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SolarBridge Technologies: Entrepreneurship in the Solar Inverter Industry

Blair, Daniel P.

Abstract Details

2011, Master of Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Physics.
The solar PV has been marked by rapid growth in the past decade. As the industry strives to improve energy output and reduce cost, SolarBridge presents an innovative product that can improve the economics of residential solar by granting an average of 10% greater output and significantly reducing the cost of inverter failures—typically around $3,000 for a residential system. By eliminating the failure-prone elements in a micro-inverter, SolarBridge is able to offer an inverter warranty equal to that of the PV modules. The increased reliability allows for module level integration of inverters into AC modules by companies like SunPower. Large module manufacturers benefit from integrated AC modules because of the increased quality control and increased integration, which may protect shrinking margins. Residential integrators also benefit from AC modules because of the decreased time required for installation as well as the value-added services made available. Because of increasing price competition in the industry, ancillary services such as monitoring and reactive power compensation may become highly valuable to installers. The inherent monitoring capabilities and relative ease of adding reactive power capability may make AC modules a sought-after product in the residential installation industry. In short, SolarBridge provides AC/DC power converter for residential installers who want to minimize the risk of system failure in comparison to current micro-inverter leaders, because only SolarBridge offers a 25-year product warranty.
Philip Taylor, Dr. (Committee Chair)
Ed Caner (Advisor)
Bruce Terry (Committee Member)

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Blair, D. P. (2011). SolarBridge Technologies: Entrepreneurship in the Solar Inverter Industry [Master's thesis, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1301506263

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Blair, Daniel. SolarBridge Technologies: Entrepreneurship in the Solar Inverter Industry. 2011. Case Western Reserve University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1301506263.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Blair, Daniel. "SolarBridge Technologies: Entrepreneurship in the Solar Inverter Industry." Master's thesis, Case Western Reserve University, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1301506263

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)