APsystems to Exhibit New YC600 Microinverter at All-Energy 2017!

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APsystems will showcase the new YC600 utility-interactive microinverter at All-Energy Australia 2017, Oct. 11-12 in Melbourne.

A smart microinverter for the smart grid, the YC600 with Reactive Power Control is CEC approved for Australia and meets IEC/EN62109-1/2 requirements. The YC600 can connect to two modules, lowering balance of system costs while offering 600VA peak performance and integrated ZigBee wireless communication. It is ideal for high-output PV panels from 200 to 365W+, and works with 60- and 72-cell PV modules with dual, independent MPPT per panel. The unit operates within a wider MPPT voltage range than competing brands for a greater energy harvest and boasts a durable, NEMA 6/IP67, powder-coated aluminum enclosure, bucking today’s trend of plastic casings.

Also at All-Energy Australia: The APsystems new ECU-C Energy Communication Unit, an advanced gateway for single and 3-phase PV systems. With its built-in smart meter, the ECU-C tracks array performance and power production in real-time along with historical output data. The anti-flowback control function and rapid shutdown features further guarantee system safety.

APsystems’ Lucky Draw is waiting for you!
Visit the APsystems booth #1124 to win FREE products from APsystems’ newest line.
There will be one first prize winner (1 ECU-C unit ), two second prize winners (1 YC600 unit for each), and three third prize winners (1 OPT700 unit for each).

Date: 11-12 October

Booth#:1124

Venue: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Center

We look forward to seeing you at Cannot wait to see you all in All Energy Australia 2017！

APsystems Unveils World’s Most Advanced Solar Microinverter

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LAS VEGAS – September 10, 2017 – APsystems introduces the YC600, a dual-module, utility-interactive microinverter with Reactive Power Control (RPC) technology and Rule 21 grid support functionality at Solar Power International in Las Vegas, NV.

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The first of its kind, the YC600 was designed to accommodate today’s high output PV panels, offer enhanced capability and meet the latest grid compliance standards, including UL 1741 SA requirements for California Rule 21 as well as voltage and frequency ride through and RPC for European and Australian DER requirements.

Offering an unprecedented 300VA peak output power per channel, the YC600 works with 60 and 72-cell PV modules and offers dual, independent MPPT per panel. The unit operates within a wider MPPT voltage range than competing brands for a greater energy harvest and boasts a durable, NEMA 6/IP67, powder-coated aluminum enclosure, bucking today’s trend of plastic casings.

“Integrating smart grid-interactive capability, reactive power control and Rule 21 support functionality into a dual-module microinverter while still maintaining independent MPPT per channel is a groundbreaking achievement in microinverter technology,” said Olivier Jacques, executive vice president, USA and EMEA. “We’ve significantly raised the bar with this product.”

The YC600 builds on the successful APsystems line of multi-module microinverters, simplifying installation and reducing logistics costs. The unit features both integrated ground and DC connectors for fast, hassle-free installation and maintains inherent compliance to NEC 690.12 Rapid Shutdown code requirements. An integrated ZigBee antenna offers broadband communication over a mesh network for fast, accurate data monitoring.

YC600 Banners“The demands on today’s power conversion systems require that manufacturers not only bring cutting-edge concepts into existence, but also include the complex capabilities of successful previous generations, all while accommodating both current and new compliance standards,” said Dr. Yuhao Luo, APsystems’ chief technology officer. “The YC600 includes dozens of new and advanced features and functions that outclass competing products. And then we added free monitoring.”

The groundbreaking new microinverter will debut at Solar Power International, being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, September 11-13, booth #1745. The product is now available in Australia and Asia-Pacific markets and will soon launch in the U.S. market mid-Q4 and EMEA market late Q4 of this year.

