Centrosolar will present two new products at this year’s Intersolar trade fair in Munich, Germany. The first is a glass/glass module, which combines the lightweight aspect of a glass/foil module with the durability of a glass/glass module. The second is a new energy management system that will reduce the barriers to entering the smart grid. Intersolar Europe is the leading trade fair for the solar industry and will take place from 13–15 June in Munich, Germany.
Glass / glass module
Centrosolar will be debuting its latest innovation in the area of glass/glass modules at the Intersolar trade fair. The newly developed module is equipped with a sheet of glass on both the front and the back. While the thickness of the glass used in conventional glass/glass modules makes them extremely heavy, Centrosolar uses a newly-developed thin glass pane in its new module. This glass is just 2.3 millimetres thick, yet it is extremely durable. The new glass makes the module highly robust and resistant to environmental factors. The lifespan of this module is also considerably longer than that of foil-laminate based modules. The module’s higher degree of mechanical rigidity makes an aluminium frame unnecessary, which means that snow and dirt slide off more easily. With this innovative new glass technology, Centrosolar has managed to combine the benefits of a glass/glass module with the lightweight characteristic of a standard module.
The new module consists of 54 cells and generates an output of up to 225 Wp (polycrystalline) or 235 Wp (monocrystalline). The back of the new module was left grey, which lends it a highly aesthetic appearance and allows it to blend in nicely with the rest of the roof.
The new glass/glass module is an addition to Centrosolar’s existing range of roof-integrated modules. Roof-integrated systems are in increasing demand in France and Italy, and Centrosolar also sees strong sales opportunities in Germany. The glass/glass module will be available starting in October 2012. The development of an on-roof module is planned for the second phase.
Cenpilot
Centrosolar will introduce the newly developed Cenpilot energy management system at the Intersolar trade fair. This energy management system facilitates comprehensive household energy consumption management. Cenpilot also contains numerous functions for controlling and measuring electronic appliances within a household and for integrating a household itself into the smart grid, in addition to the basic functions of a data logger.
Cenpilot serves as the control and communication nerve centre for all household appliances. Some of the device’s basic features include recording the yields produced by the photovoltaic system, generating a visual representation of this information and informing the system operator of malfunctions. Moreover, Cenpilot can also be linked up to electric household appliances. The device measures the individual appliances’ power consumption and can manage them automatically. All energy flows within a household can be captured. The energy management system evaluates the yield and consumption data and reports back with the optimum operating times for each device. This intelligent management system allows the household to significantly increase its use of the homemade solar power generated. The system’s time-based management of consumers makes it easy to meet the high self-consumption quotas mandated by legislators.
System operators can run Cenpilot either directly (the box is approximately 20 cm in length) or on a PC via the corresponding online monitoring portal, Cenview. Alternatively, operators can run the energy management system on a mobile device, such as a laptop or smartphone.
Cenpilot is manufacturer-independent and is capable with all standard inverters. The device will be available starting in September 2012. Centrosolar is planning additional applications for everything from heating systems to microgrids in the second phase.
Centrosolar at the Intersolar trade fair: Hall B4.210