2nd Issue 2011 SolarMax The Customer Magazine of Sputnik Engineering AG Green carbon footprints New low voltage guidelines in SolarMax in the Middle Kingdom The tyre manufacturer Michelin is building Germany Sputnik Engineering expands in China PV carports using SolarMax inverters New requirements have been set in with a new subsidiary in Shanghai terms of inverters following the new low More flexible investment protection voltage guidelines. In the future, they 20 years and still going strong must help to safeguard power supply New warranty options offer more flexible Sputnik Engineering celebrates 20 years operation. protection for SolarMax inverters of existence Contents 7 4 8 9 6 4 technology 6 solutions 8 solutions New low voltage guidelines Green carbon footprints on the road Flexible investment protection in Germany New requirements have been set in terms Tyre manufacturer Michelin is building a New warranty options offer more fl exible of inverters following the new low voltage PV carport using SolarMax inverters protection for SolarMax inverters guidelines. In the future, they must help to safeguard power supply operation 9 market & trends 12 internal SolarMax in the Middle Kingdom 20 years and still going strong Sputnik Engineering expands in China with Sputnik Engineering celebrates 20 years a new subsidiary in Shanghai of existence 2 I 3 contents & editorial Editorial The old concepts of enemies have disappeared. The Federal Environ- ment Ministry has reformed the EEG (renewable energy laws) with the sup- port of the solar power sector. Tyre manufactures are investing in solar power technology. Energy providers are sitting down with inverter manu- facturers to develop new guidelines for improved grid integration. At this year’s solar power symposium in Bad Staffelstein, Rhenish carnival music was heard in the bar for the fi rst time instead of Frankish dixieland music. Read how the new guidelines are driving on the development of solar power and why Michelin’s green car- bon footprint stands out. This year we are celebrating our 20th birthday. Since we started out, much has changed. Right at the start we only had a small team in a small offi ce. Now, as one of the largest inverter manufacturers in the world, we employ more than 330 people at our Swiss headquarters in Biel/Bienne and at our subsidiaries and branch offi ces in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and the UK. This year, another location is being added. We are entering the Chinese market. The indications are positive that the promotion of renewable energy is once again gaining momentum. This is the only way in which energy that is safe, sustainable and low in carbon emissions all at the same time can be produced. As a pioneer in the solar industry, we will also be making a contribution for the protection and preservation of the environment in the future. In terms of volume, our sector is still in the initial phases with the goal of making an important contribution to the energy mix of the future. In this magazine, you will fi nd out all you need to know about our new markets, our new employees and new projects. In addition, we will also take a look back at 20 years of Sputnik Engineering. We hope you enjoy reading this magazine. Iris Krampitz Christoph von Bergen Press Relations Offi cer Managing Director of Sputnik Engineering AG Sputnik Engineering AG New low voltage guidelines in Germany New requirements have been set in terms of inverters following the new low voltage guidelines. In the future, they must help to safeguard power supply operation. Germans are still going for solar power, power at one time can pose a risk to the greater than 30 kVA, must be imple- despite the drop in feed-in compensa- stability of the grid and this therefore mented centrally on the meter panel. tion. The growing number of decentral- must be avoided. With smaller plants that generate less ised generation units which feed into than 30 kVA of power, the NA protection the low voltage grid is, however, creat- In order to improve the capacity of the can be integrated into the inverter, as ing new challenges for the distribution existing distribution network, plants with was the case before. grid and means that the technical apparent power upwards of 3.68 kVA guidelines and standards which had make a contribution to static voltage sta- This is merely a brief look at the planned been in place have to be amended. bility through the provision of reactive new requirements. The implementation power. This way, unauthorized voltage of the individual requirements is due to In July 2010, the Forum network tech- increases at the feed-in point can be be carried out in three phases. The de- nology / network operation (FNN) in the counteracted through the absorption of finitive deadlines for each of these VDE drew up a draft code of practice: inductive reactive power by the inverter. phases are still being discussed. The DE AR-N 4105 “Generating Plants Con- final