eIQ Energy and KACO to offer pre-configured solar PV array solutions

SAN JOSE, USA: A new combined offering of vBoost DC optimizers from eIQ Energy and blueplanet XP100-U inverters from San Francisco-based KACO new energy Inc. will provide solar array designers with a system-level solution for array wiring, from the module to the grid.

The pre-tested, pre-configured packages enable easy design and parts ordering for arrays of 100-300kW. The combination of eIQ Energy’s Parallel Solar technology with KACO’s high-efficiency, commercial-grade inverter technology facilitates development of parallel-wired arrays with a central inverter – an approach that delivers low costs, maximized energy harvest, outstanding reliability, and peak DC-to-AC conversion efficiency.

“We’re glad to be collaborating with KACO; they make some of the most advanced inverters on the market, and we share a common goal of enabling our customers to maximize the return on their solar investment,” commented Oliver Janssen, CEO of eIQ Energy.

“Simplification of the design process is one of the hallmarks of our Parallel Solar product family, and this product combination is another step in that direction. It’s also closely tied to our strategy of using our DC-to-DC conversion capabilities to maximize the effectiveness of existing inverter technologies.”

“There’s a growing range of module electronics reaching the market, including the vBoost, and we’re working to ensure that our inverters continue to provide optimum results with any array architecture,” said Peter Flachsmann, CEO at KACO. “We’re also excited about the sales channel synergies and expanded reach that this agreement provides.”

More information about the combined product is available from eIQ Energy or KACO; array designers can also contact eIQ Energy for design support services. The agreement covers the entire North American market.

Parallel Solar uses advanced DC power management technology, incorporated in the vBoost DC-to-DC converter module, to allow easy connection of solar panels in parallel rather than in series. This approach allows the connection of an unprecedented number of panels on a single cable run, greatly reducing up-front solar array costs and providing much more design flexibility, while also boosting lifetime energy harvest with distributed MPPT.

eIQ Energy’s vComm module combines multiple cable runs into a unified feed to the KACO XP100-U inverter, or other central inverters, and also utilizes power-bus wiring to collect real-time performance data from each vBoost, for use in the Parallel Solar Monitoring System data analysis software.