their predicted system performance and generating the energy that customers expect.”

Apollo1 Energy Monitoring Device
The Apollo1 -- a small, optimized hardware device roughly the size of an Internet modem -- was designed as the complete solution for all solar monitoring needs. Breakthroughs include:

* First hybrid monitoring solution: Capable of monitoring PV and solar hot water or solar pool systems simultaneously.
* Universal inverter interface: Apollo1 auto-detects and communicates with leading solar inverters, making it the most universally compatible product of its kind.
* Easy to install: A ‘ZERO-configuration required’ installation process means the device begins working as soon as it is plugged in.

SunReports Web-Based Portals
SunReports analyzes and presents performance data on easy-to-navigate, easy-to-understand online portals, allowing both system owners and installers to view their system’s performance.

Upon installation, the Apollo1 automatically begins sharing data with SunReports’ 100 percent renewable energy-powered data center through the customer’s existing Internet connection. Accessible via any web-enabled device, the software offers unique features, such as:

* Actual vs. estimated system performance: Current and historical performance metrics that track system performance against its designed capacity for measurement and verification.
* At-a-glance system status: An interactive mapping feature allows installers to view system status instantly and remotely monitor their entire customer portfolio.
* Custom alarm configuration: Installers can tailor alarm parameters to meet their needs, alerting them to system issues so they can take a proactive approach to system management.

“With the residential solar market expected to grow to nearly $40 billion in the next four years, installers are going to be developing new business models such as performance assurance, energy guarantees and lease-based purchase options. They are flying blind without a performance-based monitoring solution that enables them to monitor and verify system performance,” continued Dinkel.

“SunReports is all about providing installers and system owners with easy to understand and actionable information.”

The introduction of the Apollo1 to the marketplace comes on the heels of the California Solar Initiative Thermal program that allocates $350.8 million in new financial incentives for installing an estimated 200,000 new solar thermal (hot water) systems in the state of California.