SolarEdge

There may be a global solar boom but a drastic revision of California’s net metering program has ruptured the industry overnight and is affecting everyone from installers to financiers to makers of power electronics.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is hot right now and is finding central applications in homes and businesses as they move from simple grid connections to self-generation, energy storage, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and load-shifting revenue streams. With AI everywhere, what’s the difference between advanced control, via simple algorithms, and true intelligence?

SolarEdge, an Israel-based inverter manufacturer, says it plans to cut about 900 jobs as part of a restructuring plan “designed to reduce operating expenses and align its cost structure to current market dynamics.”

For those who combine solar, batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs) at home, driving on sunshine is a realistic goal. However, there are many factors to consider when analyzing the economic payoffs, as well as the technical possibilities and limitations of such systems.

SolarEdge and Israeli startup SolarGik have developed a new solar tracker system for agrivoltaics. It includes a mounting structure, inverters, power optimizers, trackers, and a monitoring platform.

SolarEdge’s new bidirectional DC-coupled electric-vehicle (EV) charger enables vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid applications and can seamlessly integrate with its home energy systems. It is scheduled for release in the second half of 2024.

SolarEdge is partnering with Vaillant and Samsung to integrate their heat pumps into its home ecosystem. Homeowners will be able to optimize their energy consumption by using excess PV or shifting consumption in accordance with optimal energy rates.

SolarEdge has released new optimizers for residential PV applications with a DC power rating of 500 W, a maximum efficiency of 99.5%, and a weighted efficiency of 98.6%. The optimizer for commercial and industrial applications offers 1.4 kW of rated DC power.

SolarEdge’s new software-based solution manages and optimizes the electric-vehicle (EV) charging process for sites that have solar resources and large numbers of EVs requiring dynamic load management.

Poland emerged as Europe’s third-biggest solar market in 2022, driven by the rapid uptake of PV micro-installations below 50 kW in size, but this year is already starting to look different. Marcin Ślęzak, chief commercial officer of Warsaw-based Menlo Electric, recently spoke to pv magazine about changes on the demand side and tech preferences in this thriving market.