Photovoltaic - Sunny Master Ltd

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Photovoltaic

Many people incorrectly believe that Photovoltaic technology can only be used in buildings that have a south facing rooftop. From the case studies we have from SMA's Sunnyportal, we have established that it is possible to have a cost effective Photovoltaic installation for a flat roof application.

With micro-inverter technology, the Photovoltaic kWh yield can be very attractive for building owners who wish to tick the boxes for BREEAM or LEED credits.

Micro-inverters have several advantages over conventional central inverters. The main advantage being a PV panel failure will not disproportionately reduce the output of the entire PV array. There are Micro-inverters that accept DC input from two solar panels rather than just one.

The primary disadvantage of Micro-inverters is a higher initial equipment cost per peak watt than the equivalent power of a central inverter. The secondary disadvantage is since each inverter needs to be installed adjacent to a panel (usually on a roof). This also makes them harder to maintain.

Therefore the design and selection of a PV installation with a suitable type of inverter is highly dependent on the built environment on a case by case basis. Specialist advice should be sought before proceeding to place order on the PV modules and the inverter unit(s).