Network-compatible data logger from Tritec
The new Tri-Log data logger from Tritec AG, based in Allschwil, Switzerland, comes with seven inputs for sensors that self-configure upon connection.

Sulfurcell delivers its first CIS modules
Sulfurcell Solartechnik GmbH introduces its first thin-film modules. The company's answer to the current silicon shortage is the use of copper indium sulfide (CIS) – not to be confused with the similar sounding abbreviation for the common copper indium diselenide technology from Shell or Würth.   

Krempel introduces new backsheet foil series 
August Krempel Soehne GmbH + Co. KG, a German specialist in compound backsheet foils for solar module encapsulation, is expanding its product range. As of March 2006 a new series, the AKASOL PTL-HR, will be added to the company's standard AKASOL PTL models.

Satellite-supported system monitoring from Meteotest
In the wake of the PVSAT-2 project on the use of satellite data for yield monitoring of PV systems, Augsburg, Germany-based company Meteocontrol GmbH is not the only company bringing a commercially viable product onto the market (see PI 3/2005, p. 23), the Swiss company Meteotest will also soon be entering the game.  

Mobile device for IV-characteristics analysis from Tritec
The Swiss company Tritec has introduced a new device for PV module quality control.

Xantrex expands GT series for US and European markets
At the Solar Power 2005 conference held in Washington, DC in early October, Canadian inverter manufacturer Xantrex presented two new on-grid inverters –- the GT 2.5 and GT 3.3.

PV systems for space frame roofs
Panholz GmbH & Co. KG, a German steel construction company specializing in wide-span lightweight roofing, wants to combine its patented PAN space frame with PV systems.

Sunways introduces a three-phase 10 kW inverter
At the Intersolar trade fair in Freiburg in June, Sunways AG introduced an inverter in the 10 kW power category with a three-phase feed-in – the NT 10000.

Mastervolt launches inverter range for outside use
The Dutch company Mastervolt Solar BV will bring a new inverter range onto the market in 2006 – the Sunmaster XS series – which will comprise at least four units with DC power ratings of between 4.5 and 7 kW.

Phoenixtec adds to its Sunville range
Taiwanese Phoenixtec Power Co. Ltd. is adding three units to its inverter assortment in order to fill the gaps between those on offer so far, and also to boost the upper range of the power ratings.

Packaging solution for solar modules from KTH
KTH Kunststofftechnik Hahnmühle KG, which is primarily active in small series production of plastic injection-molded parts for the automobile industry, has teamed up with Berlin-based module manufacturer Solon.

Siemens: More Sitops join the fray
In order for an inverter to efficiently transform a solar generator's energy into alternating current, its power has to optimally match that of the generator. 

Aixcon adds to PT model range and introduces central power inverter
The German inverter manufacturer Aixcon is expanding its PT model range with the PT 6000 and PT 9000 models. In terms of configuration, the devices are inverters without low-frequency transformers but with boost converters. 

Simplified flasher for module manufacturers from Belval
In a move to widen its customer base, Swiss company Belval S.A. has announced market introduction of a new light generator for measuring IV-curves of solar modules.

First series module with silicon strip cells from Origin
The solar branch of the Australian energy provider Origin will present the first series module with its Sliver Cells at the European PV Conference & Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain in June.

Bernt Lorentz expands Etatrack series with two new models
The one-axis tracking system Etatrack active 1000, from Bernt Lorentz GmbH & Co KG, has two new siblings: the smaller Etatrack active 400, which has been available since January, can accommodate around 4 m² of module surface area and therefore around 400 and 500 W, depending on module type. These two systems were joined by a larger model, the Etatrack active 1500, which is designed for a maximum of 15 m² and around 2 kW.

New additions to the EVO family
With its EVO 1600 and EVO 1500 models, Philips has added two new members to its inverter family.

109 W modules from Solarwatt
The Dresden-based module manufacturer Solarwatt has started sales of two new module models with high-power cells from the Czech manufacturer Solartec.

