Page 34 - Green Builder January 2017 Issue

PRODUCTS TO WATCH

The universe of ‘smart’ products that enhance the
performance of green energy keeps getting longer.
Here are some of the brands leading in this new frontier.

BY MATT POWER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Adara Residential Enphase D/C to A/C

Battery System Microinverter

Adara, a manufacturer of commercial battery storage systems, just Enphase takes a smart approach to product design. Unlike Sam-
introduced a powerful option for solar PV homes. The company’s sung’s troubled SmartThings line, for example, many Enphase gad-
JuiceBox system is an 8.6-kWh lithium-ion energy storage, with a gets produce their own power through kinetic or solar energy. This
continuous power rating of 5 kW, and 172 amp hours of storage not only avoids hassles for homeowners, it keeps battery waste out
capacity. The battery can charge quickly up to 80 amps. To optimize of landfills.
battery lifespan, the system incorporates a smart charging system. It
So it’s no surprise that Enphase offers clever solar innovations.
constantly monitors the The compact S280 Microinverter, for example, retails for about $150.
state of the battery, the It’s a plug-and-play option that boosts solar panel efficiency by con-
PV output and building verting power from D/C to A/C at each module. Advocates of this
load from the inverter. inverter approach say it boosts the overall cost per watt output, and
It then determines the makes installation and replacement easier. One drawbacks is that
mode of operation, based if you have a product failure, you need to climb on the roof to fix
on customer bill rates it, instead of accessing a centralized location.
and other priorities.
This balances the rate The Enphase S280 is designed for high-powered, 60-cell modules.
of charge and discharge, It integrates seamlessly with the Enphase Envoy-S communications
operating temperature, gateway and Enphase Enlighten monitoring and analysis software.
depth of discharge and In other words, it can be updated remotely as needed. It also works
number of cycles. with most battery storage systems.

Neil Maguire, CEO of https://enphase.com/en-us
Adara, notes that Tesla’s
Powerwall 2 is not yet in the field, whereas the JuiceBox is ready www.greenbuildermedia.com
to ship. “Another main technical performance characteristic is the
switch-over time when the grid goes down,” he adds. “Our system is
eight milliseconds, so all devices in the house stay booted up. The
Tesla and Sonnen systems go through a two-second shutdown, so
the house and all appliances go off, then reboot.”
Adara expects to launch a new product with 20 kWh capacity
early in 2017.

www.adarapower.com

32 GREEN BUILDER January/February 2017