Olivier Jacques named APsystems Executive Vice President of USA & EMEA

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

SEATTLE, WA, and LYON, FRANCE – APsystems, the global leader in advanced microinverter technology for the solar PV industry, today announced Olivier Jacques has been named Executive Vice President, USA & EMEA. Jacques is based in Lyon, France and most recently served as APsystems Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa. He will report to Dr. Zhi-Min Ling, Co-founder, President & CEO of APsystems worldwide.

“APsystems globalization and scale have increased dramatically under Olivier Jacques’ leadership,” said Dr. Ling. “His appointment to EVP of USA and EMEA opens up new horizons for product portfolio development, go-to-market strategies, and the MLPE innovation for which APsystems is known worldwide.”

Jacques will be a featured speaker at the upcoming GTM Solar Summit, May 16-18 in Scottsdale, Ariz. He will appear at the forum “Residential Inverters – Differentiating in a Maturing Market,” at 2 p.m. May 17. See www.greentechmedia.com for information.

“I am delighted to lead APsystems’ next stage of growth across USA and EMEA, two of the most developed PV regions in the world,” Jacques said. “Synergies are becoming more and more evident as the fast-growing PV industry is maturing. We are observing convergence today with tomorrow’s winning business models, system sophistication and customer expectations. In this context, I believe APsystems is now ideally positioned within this dynamic.”

Olivier boasts more than 25 years of experience in industrial, automation, energy and high-tech industries. Prior to joining APsystems in October 2015, he served as Managing Director, EMEA for Enphase Energy. There, he developed the microinverter market in Europe from scratch, achieving leading share positions in key European solar regions.

Olivier previously served as Managing Director for international companies including Norgren (IMI group), a leading industrial automation and fluid control company, where he spurred growth despite an economic recession.

As Managing Director and HVAC-R Southern Europe Director at Danfoss Drives, Jacques increased revenues, created sales channels, launched a new product platform and repositioned the company as a value-added solutions provider.

He has also held senior executive positions as International Sales & Marketing and Managing Director at major companies ranging from WATTS Industries (fluid control and HVAC), Schlumberger (water, gas and thermal energy) and Samsung Electronics (launching their HVAC business).

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About APsystems

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2009, APsystems has grown to encompass three global business units with offices around the world, serving customers in more than 80 countries with its ground-breaking multi-module microinverters, including the YC1000, the world’s first true 3-phase, 4-module unit for commercial applications and still the top seller its product class.

Today, with hundreds of thousands of units installed producing more than 130 GWh of clean, renewable energy, APsystems continues to be a leader in the ever-growing MLPE segment and a solid corporate performer, profitable each of the past five years. APsystems USA is based in Seattle, Washington; APsystems EMEA is based at Rotterdam, Netherlands and Lyon, France.

 

Join APsystems at SNEC 2017 in Shanghai, April 19

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SNEC 2017, one of world’s largest PV conventions, will occur in Shanghai on April. 19-21.

SNEC is an ideal platform for PV companies to share their products and services, as the event draws technology industry leaders from across the globe to spark ideas and innovation. Distributors, installers and manufacturers can keep on top of the latest policies and issues impacting the international renewable production and storage markets.

See the APsystems advanced microinverter line and new products at booth E7-570.

A press conference will be held at our booth to formally recognize APsystems honored clients and announce new product releases.

More activities and giveaways will be offered throughout the event.

Join APsystems at Booth E7-570 April 19-21 at SNEC 2017.

Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre, 2345 Longyang Road, Pudong, Shanghai, 201204, P.R.C.

APsystems upgrades EMA monitoring website with more data and improved interface

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SEATTLE, JIAXING, LYON– APsystems today announced the launch of a new, redesigned version of its Energy Monitoring & Analysis (EMA) website APsystemsEMA.com.

The web-based platform, available for free on any connected device, monitors and reports module-level energy production of solar arrays which utilize APsystems inverters and provides that information to homeowners and end users in a convenient and user-friendly format.

emaThe site also enables APsystems-registered solar installers and contractors to lower their maintenance costs by creating and managing their customers’ PV installation accounts remotely. Key features of the new EMA site include a more attractive design and a more engaging user experience with an enhanced system dashboard, system management tools and improved reporting functions.

