The heart of our solution for PV installations is formed by the PV300 Power Optimizer, which is mounted behind each solar panel. The Power Optimizer improves the performance of the individual solar panel and hereby the performance of the entire PV system for suboptimal situations.

What are suboptimal situations? These are situations in which less power is produced than technically possible due to for example partial shading, dirt, inferior solar panel quality, suboptimal angle to the sun and/or azimuth etc. resulting in underperformance of the solar panel. Connecting solar panels in series even makes the underperformance worse, as the 'weakest link' prevents the other solar panels form contributing their optimal power.

As a result, our Power Optimizers optimize the maximum power point for every solar panel individually, whereas with traditional technology serial string inverters optimize the maximum power point for a string of solar panels. This distinguishing feature has major advantages for solar panels in the built environment, where power generated by each panel may differ from one to another.

 

Advantages of the Power Optimizer

Performance
+ Up to 30% more energy yield per PV installation
+ Solves the negative system effect of partial shading
+ All types of PV modules can be connected
+ Full roof optimalization
+ Remote system management

Reliability
+ Monitoring per PV module (optional)
+ Increased system uptime

Safety
+ Increased firemen/installer/system owner
+ Easy to disconnect PV modules and the total system

Individual MPPT makes every solar panel indifferent to the power generated by the other solar panels. This significantly increases the freedom in system design for system integrators, installers and system owners. See our section Benefits for System Owners and the following locations equipped with our products:

 

 

All PV300 Power Optimizers are connected in parallel, using Femtogrid DC Cables, to the Inverter 2400. The Inverter 2400 feeds the solar produced energy that is not directly used by the system owner into the mains.

 

Besides producing more kWh's by performing Maximum Power Point Tracking per solar panel Power Optimizers also make system design of the PV installations more flexible as different solar panels can now be combined in one PV system. The Power Optimizers enable to use solar panels that differ in terms of:

• Type (e.g. mono- with polycrystalline)
• Power (e.g. 185 Wp or 235 Wp)
• Power tolerance
• Open circuit voltage
• Cell technology or number of cells
• Manufacturer
• Aging
• Output varation in response to temperature variation
• Angle to the sun (e.g. azimuth and/or angle of the rooftop)

 

How does the PV300 Power Optimizer look

Our first Power Optimizer is a add-on version that is mounted behind every solar panel. The Power Optimizer with its mounting bracket is as big as a A4-paper: 288x342x51 mm (WxLxH). The Power Optimizer can be taken out of its mounting bracket in order to change its position behind the solar panel:

 

How to use

Use the PV300 Power Optimizer per solar panel in combination with Femtogrid DC cables and the Femtogrid Inverter 2400 to form a parallel 400 Vdc netwerk or the so-called Femtogrid®. The PV300 Power Optimizer enables to communicate about the performance of the solar panel. This data (for example about the production of kWh) can be made available on a personal webpage using Femtogrid Monitoring.

 

 

 

Our first Power Optimizer is now available and is named the Femtogrid PV300 Power Optimizer. The type of module, manufacturer, and aging is allowed to be different for these modules connected to the Femtogrid Solar System, as long as:

• the modules are mono- or polycristalline
• the power output of the module<300 Wp
• the open circuit voltage of the module @ -20 degrees celsius<42 V

Find our specifications here.

 

Our products are certified for the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. Find here your local dealer.

 

How to install

See How to Install for the installation of the PV300 Power Optimizer and our complete solution for PV installations.