Akeena Solar Inc. and Enphase Energy, a manufacturer of microinverter products, have announced a strategic partnership to develop and market Andalay solar panel systems with ordinary AC house current output instead of high-voltage DC output. Andalay AC panels are expected to cost less to install and provide higher performance than ordinary DC panels, the companies state.
Under the agreement Akeena will purchase a minimum of 5,000 microinverters in each of 2009 and 2010, and Enphase will supply up to 100,000 microinverters to Akeena during this same time frame. These microinverters will be built into Akeena's Andalay solar panels.
Akeena estimates that up to 25% of the total costs necessary to design and install a solar power system can be eliminated with solar panels that have integrated racking, wiring and grounding and that operate with standard AC wiring. Moreover, according to Enphase research, panels outfitted with Enphase microinverters boost solar energy collection by 5% to 25%.
SOURCE: Akeena Solar Inc.
