Solar Cells Info

The service is designed to pinpoint problems with failed strings of modules or failed individual solar modules.
November 13, 2007
Source: CleanTechnologies.com
http://media.cleantech.com/2078/fat-spaniel-starts-new-solar-monitoring-service

San Jose, Calif.-based Fat Spaniel Technologies announced a new monitoring service today to help companies keep a better eye on on solar modules.  Fat Spaniel, which provides critical information services for distributed, renewable energy systems, said its new String Monitoring Service is designed to quickly pinpoint and resolve problems with failed strings of modules or failed individual solar modules.

“The emergence of third-party ownership models, Power Purchase Agreements and performance-based incentive mechanisms means that revenue streams in the solar industry are increasingly tied to the actual energy output of systems,” said Chris Beekhuis, president and CTO of Fat Spaniel.  “Our new String Monitoring Service is designed to protect these revenue streams over the long term.”

The company said its new system can spot problems that would otherwise go undetected for years.  “We are working with combiner box manufacturers to ‘monitoring enable’ their products using off-the-shelf components, thereby eliminating the risk to customers of purchasing proprietary hardware,” said Beekhuis.

The company said the new service offers the ability to measure and analyze DC current for up to 24 strings from a single combiner box. The service also provides real time status alerts and an Insight Manager Portal, where users can simultaneously manage multiple commercial-scale renewable energy systems.

Fat Spaniel released its Insight Management software in September at the Solar Power 2007 conference (see Fat Spaniel, Envision make deals at solar conference).  The Insight software boosted the company’s offerings to allow clients to manage multiple commercial-scale renewable energy systems, with some beta testers at the time monitoring up to 100 sites using the system.