Monocrystalline modules from Aleo
In Nov. 2004, Aleo Solar GmbH based in Oldenburg, Germany expanded its module portfolio with two new product types employing monocrystalline silicon cells.

Thin-film triple pack from RWE Schott Solar 
As of November, amorphous silicon thin-film modules from RWE Schott Solar GmbH have been available in a triple pack: three panels of the already well-known ASI-F 32/12 model are combined inside one aluminum frame. 

System design software »SysCalc« from Mastervolt
Since summer, Netherlands-based inverter manufacturer Mastervolt BV has been offering its SysCalc software, which makes it possible to design PV systems on the PC employing the company's Sunmaster QS inverter.

Nickel-cadmium batteries from Saft requiring lower maintenance
In July, the French company Saft S.A. announced the launch of a new generation of its Sunica rechargeable nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery.

More efficient area use improves efficiency of Photowatt modules  
The parallel electrical connection of the individual solar cell strings in modules is generally quite visibly located along the rim above the cells. This was also previously the case with products from the French manufacturer Photowatt International S.A.

First PV inverter from Solectria 
After producing inverters for 15 years, Woburn, Massachusetts-based Solectria Corporation, a manufacturer of components for electric vehicles as well as hybrid and fuel cell cars, started sales of its first PV inverter in August. 

Backup power system BPS 04/12 from ASP 
Since March, Swiss inverter manufacturer ASP has been offering the stand-alone backup power system BPS 04/12. The system consists of a charge controller for a 12 V battery and a sine inverter with a power rating of 400 W, which converts the direct voltage into AC voltage of 230 V.

On-grid inverter from Solarstocc a competitive alternative to Kyocera 
German wholesaler Solarstocc AG and major Japanese PV company's European subsidiary Kyocera Fineceramics GmbH have two things in common: both introduced their first inverter series with nominal powers of up to 4.5 kW in Germany earlier this year, and both companies apparently trusted the same manufacturers with the development and production of their inverters. 

Ixys presents two new lines of miniature modules 
The California-based semiconductor manufacturer Ixys launched two new module lines in spring - Solar Arrays and Solar Cards. 

Custom made glass laminates from Romag 
On May 12, the British Royal Opera House was »abused« for an uncommon presentation. Romag Ltd., a UK glass processor for the architectural and bulletproof-glass markets, launched its PowerGlaz, a BIPV module designed to customer specifications. 

Data logger SolConnect Mouse from Papendorf
The German company Papendorf Software Engineering GmbH was planning to launch a small programmable data logger in the second quarter of this year. 

First modules from Photovoltech 
Although the two new modules Hi Line A0154 and A0172 from Belgian cell and module manufacturer Photovoltech use multicrystalline cells, their front side has a uniform blue color as if it was made of monocrystalline cells.  

IV-curve measuring device from Halm
So far, the Frankfurt-based Halm Elektronik GmbH is known in the PV world particularly for its laboratory measurement equipment. Now, the company is heading out to the field. 

Y-elements for Multi-Contact's new connector systems
At this year's PV conference in Bad Staffelstein, Germany, Multi-Contact AG from Switzerland presented a new branch element for its connector system with a security fasten, originally released in 2002 (see PI 7/2002, p. 32). 

Alwitra's largest solar roofing membranes yet
In January, Alwitra GmbH & Co. expanded its range of flexible solar roofing membranes with two new models – one of them, the company's largest yet.

SatCon launches PV on-grid inverter series 
The US manufacturer SatCon Technology Corporation has started its first push to enter the market for on-grid PV inverters. The PowerGate AE-PV series consists of three devices with nominal powers of 50, 100, and 225 kW. 

Xantrex's 100 kW inverter for European markets
In January, Canadian inverter manufacturer Xantrex Technology introduces its first inverter for grid-connected PV systems in Germany. The GT 100 E (GT stands for grid-tied, the E for Europe) has a nominal power of 100 kW. Its MPP range is between 330 and 600 V, and customers have the option of parallel connecting several inverters.  

