AC Module Workforce Development

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Solar CenTex in Killeen, TX employs a team of U.S. Army veterans. From left to right, Solar CenTex Associate Lyvell Marzett, Army Veteran; customer Ira Fortune (US Army, retired); Solar CenTex Associate Kerry Nolen, Army Veteran; Solar CenTex Associate Fred Wahlgren, US Army, retired.

Fifty dollars a gallon?! Military folks have experienced the outrageous cost of energy on the battlefield. Some of these same folks who could be up for retirement soon might think about getting in the energy business. But not solar! You can’t run a helicopter off solar power! But wait a minute. Here are some retired military folks who started a solar energy company in Texas. Solar CenTex has successfully installed dozens systems and they have more business lined up. How did they get into the game so easily? They are installing ACPV systems.

Could you design a solar energy system for me? Thanks, I’ll be back in 15 minutes. What? It’s true. ACPV systems are the easiest of all solar systems to design. All the system circuits are AC circuits, similar to any other AC circuit in your home or business. All the balance-of-system equipment is available at your local hardware store. AC modules are OFF during installation, even when you are working in the sun. And to put icing on the cake, AC modules come with their own data acquisition system that allows the installer to easily commission the system and allows the homeowner to watch their system save them money every day from any computer in the world.

Solar power has never had a reputation for domination, repression or as a tool of conspirators and evil doers (although there was that Bond movie where the villain wielded a giant solar laser beam….). It’s generally thought of as a benign technology, most useful in small applications and space satellites. So it must be interesting to think about solar panels as a product you might build a small business around, especially when you are working in take-no-prisoners, world-domination businesses like oil exploration or the military. But when you finally make the leap into solar power, you realize you are going to be managing a wild tiger of a wiring system that is operating at 400 volts DC. That’s intimidating to the newbie. Even seasoned electricians take pause. ACPV systems, on the other hand, are more familiar and safer to handle for folks from other trades who want to migrate into the solar business.

The AC module is helping other trades get into the solar energy business. Electricians appreciate the fact that all the circuits are AC circuits and they can use the same tables and calculations they have always used to determine circuit components and sizing. Roofers appreciate the fact that the AC modules are OFF during installation and all the roof work can be done with zero exposure to electricity. Home builders and their contractors appreciate the fact that these modules are very shade tolerant and smart. They can be located in places that would not be work for standard PV systems, giving the homebuilder flexibility when dealing with modern roofs with many facets (and neighborhood committees who are concerned about aesthetics!).

Could solar power help generate energy demand for utilities? I think so. I imagine a world where some utility company is owning and installing PV on low income homes, guaranteeing lower monthly electricity bills in exchange for some solar real estate on their roof and the ability to control the energy flow. AC modules are the tool for this job because of their ability to be controlled remotely. The utility could create a 500 MW virtual power plant that can be controlled at digital speed and it would generate Green Tags for the utility!! But what about security? There are some bad folks out there who want to take our grid down. Any scheme like this needs to have processes and equipment involved that guarantee interconnection and energy security for both the utility and their customers who volunteered for the program.

Solar jobs are growing: In fact, according to the jobs report released this month by The Solar Foundation, solar jobs grew by 20% in 2013 — that’s 10 TIMES the national average of 1.9%! ACPV is one of the exciting new technologies that make solar workforce training easier, and help get systems on roofs faster. It would be interesting to know how many of those new workers are military veterans. With ACPV, the answer is: more to come!