The transcription of the video is below.

Introduction & RE+ 2024 Observations by Jason Higginson of APsystems

Kerim: Okay. Hi, everyone. This is Kerim, Kerim Baran with SolarAcademy. I am here at the RE+ 2024 Anaheim with Jason Higginson, product leader, marketing leader at APSystems. 

Jason: Good to see you. 

Kerim: Good to have you here, Jason. And as you all know, we’ve done a series of solar conversations, or maybe you watched it, maybe you didn’t, but APsystems recently announced a C&I inverter.

Jason: We did. 

Kerim: And today, we’re going to talk about that new product. 

Jason: Yeah, it’s exciting. 

Kerim: So tell us a little bit about how the show is, how the reception has been for the new product, and then let’s dive into the details of the product. 

Jason: Okay. Yeah. For us, RE+ this year, we just had Day 1. Today’s Day 2 and it’s just been, I was telling you earlier, it’s banging.

Kerim: Yeah.

Jason: Yeah, the industry really is bouncing back thriving and just happy to see that, happy to see our partners and customers coming out from the woodwork. From all over the world, we have partners that are from Europe, Asia, Canada, all the way down to Latin America, Brazil. I’m just happy to see so many people just coming to our neck of the woods and seeing what’s new with APsystems and catching up. We have our international APsystems team members here, as well.

There are some people because of how the industry has been, this year, some people were tightening the belt. Here, we’re like, no, we’re sending the whole team. We have 30 people here from APsystems. 

Kerim: Wow. Great.

Jason: So we’re going all in.

APsystems’ new C&I Inverter: APsystems QT2 debunking the Myths around Microinverters in C&I Solar

Kerim: Great. So let’s talk about this new product. APsystems, obviously, has been one of the innovators in microinverters for a decade plus, along with the major brands like Enphase, and you guys have differentiated the product by creating a 2 for 1 design. 

Jason: Muti-module microinverters. That’s right.

Kerim: Two panels to one micro and also, 4 to 1 as well. So now you launched this new C&I microinverter. Obviously, C&I has lagged in penetration, vis à vis, the resi, residential market. Utility scales down fast, but now C&I is catching up and is increasing market share, and you are entering the C&I market with the new QT2 product.

Jason: Exactly. 

Kerim: That is what that’s called. So let’s talk a little bit about the myths of why microinverters were not maybe appropriate for C&I and why you guys launched this product and how that serves.

Jason: I’d love to talk about that. I think you set it up really well in that, in C&I solar, it’s lagged a little bit in comparison to resi, but we also see that as a huge opportunity. I mean, with the incentives from the IRA program, it’s a tremendous opportunity to help businesses go solar and to help solar installers also step into that space, if they haven’t necessarily had a lot of experience there with a product that’s simple and intuitive. 

So what we had done, about a decade ago, is we came out with our first 3-phase microinverter. When you’re the first to come out with something, there’s a lot of lessons learned. So we walked away with a better understanding because you have to trip up a little bit. You’ve got to fall down, you’ve got to experience from that, where the fit is, whether or not you have the right product, do you have the right specs on that product? It’s your traditional 5 P’s, right?

When we launched that product, we didn’t really understand as much of the market as we do today. So a lot of the things that we heard at the time which is what we are hearing today is, it’s a microinverter, it’s a residential product, first of all. It’s not powerful enough for commercial PV modules. It’s not powerful enough for commercial projects. Also, microinverters are historically too expensive.

Kerim: Yeah.

Jason: So a lot of these kinds of barriers that we encountered as we are trying to introduce 3-phase microinverters into the commercial space, and that it’s also oh, installing it, it’s a lot of work. Having to put one on each panel or in our case, one on every four. 

Kerim: Yeah.

Jason: And so what we did is, we’re 10 years post that first introduction, and we got beat up along the way with a lot of those questions and so we went, “You know what? We’re going to design from the ground up. We’re going to design something for these commercial installers. This is their microinverter.” 

What would they want? Right? They want it to be powerful. They want it to be cost-effective. They want it to be rugged and durable, and they also want it to be simple and as plug-and-play as possible. 

We try to take some of the wiring complications out of 3-phase. So that’s what we set out to do, and we accomplished it with this QT2.  

Kerim: Got it. That’s on a 4:1 configuration.

Jason: Correct.

APsystems QT2’s Product Configuration, Pricing and Reliability Benefits

Kerim: How does that affect the pricing and the economics? Can we talk a little bit about that?

Jason: Absolutely. So historically, string inverters was the most economical solution out there. What you’d see in rooftop solar is the string inverters, but NEC code requirements required rapid shutdown in each of these sites, so then they had to come up with a rapid-shutdown solution. Apsystems has Apsmart, that sister brand that also sells those. So there are solutions out there.

But when you add that on to the cost of the string inverter, suddenly, that cost is more expensive.

Kerim: Right. 

Jason: Now, with the QT2, we can be competitive with string inverters that have that added rapid-shutdown cost.

Kerim: Yeah. So with the shutdown component, what that’s cost in a typical resi install? Is it like another 500-1000 bucks?

Jason: Yeah, it can take up as much as, the data we’ve seen is, if you look at your string inverter cost, it can be at 50-70% of the string inverter cost added on to the system. So it’s a tremendous cost increase. 

They thought they were saving money by going with string inverters, but then they add up all this rapid-shutdown equipment and then it’s like –

Kerim: And microinverters don’t need that, obviously.

Jason: Exactly. It’s built into the design of it so that the code requirement is anything that’s in excess of 80 volts, but because microinverters are under that 80-volt threshold, then that NEC code doesn’t apply to microinverters, so they’re inherently compliant.  

