Echelon and Direct Grid Bring the Benefits of Energy Control Networks to Solar Power
Echelon Corp. announced that Direct Grid Technologies, LLC, a manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) micro–inverters for utility and commercial grade solar power generation, will be adding Echelon energy control networking to its micro-inverter products. Micro-inverters convert electricity generated by PV panels from direct to alternating current at the individual panel. This increases the overall reliability and efficiency of the entire solar power installation. By integrating the solar panels into a power line communicating energy control network with Echelon’s technology, Direct Grid can offer improved diagnostics, remote management and control, and lower the life cycle cost of the installation. The energy control network can be leveraged by Direct Grid and its customers over the lifetime of the panel installation, even as PV panel technology advances.
As part of its strategy to transform the electricity grid into a distributed, reliable and survivable energy control network, Echelon is working with its commercial customers to inject intelligence into their products so that they can analyze and act immediately in response to dynamic grid conditions to maximize efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness. Echelon is focusing this work with companies providing solar power solutions, smart street lighting and building energy management.
"PV panel efficiency is constantly improving but by small increments. Adding energy control networking to our micro-inverter products allows us to address efficiency at a system level and provide substantial additional performance improvement," said Frank Cooper, Direct Grid’s President and principal. "Echelon’s energy control network multiplies the benefits of micro-inverters and gives us tremendous system control capabilities as well as insight into what is happening throughout the installation – system wide, by rows of panels, and at the individual panel. Efficiency and control are the combination that our customers want."
According to Direct Grid, using Echelon’s energy control networking technology was the right choice because it integrates well with other equipment, scales easily and cost effectively to meet the expanding needs of Direct Grid customers because it is more reliable and less costly to install and maintain than competing systems. Echelon’s power line signaling technology, combined with its industry-leading SmartServer energy manager, has proven field reliability in the energy industry, delivering exceptional performance in utility and commercial applications with tens of millions of homes and more than a 100 million devices.
Anders Axelsson, Echelon’s senior vice president, commercial markets added, "Our energy control networking technology coupled with innovations like Direct Grid’s micro-inverters combine control of energy supply and demand right at the edge of the grid, facilitating the evolution of the smart grid. This combination is a big step forward in delivering low-cost, reliable, manageable, renewable energy."
Direct Grid has added Echelon’s ISO standard power line smart transceivers to each micro-inverter. The micro-inverters communicate with Echelon’s i.LON® SmartServer to access Direct Grid’s WattTrack™ software for visualizing tracking, harvesting and performance data. The power line based network allows Direct Grid to reliably communicate amongst thousands of panels over hundreds of acres.
The energy control network allows Direct Grid to identify individual panel performance changes, minimize the cost of maintenance through improved diagnostics and visibility, and provides detailed performance logs for auditing and compliance purposes. The SmartServer’s sophisticated control software, standard web services, LonWorks® network, and Modbus interfaces allow Direct Grid installations to be integrated with other equipment, building systems, and energy management services.
More news and information regarding the latest developments in Smart Grid electronics can be found at Darnell’s SmartGridElectronics.Net.