The new EMA website is active and available now, the result of a seamless transition from the previous site to the new interface. The added functionality addresses the high demand for detailed data and enhanced capability in a more user-friendly experience for the growing and competitive solar industry.

“We are excited to re-launch our very popular EMA website.” said Wesley Tong, APsystems chief marketing officer. “The site already hosts tens of thousands of homeowners and end users all over the world who view their APsystems solar array performance online and through the APsystems EMA App. These new design improvements now give them an even more in-depth view of their system energy production, improved reporting and additional historical data in a clean, comprehensive and dynamic user interface.”

Users can view their solar array performance using the same URL and log-in information as before at APsystemsEMA.com, through the APsystems EMA App or by visiting the APsystems website at APsystems.com and clicking “EMA Login” at the top right portion of the homepage.

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Upcoming launch of new Energy Monitoring & Analysis (EMA)

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Dear APsystems EMA user,

APsystems is proud to announce the upcoming launch of a new, redesigned version of its Energy Monitoring & Analysis (EMA) website APsystemsEMA.com.

As you know, the website monitors and reports energy production on sites which utilize APsystems microinverters and also enables APsystems-registered solar installers and contractors to create and manage their customer’s energy monitoring accounts. Key features of the new EMA site include a cleaner and more attractive design, a more engaging user experience with an enhanced system dashboard, system management tools, improved reporting functions and module performance data.

The added functionality addresses end user and installer demand for detailed data and enhanced capability in a more user-friendly interface. The new EMA website will launch on November 30th.

“We are excited to re-launch our very popular EMA website.” said Jason Higginson, APsystems senior director of marketing, USA. “The site already hosts tens of thousands of homeowners and end users all over the world who view their APsystems solar array performance online and through the APsystems EMA App. These new design improvements now give them an even more in-depth view of their system performance, improved reporting and additional historical data in a clean, comprehensive and dynamic user interface.”

The APsystems EMA website will be unavailable from 00:00 to 04:00 UTC /GMT on November 29th in order to complete the transition to the new EMA system. Users can access their site using the same URL and log-in information as before at APsystemsEMA.com or by visiting the APsystems website at APsystems.com and clicking “EMA Login” at the top right portion of the homepage.

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APsystems helps Extend the Day bring solar to kids in developing nations

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c6a4d851-f6f6-448d-9efe-989852f7f33fAPsystems is teaming up with the nonprofit Extend the Day to bring portable solar-powered lights to students in developing nations.

APsystems engineers assisted in the design of small, personal-sized lights, now being distributed to kids and families in remote villages in Kenya, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Myanmar and Namibia.

The lights allow students to study in the evening, dramatically changing their educational experience and opportunities.

Seattle-based Extend the Day was founded by Andrew Lonseth, APsystems President for USA Operations, and his daughter Jo, who saw the opportunity to improve lives through personal-scale solar during their global travels.

The clean-energy lights have a secondary benefit of eliminating the health hazards associated with noxious kerosene-burning lamps in homes.

“My eyes don’t burn anymore when I read,” a Kenyan student told Jo Lonseth recently. The youth now hopes to become an electrical engineer.

“Here he was in the middle of nowhere, and the light has changed his path,” Jo told Bainbridge Island Magazine.

Read the whole story here.

Click here for more information about Extend the Day.

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Buy 5, Get 1 FREE: Fantastic A+ Rewards continues ONLY for New Zealand!

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Dear Valued New Zealand Installer,

The unbelievable A+ Rewards program from APsystems continues ONLY for New Zealand! We’re proud to offer this incredible promotion to our New Zealand installers.

apsystems-nz-aplus-dec16-promoFor every 5 YC500 microinverters purchased from an APsystems participating distribution partner in New Zealand, you will receive one YC500 microinverter absolutely free!
That’s right: Now through December 23 2016, that’s one industry-leading YC500 microinverter FREE when you buy 5. The free units will be sent with your order.