version of the guidelines is planned nected to the low-voltage network”. Measures which aim to rule out voltage for release by May and shall come into This describes the minimum technical asymmetries are also among some of force in July 2011. The plan is to have a requirements for the connection and the most important new developments. transitional period which shall run until parallel operation of generating plants For example, PV systems which gener- the end of 2011. Within this period, both with the low-voltage network. The main ate more than 13.8 kW are to be de- the new low-voltage guidelines and the points of the new guidelines are as fol- signed as three-phase alternating cur- old ones from 2001 shall apply. lows: Generating plants should be in- rent converter systems which feed power volved in static voltage stability in the into the outer conductor in a symmetrical “The new requirements will allow further low-voltage network. They should sta- fashion. This measure initially only has to development of PV power generation in bilise the network, avoid voltage asym- be taken into account during planning. the German low-voltage grid and will metry and improve grid and plant pro- Obligations concerning technical imple- demonstrate that the development of tection. mentation during operation will only ap- renewable energy generation is possi- ply as of 2012. SolarMax MT string in- ble, even with existing distribution net- Regulate active power and provide verters and all SolarMax central inverters works,” explains Michel Ryser, Product reactive power already permit a symmetrical, three- Management Engineer at Sputnik. “We phase solar power plant design. will adapt our product range in accord- In contrast to the previous requirements, ance with the deadlines as soon as the the plants may not switch themselves off No need for a switching device requirements for the new low-voltage as soon as the grid reaches or exceeds which is accessible at any time guidelines are defined. I am delighted a frequency of 50.2 Hz. Instead, invert- that the cooperation between manufac- ers must reduce their active power in the Instead of a switching device with a dis- turers and network operators in the FNN event of overfrequency with the help of a connection function which is accessible is so constructive and goal-oriented. characteristic curve in order to avoid at any time, the guidelines now state The Forum network technology / net- short-term network overloads. There is that generating plants must be work operation provides the opportunity an urgent need for action with regard to equipped with type-tested protection for future-proof solutions to be found this as PV systems in Germany currently equipment (grid and plant protection, together and the new guidelines are the (spring 2011) feed in to the grid with a network analyser (NA)). NA protection first results of this.” n peak performance of 15 gigawatt. Dis- monitors main voltage and frequency connecting such a large amount of and, in plants with apparent power 4 I 5 technology 1 | No problems: SolarMax inverters work in perfect harmony with the First Solar FS Series 2 and FS Series 3 thin-layer modules. Now this has also been confirmed by the world’s largest thin-layer module manufacturer. First Solar and SolarMax are compatible First Solar officially approves its modules for systems with SolarMax inverters While crystalline modules can normally specially-developed system design and proval of all SolarMax inverter types, the be combined with all inverters, this is application (SDA) process. Along with the SDA inspection has now been accel- not necessarily applicable to thin-layer location, the company also controls the erated and this guarantees that the modules – particularly when you com- technically correct installation, the proper warranty is provided even during the bine these with inverters without trans- design, and the operating conditions. planning stage. “We are very happy that formers. The world’s largest manufac- With this process, the interaction with First Solar, one of the world’s most im- turer of thin-layer modules, First Solar, electrical components such as inverters portant solar module manufacturers, officially certifies that the SolarMax in- plays an important role. The results of this has now officially certified the smooth verters made by Sputnik Engineering quality control are high system efficien- interaction with our SolarMax devices,” are compatible with the cadmium-tellu- cies and economically working, ideally says Hans-Georg Schweikardt, Head of ride modules of its FS 2 and FS 3 series. designed solar systems. Product Management with Sputnik Engineering “Just like us, the American In order to guarantee its modules, First Inverters from Sputnik have been in- module manufacturer also attaches Solar subjects all PV systems used in stalled successfully with First Solar great importance to high quality stand- combination with its modules to its modules for years.