The Generic Solar String Optimizer, the hybrid inverter Symo GEN24 Plus and the REC Alpha series solar panels are among the most pioneering products in the solar industry and are the winners of the Intersolar AWARD 2020. Ferroamp Elektronik AB, Fronius International GmbH and REC Solar EMEA GmbH impressed the panel of judges with their innovations and were honored with the solar industry’s flagship award – the Intersolar AWARD. Since The smarter E Europe 2020 was canceled in light of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s prize was presented at an online AWARD Ceremony held on June 30 – along with The smarter E AWARD and ees AWARD.
This year, companies were once again rewarded for their pioneering solar technologies with the most important innovation prize in the solar industry, the Intersolar AWARD. The panel of experts selected a total of ten finalists to compete for the prestigious award in the Photovoltaics category. The submissions focused on efficient and high-performance solar modules, innovative cell technologies and powerful inverters. On June 30, 2020, the winners of the Intersolar AWARD were announced and honored in a live-streamed virtual AWARD Ceremony with an international audience.
The Intersolar AWARD 2020 Winners
Ferroamp Elektronik AB (Sweden): Generic Solar String Optimizer (SSO)
Founded in 2010, Ferroamp Elektronik is a Swedish company that provides advanced energy and power optimization solutions for homes, real estate, and the industrial sector. Its Generic Solar String Optimizer can be described as a PV string inverter for DC grids with the functionality of a conventional AC string inverter – this helps connect solar panels directly to off-grid battery systems, to the DC side of storage inverters, and to the DC link in electric vehicle charging stations. A silicon carbide boost converter yields a peak efficiency of 99.5 percent.
The jury was impressed by the String Optimizer’s compatibility with a wide range of configurations, voltage levels, and control methods for the DC links that enable PV integration into existing systems. This can reduce the cost and complexity of adding solar power to new energy systems, thereby increasing the number of solar power installations and facilitating the energy transition towards renewable sources.
Fronius International GmbH (Austria): Symo GEN24 Plus
Fronius International is an Austrian manufacturer of welding technology, photovoltaics, and battery charging technology. Their Symo GEN24 Plus is a three-phase hybrid inverter that makes AC and DC coupled hybrid systems possible. Multi Flow Technology ensures that loads can be supplied with energy while the battery charges simultaneously during power outages. This results in a longer-lasting back-up power supply with 10-kilowatt output power, ensuring a higher degree of self-supply. It also provides a good coverage of energy needs in normal times with a more flexible utilization of the battery.
The jury applauded the engineering that has created a new category of inverters for larger storage systems with high AC output power, an innovative active cooling system, top efficiency for a PV and battery combination, plus two load profiles for smaller and larger houses. The jury was also won over by the design that facilitates maintenance, recycling, and parts replacement.
REC Solar EMEA GmbH (Germany): REC Alpha Series
REC Solar produces solar cells, modules, and other clean energy products. The Norwegian company – founded in 1996 – also provides turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction. Its REC Alpha Series is a 60-cell solar panel that combines a half-cut heterojunction cell structure with cutting-edge cell interconnection technology, resulting in a product that delivers up to 380-watt-peak with a power density of 217 watts per square meter. At 21.7 percent, it also has an outstanding module efficiency level. REC’s Alpha series bonds thin round wires directly to the cell surface, reducing the number of solder points in a panel by 95 percent and the overall lead content by 81 percent.
The jury was impressed by REC’s game-changing technology – with no light-induced degradation, high efficiency, high power density, and one of the lowest temperature coefficients in the market – and their goal to become fully lead-free in 2020.
Intersolar is now open 365 days a year
As a platform for the new energy world, The smarter E and the energy exhibition Intersolar concentrate on sharing information on energy industry topics and providing a networking opportunity for global industry players – now with a number of additional digital formats. The portfolio of the innovation hub and its four energy exhibitions Intersolar, ees, Power2Drive and EM-Power includes not just virtual award ceremonies, but also podcasts, webinars, innovation days, digital conferences and other online events.
About The smarter E
The smarter E, the global innovation hub for new energy solutions, provides a platform for events and topics that drive the new energy world. Decentralization and digitalization are changing the face of the energy world for good, and the steady rise in electricity from volatile and renewable sources requires new concepts and solutions for generating, storing, distributing and using energy efficiently. The smarter E unites exhibitions and conferences on four continents that take an in-depth look at these topics.
Intersolar is the world’s leading exhibition series for the solar industry and its partners. It focuses on photovoltaics, solar thermal technologies, solar power plants, grid infrastructure, and solutions for the integration of renewable energies. Since being founded 29 years ago, Intersolar has become the most important industry platform in the global solar industry.
ees is the leading exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems and the industry platform for suppliers, manufacturers, distributors and professional users of stationary energy storage solutions and battery systems along the entire supply chain.
Power2Drive, the international exhibition series for e-mobility and smart charging, reflects the opportunities and the necessity of the energy transition in the transportation sector. The focus is on traction batteries for electric vehicles as well as infrastructure solutions and technologies for clean mobility.
EM-Power, the international exhibition series for intelligent energy use, management and infrastructure, shines a spotlight on professional energy customers – with their demand for efficient energy technologies, intelligent control systems and energy savings – and presents energy management solutions for buildings, the grid and supply.