Please refer to the full terms and conditions (below) of this A+ Rewards Program. Units sold during this promotion as well as complimentary units are not eligible for return and exchange(except in the case of standard RMA requirements such as manufacturer defect, malfunction or other issues as outlined in the APsystems YC500 warranty.)

Place your order with an APsystems participating distributor today for prompt fulfillment!

– APsystems Team

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TERMS & CONDITIONS:

Eligibility

The A+ Rewards Program is valid from October 14 to Dec 23, 2016. The offer is open to installers in New Zealand who purchase APsystems YC500 microinverters through participating distribution partners with which an A+ Rewards Program Distributor Participation Agreement is in place, and who purchase APsystems YC500 microinverters (YC250 microinverters are not eligible for this promotion). Purchases and complimentary products cannot be returned or exchanged. Participating Distributor partners who are also installers do not qualify to receive rebates under this program.

Specification
Once you place an order for 5 or more YC500 microinverters, you can request one free YC500 microinverters from the distributor. The distributor will send you the free YC500 microinverters with your order.

The minimum order for this program is 5 YC500 microinverters, and 5 microinverters are considered as a unit to calculate the number of free microinverters under the rebate. For example, an order of 9 microinverters would only qualify for one free YC500 microinverters; an order of 10 microinverters would qualify for two free microinverters.

The number of free YC500 microinverters under the rebate is based on each individual order, and the purchase quantities of different orders cannot be cumulative. For example, 2 separate orders of 4 YC500 microinverters would not qualify for free YC500 microinverter; but 1 order of 8 microinverters would qualify for one free microinverters.

Any questions on the promotion policy should be directed to your participating APsystems distributor.

APsystems Reservation of Rights
All rights reserved. APsystems reserves the rights to disqualify participants at any time and at its sole discretion. By participating in the offer, installers agree to be bound by these terms and conditions and the decisions of APsystems, which are final and binding, including any decisions concerning any violation or non-satisfaction of these terms and conditions. The installer shall have no right to receive free microinverter under this promotion unless the installer first fulfills all requirements of this promotion.

©2016 APsystems APAC. APsystems and the APsystems logo are trademarks of APsystems.

Solar MLPE hacks for the installer edge

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APsystems-Fresno-roof1Time is money. We’ve all heard the age-old adage, but if you’re a solar installation company, it absolutely rings true: time is your worst enemy. Labor is expensive, so the longer a project takes, the more it costs an installer to put in a solar system, and it comes right out of their bottom line. Non-hardware costs such as installation labor, permitting fees and interconnection costs are referred to as “soft costs.” According to the U.S. Department of Energy, these soft or “plug-in” costs of solar account for as much as 64% of the total cost of a new solar system, and labor is one of the largest culprits. It’s no surprise that solar installers are looking for ways to reduce these costs, and any tool or trick they can employ to speed a project along may just give them the edge they need to not only survive in this highly competitive industry, but to thrive.

One challenge in this effort to reduce labor costs, is the growth in utilization of module-level power electronics (MLPEs) such as microinverters and DC optimizers. Unlike string inverters which, for residential applications, typically mean a single string inverter is serving all the PV modules on the roof, each MLPE is typically serving a single module. Although an MLPE solar system is often more expensive in initial capital costs and more labor-intensive to install compared with string inverters, it also has a better levelized cost of energy (LCOE) over string inverters as MLPE systems produce more energy over the life of system. It makes sense, then, why MLPE systems comprised 62% of the U.S. residential solar market in 2015, according to GTM Research, and the market isn’t done there as MLPE is predicted to be the fastest-growing product segment over the next five years.

