SBIR Phase I: Low Cost, Low Weight, and Low Profile Microinverter for Photovoltaic Solar

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目涉及光伏（PV）太阳能技术。微型逆变器目前作为单独的盒子出售，这些盒子用螺栓固定在机架或面板框架上，并且仍然需要DC电缆、连接器和接线盒。什么？的老虎1微型逆变器是一种低成本，低重量，低姿态，微型逆变器直接集成到面板上？的背板，从而消除了直流电缆，连接器和接线盒，并使光伏系统的安装/调试以更低的成本显着简单。Tiger 1部署了专有的热管理技术，以保持电子设备产生的任何热量远离背板，因为任何多余的热量（超过环境温度）到达太阳能电池会导致光伏效率降低。该公司已经与美国和亚洲的许多客户验证了其产品概念。硬件原型已经完成。本研究的目标包括：完整的算法/软件开发和特性的电流推到公用电网，面板背板的热特性，在不同的微逆变器的工作条件下，和Partoe的优化？的网状网络无线电为基础的报告/诊断软件。如果成功，研究结果将使公司能够解决认证和生产前问题。 该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是降低太阳能光伏发电的成本，而我们对化石燃料的依赖已被证明是相当有问题的。 Partoe的目标是85亿美元（2014年估计）的太阳能逆变器市场。 彻底消除直流电缆，连接器，接线盒，并启用太阳能电池板，从一开始就产生交流电源（PVAC），使我们从竞争对手中脱颖而出。另一个差异化是我们的网状网络无线电技术。我们的竞争对手使用电力线通信（PLC）进行监控。 PLC通常比网状网络支持的无线电技术消耗更多的功率（100 mW对10 mW）。在其他条件相同的情况下，这使得Tiger 1的DC/AC转换效率更高。低成本太阳能发电的长期影响不仅涉及与石油相关的地缘政治问题，而且还涉及环境和社会问题。从长远来看，Tiger 1可以与智能电表（在美国支持无线电）接口，并发送/接收指令，例如，用于向电网提供无功功率以进行电压调节、微电网操作等。本提案的目标是为Partoe提供这些长期方向的垫脚石。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 project is concerned with photovoltaic (PV) solar technology. Microinverters are presently sold as separate boxes that are bolted either onto the racking or the panel frame and still require DC cables, connectors and the junction box. Partoe?s Tiger 1 microinverter is a low cost, low weight, low profile, microinverter for direct integration onto the panel?s backsheet, thereby eliminating DC cables, connectors and the junction box and enabling a significantly simpler installation/commissioning of PV systems at lower cost. Tiger 1 deploys a proprietary thermal management technology to keep any heat generated by the electronics away from the backsheet, as any excess heat (over ambient) reaching the solar cells results in a reduction in PV efficiency. The Company has validated its product concept with a number of customers both within the US and in Asia. Hardware prototypes are completed. Objectives of this research include: Complete algorithm/software development and characterize the current pushed to the utility grid, thermal characterization of the panel backsheet, under different microinverter operating conditions, and optimization of Partoe?s mesh-network-radio-based reporting/diagnostic software. If successful, the results of the research will place the Company in a position to address certification and preproduction issues. The boarder impact/commercial potential of this project is a reduction of the cost of solar PV electricity, at a time when our dependence on fossil fuel has proven to be quite problematic. Partoe is targeting an $8.5B (2014 estimate) solar inverter market. Entirely eliminating DC cables, connectors, junction box, and enabling a solar panel that produces AC power (PVAC) from the onset, sets our differentiation from our competitors. Another differentiation is our mesh-network radio technology. Our competitors use Power Line Communication (PLC) for monitoring. PLC generally dissipates more power than a mesh-network-enabled-radio technology (100s of mW vs. 10s of mW). Everything else being equal, this results in a higher DC/AC conversion efficiency for Tiger 1. The long term impacts of low-cost solar electricity not only address oil-related geopolitical issues, but also are environmental and societal. On longer term, Tiger 1 can be interfaced with smart meters (which are radio-enabled in the US) and send/receive instructions, for example, for delivering reactive power to the grid for voltage regulation, micro-grid operations, etc. Objectives of this proposal are stepping stones toward these longer term directions for Partoe.