Human settlements

Renewable energy

Solar photovoltaics 06: Full commercialisation of PLUGandPOWERTM

Renewable Energy Commercialisation in Australia, Australian Greenhouse Office, 2003
NOTE: The status of these projects will have changed since the time of publication, and project contacts may also have changed.

Plug&PowerTM, the world's first truly modular rooftop PV system, is an appliance that makes, rather than uses, electricity.

Imagine a world where the rooftops of homes and buildings generate electricity directly from sunlight without any noise, without any pollution, keeping global warming in check. Pacific Solar's Plug&PowerTM rooftop solar system is helping to make such a world a reality. Developed and built in Australia, Plug&PowerTM was launched in mid 2001 after two years of market testing.

A grant of $500,000 under the Renewable Energy Commercialisation Program will enable Pacific Solar to fully commercialise Plug&PowerTM by reducing its cost of manufacture, giving access to international markets, and developing marketing packages for potential distributors.

Plug&PowerTM uses the photovoltaic (PV) effect to make direct current electricity from sunlight falling on the solar cells in each PV panel. A unique inverter behind each panel converts this direct current electricity to alternating current suitable for running lights and appliances in the home or office. Any surplus electricity is automatically fed into the local system through the meter box, giving the owner a credit on their bill. When the sun is not shining, electricity automatically flows from the system to the building in the normal way.

Plug&PowerTM has been designed as an appliance, but one that makes, rather than uses, electricity. Its unique feature is that it is the world's first truly modular rooftop PV system. Each module consists of a PV panel, an inverter and a rooftop mount that enables the module to be laid flat over almost any rooftop. The modules simply plug together to enable the system to be sized and expanded to meet the householder's needs and budget. This modular design also improves both the reliability and the performance of the system and eliminates the need for costly custom engineering for each installation.

The grant will help to significantly lower the cost of the inverter housing and assembly. Press tooling will be developed to enable high-volume manufacturing of the rooftop mount, and alternative mount materials will be investigated. Finally, the plug and socket connectors will be improved.

Plug&PowerTM is currently certified for sale in non-cyclonic regions of Australia. The grant will help fund the costly certification of international versions, particularly those for the US and Germany. This will give access to markets many times the size of that in Australia and earn valuable export income. Finally, regulatory approvals will be sought for Plug&PowerTM sales into cyclonic regions of Australia.

Over the last three years, Pacific Solar has been developing and testing various marketing techniques and materials to communicate the nature and benefits of rooftop PV in general and Plug&PowerTM in particular. The grant will help fund the refinement of these techniques and materials for use by potential distributors of Plug&PowerTM. Achieving customer confidence for a new product in a new market is particularly important. A better set of tools will be developed to predict the output of Plug&PowerTM. Six installations across Australia will be specifically monitored to test and refine these tools and better predict the reduction in global warming gases that result from using Plug&PowerTM.

Thanks to the grant, Plug&PowerTM will be a lower-cost solution to global warming. It will be available in the USA and Europe, as well as Australia, and people will be better informed of its benefits and the role they can play in the fight against global warming.

For more information please contact

Dr Sean Edmiston
Product Development Manager
Pacific Solar Pty Limited
82-6 Bay Street
Botany NSW 2019
Tel (02) 9316 6811
Fax (02) 9666 4079
Email seane@psolar.com.au
Internet
www.pacificsolar.com.au
www.plugandpower.com.au

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