Installers are feeling the time crunch and the challenge today is even greater to take a high-demand yet labor-intensive product and still perform a profitable installation. Let’s take a look at a few ways to streamline the MLPE installation process with some serious solar hacks.

 

APsystems-YC1000-4panels-side-sm-1030x928TIME-SAVING PRODUCTS
Microinverters which serve multiple modules exist today and with 2-to-1 and even 4-to-1 module to microinverter options available, homeowners can still get the benefits of an MLPE systems with independent MPPT per module, while installers cleverly reduce the amount of units they’re having to put on the roof by 50% to 75%.

 

MLPE ARCHITECTURE
Most MLPE systems utilize a trunk bus cable to which installers then attach every microinverter. Not only are trunk cables an expensive part of the system, but placing it on the roof and securing the cable to the racking takes time. Products, such as the APsystems YC500A, utilize a daisy-chain method of cabling and do away with the trunk cable. What’s more, the daisy chain is pre-integrated into the unit so it comes completely pre-cabled and ready to go.

 

APsystems demo-thumbFREE TRAINING
Most solar equipment manufacturers offer free training webinars and videos on their products anymore so absolutely take advantage of this. Don’t miss out on the time (and money) saving tips you can pick up in a short training course or online video series.

 

GATEWAY SET-UP
The gateway communication unit for microinverter installations can be a breeze if installers follow a few simple tips for commissioning the system. Connect the gateway to the internet via a standard Ethernet cable so it can download the most current firmware before you begin to commission the system. Ideally, you’ll want to do this after the inverter installation but before module installation so the unit can update while your team puts panels on the roof so you don’t lose time. Be sure to connect cables in the right order as some gateways may take longer if power is applied before the network cable (unless the system will be connected via Wi-Fi). Obtaining the homeowner’s Wi-Fi network information and password before hitting the jobsite will also save you time in connecting the gateway.

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TIME-SAVING APPS
There are some amazing apps out there for solar installers that can help installers streamline system setup. ArrayApp by APsystems, for example, allows installers to create the homeowner account for online monitoring, scan units directly without having to wait for up to 30 minutes for auto-detection of the inverters and create the array site map all from their mobile phone or tablet. Simply search for ArrayApp on your iPhone App Store or Google Play for Android devices.

Taking advantage of these time-saving measures can save an installer money but also help them get more installations completed in a single day. As the solar industry continues to lean heavily toward MLPE systems, finding ways to install faster and more effectively can mean the difference between a profitable operation and one that struggles to be competitive. Be sure to do your research, training, find out what other installers are doing and build your own list of valuable solar installation hacks.

APsystems at All Energy Australia 2016

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screen-shot-2016-09-20-at-8-15-20-pmAll Energy Australia is Australia’s biggest solar energy industry exhibition and attracts the world’s top solar energy manufacturers, technologies and products.

Join APsystems at our enhanced, interactive booth 1116, where we’ll bring you our latest products, the YC550 and YC1200 microinverters, and the Energy Communication Unit ECU-C gateway.

The flagship APsystems YC550 is a grid-tied microinverter with intelligent network and monitoring to ensure maximum efficiency. YC550 offers independent MPPT with maximum continuous output to 550W.

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The new YC1200 offers balanced 3-phase output, handling up to four modules independently with maximum continuous output to 1200W. Fewer inverters and faster installation means real cost saving for residential and commercial customers.

The ECU-C is specially designed for commercial systems energy control. Besides the powerful monitoring functions, it includes built-in wifi and anti-backflow control functions.

We’ll have the full line of APsystems advanced microinverters on display, including the powerful YC1000, YC500, EMA App, and the ArrayApp all-in-one

screen-shot-2016-09-20-at-8-15-43-pmAll Energy Australia 2016!
Date: 4-5 October
Booth#:1116
Venue: Melbourne Convention& Exhibition Center, 2 Clarendon St. Southbank VIC 3006 Melbourne, Auatralia