National Semiconductor Corp., developer of SolarMagic power optimizers, has formed a partnership with Solmetric Corp., a developer of test and measurement tools for solar installations. Solmetric has developed a software tool to estimate the energy production of solar arrays, including installations outfitted with National's SolarMagic power optimizers.
National's SolarMagic power optimizers enable solar panels to produce maximum energy, regardless of whether other panels in the array are under-performing due to shade, debris, panel mismatch and aging, the companies explain.
To help determine how much benefit an installation will gain by using SolarMagic power optimizers, PV installers and designers can capture site-specific shade information with Solmetric's SunEye, a handheld measurement instrument, and then create a PV system design on the site with the new photovoltaic layout and estimation software.
The system uses data collected from real-world installation sites and enables a solar system designer to experiment with different array configurations, with and without SolarMagic power optimizers. Designers can compare different hardware and different roof layouts, and visualize shade over the array area. The system estimates the resultant energy production, resulting in more confidence in a PV design in less time, according to National Semiconductor and Solmetric.
The final release of the PV Simulator will be available to SolarMagic and Solmetric customers in August.
National Semiconductor Corp.: (877) 765-6244
SOURCE: National Semiconductor Corp.
