Hatboro, PA and San Jose, CA – SIC USA LLC and Alencon Systems LLC today announced a partnership for promoting improved performance at existing PV plants with Satcon solar inverters. SIC USA is the exclusive US importer of the Satcon line of PV inverters. Alencon Systems is the manufacturer of the SPOT – String Power Optimizer and Transmitter – family of utility-scale PV DC-DC optimizers. As part of this partnership, SIC and Alencon’s engineering teams will work closely to assure the interoperability of Alencon’s SPOTs with existing Satcon’s inverters already installed in the field. In addition to working in close partnership, Alencon has installed a grid-tied Satcon inverter in its power electronics lab in Hatboro, Pennsylvania to provide real world test conditions for the performance of its SPOT PV DC-DC optimizers with the Satcon inverter platform.
Pairing Alencon’s SPOTs with Satcon inverters already installed in the field provides PV plant owners a number of benefits. Alencon’s SPOTs increase energy in existing PV plants by providing string level maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to plants equipped with central inverters. Each Alencon SPOT has four MPPT inputs and thus can reverse the effects PV panel yield mismatch caused by uneven module degradation or other factors. For PV plants between five to ten years of age, Alencon’s SPOT will typically increase DC energy yield between 5 – 10% by mitigating the negative effects of mismatch while performing a host of other energy yield optimization functions. Additionally, by injecting galvanic isolation between the PV strings and the Satcon inverter, Alencon’s SPOT can extend the life of the inverter by protecting it from any harmful faults that occur in the PV array. By isolating every string, the Alencon SPOT will also reduce the on-going operations and maintenance costs of plants with Satcon inverters by isolating each string in the event of trouble.
“Partnering with Alencon allows SIC USA to add more value to the vast installed base of Satcon inverters in the U.S. by allowing plant owners to generate more energy, increase plant safety and reduce ongoing operating costs all while potentially extending the life of their Satcon invertor,” says Harrison Wang, SIC USA Director of Sales and Services. “Additionally, should plant owners wish to upgrade their Satcon inverters, Alencon’s DC-DC Optimizers can be a great enabler for doing so without the need to significantly rewire a plant.”
About SIC USA
SIC USA is the exclusive distributor of Satcon solar inverters in North and Central America, as well as parts and service. The company has the expertise and knowledge to help with the most complex solar projects. SIC USA has assembled an elite team of PV professionals ready to serve. From phone support and diagnostic services to on-site service and priority parts replacement, SIC USA has a flexible suite of support services specifically designed to keep Satcon inverters operating at maximum performance. SIC USA, which was founded in 2013 is a wholly owned subsidiary of Skwentex International Corporation (SIC). SIC USA aims to provide the highest level of service and value to Satcon users to ensure that their investments continue to perform at the highest levels through their entire lifespan.
About Alencon
Alencon’s solutions for ALternative ENergy CONversion provide high modularity and scalability for systems from several megawatts to several-hundred megawatts. By helping increase power production through unique energy harvesting technology, Alencon helps existing PV plant owners earn a higher yield from there PV assets. Headquartered in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, has been building PV power conversion hardware since 2009, drawing on the combined decades of power electronics experience of its engineering team.