MIL-Kabel-Systems starts sales of solar cable
MIL-Kabel-Systems GmbH, based in Aalen, Germany, offers specialized cables for industrial and military applications. In October, the company also started sales of a special product, the MIL-Solarkabel-HV, for the installation of PV systems. 

Würth's CIS module for roof-integration
Since October, Würth Solar GmbH & Co. KG, based in Marbach am Neckar, Germany, has offered its WS11007 solar module also for roof-integration. 

Shell presents two new module series using quadratic mono cells
In the fall, Shell Solar GmbH introduces two new module series with monocrystalline cells. Whereas the SQ70, SQ75, and SQ80 modules have nominal powers of 70 W, 75 W, and 80 W respectively, the SQ140-C, SQ150-C, and SQ160-C modules have powers between 140 and 160 W. The modules have a power tolerance of +/- 5 percent, and their efficiencies lie between 10.6 (SQ140-C) and 12.7 percent (SQ80). 

Studer expands its HP Compact stand-alone inverter series
In August, Swiss manufacturer Studer Innotec introduced the most powerful stand-alone inverter yet in its HP Compact series. The HP Compact 7048 has a nominal power of 7 kW, but can handle three times that for a period of five seconds. The inverter transforms direct current from a 48 V battery into 230 V of alternating current.  

Sharp launches first inverter for the US market
Japanese world market leader Sharp started sales of its first on-grid inverter for the US market in August. The JH-3500 U Sunvista is based on Sharp's inverters for the Japanese market, but meets UL and IEEE 929 standards. It has a nominal power of 3.5 kW and an MPP range of between 110 and 350 V.

Beacon launches 5 kW inverter with battery 
back-up
The Wilmington, Maine-based Beacon Power Corp. will introduce its first inverter in September. The nominal power of the Smart Power M5 is 5 kW; the MPP lies between 50 and 85 V. The secret to the new device: in the event of a grid power outage, an uninterrupted power supply can serve as an energy source.

Sharp introduces 100 kW central inverter
The PV world market leader Sharp Corporation from Japan has started sales of its first central inverter on the domestic market in July. The device has a nominal power of 100 kW; the MPP range lies between 150 and 400 V. Until now, the electronics company only has offered inverters with powers below 10 kW. 

Huber + Suhner offers a toolbox for do-it-yourself cable connector assembly 
At the Intersolar trade fair in Freiburg in June, the German company Huber + Suhner GmbH has presented module cable connectors for do-it-yourself assembly with an appropriate new toolbox. 

Schüco's facade mounting system
Recently, Schüco International KG, a Bielefeld, Germany-headquartered manufacturer of construction systems, has put a considerable amount of effort into fine-tuning its PV-Light mounting system series. 

New stand-alone inverter from SMA
In June, SMA Regelsysteme GmbH will introduce its second battery inverter, the Sunny Island 4500.

Sputnik inverter with internal master-slave principle
In May, Sputnik Engineering AG will introduce its most powerful inverter for lower power ranges. As the name indicates, the new Solar Max 6000 device has a nominal input power of 6,000 W. The power output is 5 kW.

SMA's second inverter for multiple strings
One year after the introduction of its first inverter for several module strings, the German company SMA Regelsysteme GmbH will present a smaller version of its transformerless device, the Sunny Boy Multistring 5000, in June.  

New Draka solar cables
In January, the Dutch cable manufacturer Draka Kabel BV introduced its first solar cables. Mass production is slated to begin in March. While Draka's two new DC cables connect solar modules with inverters, they also offer two AC cables that connect inverters to the grid. All cables are ozone- and UV-protected, and halogen- and lead-free. 

New charge controller from MSTE
MSTE Meyer Solar Technologie introduced its MPT500 charge controller last September. An additional version known as the MPT1000 followed in December. The MPT500 is available for batteries of 12, 24, 36, and 48 V. The 48 V version is suitable for a system power of up to 700 W; the smaller version is intended for use at up to 500 W.

