A forest, a PV system and clean drinking water

Often one hears and reads about the potential of photovoltaics and how it can be used everywhere. It is a fact that PV is not only one of the most popular and cheapest types of electricity generation, but also highly flexible and often the solution for difficult situations. The latter applied to the community of Urphertshofen in Middle Franconia, Germany. Here, a photovoltaic system is used for the treatment of drinking water – in the middle of the forest. (more…)

Hybrid inverters conquer the market

Everyone is currently talking about hybrid inverters, i.e. the combination of photovoltaic and battery inverters. No wonder, because they offer decisive advantages. These devices are particularly efficient, flexible and combine two essential products of a photovoltaic system –   the inverter and the solar battery. Conversely, for the user this means that both space and costs are saved and, of course, less installation work is required. Another plus point of these combination devices is the possibility of a back-up function in case of an emergency. (more…)

Sabine, Victoria who will be next? The next storm is as certain as the sunrise

In recent years a series of storms have swept across Europe. The list comprises some prominent storms in Germany like hurricane Niklas (2015), storm Xavier (2017), hurricane Friederike (2018), hurricane Sabine, and storm Victoria (both in 2020). During the last hurricane named Sabine, winds reached speeds of up to 177 km/h. Even in the lowlands, speeds of around 150 km/h could still be measured. This is a good enough reason for us to take a closer look at the calculation of PV systems. Because one thing is for certain – there will be more hurricanes on the way!

(more…)

Our year 2019 in review

The year is drawing to a close. Just before Christmas, we take the time for a review of the solar year 2019! Read about the highlights we have experienced over the past 12 months.  (more…)

“Mounting systems” blog series part 8: design – when the visual appearance matters

When photovoltaics originated homeowners decided to use solar energy and install their own PV roof system with the conviction of sustainable and green power generation. Little attention was paid to the appearance or design of the PV system. However, thanks to continuously reduced prices of photovoltaic systems in recent years, a change has now occurred. PV systems should no longer only be sustainable and renewable, but should also be elegant in design and visually appealing. As a result, more and more products are being launched on the market for modules as well as mounting systems to meet this demand, such as the IBC TopFix 200 insertion system.(more…)