Why Retrofit Your Solar PV System?
Since 2010 many installations of Solar Photovoltaic Systems have been installed in the UK whether Domestic or Commercial, some installations have been installed incorrectly due to the rush at that time with poor workmanship and inferior products. We are receiving many phone calls from solar owners who are concerned that their systems have been under performing since installed, in some cases their existing installer is no longer in business and they don’t know which way to turn.
At Empower Energy we have been installing SolarEdge retrofits as an upgrade to their current system with free full online monitoring which allows the Client to understand the performance of the system in real time. Warranties, in general most inverter installation back in 2010 came with a standard 5-years warranty which has now expired, with the retrofit upgrade inverters come with our standard product warranty of 20-years and importantly means that you will be covered up to the end of your Feed in Tariff.
Over 1000 Satisfied Customers
And Over 30MW Of Solar Installed
Empower Energy has now installed over 30MW of solar on Domestic and Commercial sectors with over 1000 satisfied Customers. Empower Energy have been installing SolarEdge equipment for many years and are a service partners for SolarEdge.
Benefits Of A Retro Upgrade
Is Your PV System Under-Performing?
Is your existing inverter out of warranty? Retrofit to a SolarEdge system to retrieve your lost energy and gain module-level monitoring and DC safety in a simple and cost effective installation.
Why Retrofit?
Many installed PV systems under-perform over the course of their lifetimes, costing the system owner in lost energy and revenue. While the performance ratio of PV systems, which is the ratio between the theoretical and actual energy yield, has improved over the years, there are several factors which continue to cause energy loss due to module mismatch.
Partial shading, uneven soiling, temperature variance, and manufacturing tolerances can all negatively impact the performance of the entire PV system as a result of the different maximum power points (MPP) of each module in the array. The uneven aging rate of modules also continues to increase mismatch and reduces the return on investment of a PV system year after year.
Why Solar Edge ?
Here is a traditional inverter against a SolarEdge optimised system, whereas traditional inverters with shading occurred the panels on that string would all under perform but when using SolarEdge should shading occur one panel the other would not be effected, this in turn will increase your yield and generate a higher ROI.
Traditional Inverter
- MPPT per entire string - all modules receive the same current, regardless of their individual MPP
- Weak modules reduce the performance of all modules in the string or are bypassed
- Power losses due to module mismatch
SolarEdge Inverter
- MPPT per module - current & voltage adjusted per module
- Maximum power from each module individually
- 2%-25% more energy from the PV system
SolarEdge Safety & Monitoring Interface
Safe DC
The SolarEdge Safety & Monitoring Interface provides the benefits of module-level safety and monitoring for systems using a non-SolarEdge inverters.
The interface unit collects module performance data measured by each power optimizer and transmits the data to the SolarEdge monitoring server to allow for module-level and system-wide monitoring. It activates the SafeDC™ feature of the power optimizers, which automatically shuts down module DC voltage during AC power shutdown, for safe installation, maintenance and firefighting. This provides multiple advantages when adding SolarEdge power optimizers to existing installations. The Safety and Monitoring Interface can be added at any stage to an existing installation that has SolarEdge power optimizers.
The Safety and Monitoring Interface is compatible with a wide range of non-SolarEdge inverters, certified for outdoor installation and is easy to install.
- Module-level monitoring
- Module safety DC voltage for installer, maintenance and firefighter safety
- Mobile and web-based module performance monitoring
- Communication via RS232, RS485 or Ethernet
- IP65/NEMA 4 - Outdoor installation
Monitoring Platform
Web-Based SolarEdge Monitoring Portal
The web-based SolarEdge monitoring portal provides enhanced PV performance monitoring and yield assurance through immediate fault detection and alerts at module level, string level and system level.
No hardware or wiring is required to transmit data from the power optimizers to the inverter: the monitoring sensors and transmitters are built into the SolarEdge power optimizer and solar inverter, and measurement data is transmitted over the regular power lines.