Off-grid PV pump from Solar-Fabrik
Solar-Fabrik of Freiburg, Germany has developed an off-grid system with water pump and micro filters.

OutBack's stand-alone inverters with integrated battery chargers
In October, the US manufacturer OutBack Power Systems introduced two stand-alone inverters with integrated battery chargers to the North American market.

Endeas Oy's new cell tester
Finnish company Endeas Oy presented its new cell tester and pre-lamination solar simulator at their stand at the PV in Europe conference in Rome in October.

New charge controller for small applications from Steca
Steca, a leading manufacturer of charge controllers, has developed a new device with a 5 A maximum charge and load current.

Inverters for hybrid systems from Sun Power
This autumn, Sun Power Solartechnik GmbH of Bad Vilbel, Germany, plans to introduce five new on-grid inverters for hybrid systems in their PV Up series with integrated battery chargers.

Automated wafer handling system from Manz
Manz Automation AG is presenting its automated system for wafer handling in at the PV in Europe Conference in Rome in early October.

Low-pressure diffusion furnaces from Semco
After Semco Engineering S.A. has been building diffusion furnaces for the semiconductor industry for over 15 years, it recently began sales of a tube type furnace model to the PV industry.

OTB's new tabber and stringer
OTB Engineering B.V., based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, introduces its new tabber TABx and MATx stringer at the PV exhibition in Rome in October.

Flexible water pump system from Grundfos
Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos Management A/S is currently introducing its new solar pump system worldwide. Whereas the US was among the first countries to see the new SQ Flex in February, the pump will hit the last target markets Australia and New Zealand by October.

Module-integrated inverter from NKF 
NKF Electronics, based in Gouda, the Netherlands, has rescheduled the sales launch for its new OK5-LV on-grid inverter for September.

New charge controller for very small applications from Steca 
The latest charge controller model from Steca GmbH of Memmingen, Germany, is also their smallest. With a maximum load current of 3 A at 50 °C, the PR0303 is suited for use with solar modules below power ratings of 50 W, making it ideal for solar home systems or small telecommunication systems.

Cable manufacturer Lapp enters the PV industry
The German cable manufacturer U.I. Lapp has joined the PV business: In July, the Stuttgart-based company has begun offering its new cable especially designed for use with PV systems.

New Kyocera modules for Europe, Africa and Middle East 
Starting in June, Japan's No. 2 module manufacturer, Kyocera, will offer three new modules with power ratings between 125 and 167 W.

Most powerful module from Helios
The Italian company Helios began sales of its most powerful solar module in April.

Dorfmüller's inverter for 700 W systems
In May, Dorfmüller Solaranlagen GmbH of Kernen, Germany, near the city of Stuttgart, will introduce its new inverter.

Sunny Boy 2100 TL to replace Sunny Boy 2000
At the annual German PV industry meeting in Staffelstein, SMA Regelsysteme GmbH presented the Sunny Boy 2100 TL, a transformerless device with a hefty European efficiency of 95.2 percent and a nominal power of 1.9 kW. It is slated to replace the Sunny Boy 2000, which has a nominal power 100 W less – though that was not apparently the primary reason for its replacement.

SMA's inverters for indoor use
In May, SMA Regelsysteme GmbH begins selling its Sunny Boy 2800i inverter, which was recently introduced at the PV symposium in Staffelstein, Germany.

Iowa Thin Film Technologies launches solar-powered electronics devices
Iowa Thin Film Technologies (ITFT) is launching a full line of solar-powered consumer electronics products under the brand name Soltronix. A headphone radio, brought out in early 2002, will be joined in June by a pocket radio, followed by a CD player and MP3/CD player in July.

Deger Energie's new tracking system
Deger Energie, located in the German city of Horb am Neckar, presented a reconfigured and export-ready version of its 1997 Sol-Traker tracking system at the Middle East Electricity fair in Dubai in February.

Conergy Electronics' wireless system check

SunCheck is the name of Conergy Electronics GmbH's new measurement and documentation system, which was developed to facilitate accurate installation and quality documentation among PV system integrators.

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