Enecsys and SMTC Partner to Build Next-Generation Solar Energy Conversion Technology
SMTC Corp. and Enecsys Ltd. announced a partnership to produce Enecsys micro inverters for the Canadian market at SMTC’s Markham facility located in York Region, Ontario. This enables Enecsys micro inverters to meet the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) Feed-in Tariff (FIT) domestic content requirement for renewable energy projects.
"Enecsys’ smart solar micro inverter solutions have been installed on roofs of homes and businesses in Europe, the U.S. and now in Ontario, Canada," said Enecsys Executive Chairman, Mossadiq Umedaly. "We are very pleased to partner with SMTC to produce our micro inverters in Ontario for the Canadian market and to become part of the Ontario renewable energy community."
Enecsys’ wide range of micro inverter products reliably convert and control the dc power generated by each solar module within a photovoltaic array installed on the roofs of residences and businesses into clean ac power for the electricity grid. Presently, solar systems using string inverters connect solar modules in series. This configuration does not maximize the energy harvest from the PV array as the system’s performance will be limited to the lowest performing solar module, whose performance will be limited by common real world conditions such as partial shading caused by a chimney, vent, transient clouds, or debris. Enecsys micro inverter systems that are connected in parallel maximize the energy harvest from each module, increasing the system’s total energy harvest from 5 to 20 percent depending on site-specific situations.
"This innovative partnership generates new, quality jobs and benefits our local economy while at the same time contributing to environmental sustainability," said York Region Chairman and CEO Bill Fisch. "It builds on the reputation of The Regional Municipality of York as a business innovation growth center for both advanced manufacturing and cleantech."
The partnership with SMTC qualifies Enecsys for Ontario’s FIT program by meeting the "local content" requirement, which encourages business development, production and job creation in Ontario. SMTC has worked alongside regional government bodies to promote the OPA’s FIT program for renewable electricity production. The program offers stable prices under long-term contracts for energy generated from renewable sources.
"The clean energy market is a major focus for SMTC’s Markham, Ontario facility, and we’re pleased that Enecsys has chosen us as their Canadian manufacturing partner," said Claude Germain, President and Co-Chief Executive Officer for SMTC. "We’re committed to supporting the growth of the clean technology industry here in Markham by partnering with industry leaders like Enecsys, and we have made significant investments in capital equipment to complement our engineering expertise and dedication to FIT compliance."
More news and information regarding the latest developments in Smart Grid electronics can be found at Darnell’s SmartGridElectronics.Net.