Kerim: Yeah. 

Jason: Even still, we still test our product to the rapid-shutdown requirements. We have certificates and everything, just to make sure that even if the AHJ doesn’t necessarily know about that 80-volt requirement, that we still have certifications.

Kerim: Got it. And the 4:1 configuration keeps that voltage below that control response.

Jason: Yeah.

Kerim: Got it. Let’s also talk a little bit about the reliability side, angle on this. I understand there are some benefits to doing lots of microinverters on a commercial install than string inverters.

Jason: Well, that’s another thing we wanted to do with the design is when we got that initial feedback, it’s like, “Look, I’m putting one microinverter on each panel compared to a string inverter connected to all these components.”

But as soon as rapid shutdown entered the equation, if you think about a 100-panel system, you’ve got 100 rapid shutdown devices or optimizers that are connected to each of these panels, plus your string inverter components. 

So now, on a 100-pound system, it’s exceeding 100 power electronic devices, and so in looking at the 4 to 1, we have 25 microinverters on that same system, you’re reducing the number of components out there by 75%, so that automatically increases the reliability, reduces the potential points of failure within that system, so there are some inherent benefits of that, just the architecture alone, in addition to the product itself, being more durable and reliable. 

I’m sure you have listeners that would be like, thinking of, have rapid shutdown issues. They’ve heard about them. They’ve seen them. They saw a Solar Builder article on some pretty terrible experiences with rapid shutdown devices. 

Using a durable microinverter that has an IP67 enclosure, it’s going to be a little bit more rugged for that, with the true Stäubli MC4 connectors, so all of that increases your overall reliability on a site. 

Plug and Play Three-phase Design Benefits of APsystems QT2

Kerim: Got it. Can we talk a little bit about the 3-phase elements to this solution?

Jason: Absolutely. Yeah. Do you have a specific question?

Kerim: I mean, I understand there’s like a plug-and-play, right out-of-the-box design?

Jason: Exactly. Traditional microinverters used in a 3-phase setting were single-phase microinverters that the installer would then have to manually balance the phases themselves, so they would put the string together of microinverters. That would be leg 1. And then another string, leg 2, then leg 3. You have your three phases, and it’s just a wiring nightmare. 

Kerim: Yeah. 

Jason: But we wanted something that was true plug-and-play 3-phase. So that’s what we designed. Our QT2 has five wires in the cable, so you have line 1, 2, 3, neutral, and ground, all built into the cable. So when you connect it, you connect a string of these together. It’s full 3-phase going back to your subpanel and wire it right into your subpanel and then into your main.

Kerim: So decreasing a lot of the labor costs.

Jason: Absolutely.  

Kerim: Yeah.

Jason: Yeah, a lot of the design too, is simplified.

APsystems QT2: Current availability in US, EU, LatAm, Canada

Kerim: Yeah. Got it. So what’s the availability on this new product? Is it shipping? Is it worldwide?

Jason: It’s available now. Yeah. 208 volts and 480 volts both are available. But the 208 is primarily used in the US.

Kerim: Yeah.

Jason: But we have QT2 that’s specific voltages for those other markets. We sell it in Latin America. We sell it in the US, we sell it in Europe and Canada.

Ideal C&I Use Cases for APsystems QT2 Microinverters

Kerim: What are some ideal use cases for the C&I? Any C&I applications? Or are there other specific types of commercial and industrial buildings that prefer this? That it works in a more advantageous manner than others? Where do you find the best use cases and some showcase customers maybe, you can talk about?

Jason: Sure. Yeah, there are some great cases for it. We’ve seen the sweet spot is in the smaller scale between 50 kW to 500 kW. It is competitive price-wise on solutions up to a megawatt. So I don’t want to put a higher end limitation on that.

Its predecessor, the YC1000 we had some installations that were a megawatt or more that we actually had that product as the solution for those installations, but specifically, rooftop solar. Specifically, that under a megawatt of that smaller scale commercial rooftop solar applications, that’s where its sweet spot is.

Kerim: How does that compete with just a straight-out good old traditional string inverter? Because if you have a really flat roof with relatively less shading and complicated structures, what’s the threshold to make the decision to go with that traditional old simple design versus something else?

Jason: So with that, I mean, your traditional string inverter is probably going to be more cost-competitive. So if you don’t need rapid shutdown, you’re more likely going to go that route. There are some benefits too, going with a microinverter. Most of your audience will know.

Shading is a big one. But when you don’t have trees around or you’re not concerned about that, but just –

Kerim: Or maybe some HVAC structures on the roof.

Jason: And that’s another part of it. So you could have building structures. I’ve also seen –

Kerim: Or neighboring buildings.

Jason: – lots of photos with dust, bird droppings. Shading comes in many forms. 

Kerim: Yeah, that’s right.

Jason: So you have to know your site. And it’s a good indication when you get up to check out the rooftop for the first time, look at what kind of debris is there. Look at what kind of environment, if those HVAC systems that you’re talking about are covered and some of those things. You’ll have a good indication of whether or not you’re going to have other types of shading than just a tree or a building shade.

Kerim: Makes sense. Are there are any customers or EPCs that you can talk about that did a great new project with this product?

Jason: Yeah, we had someone. We did our awards recently that showcased our installers that were using those in different projects. Shouts out to Green Box Solar. They do fantastic installations with the QT2. Apollo Solar is another one.

Kerim: Are there other media platforms that feature these? We can talk about that, too.

Jason: On Apsystems’ website, go to our award winners for 2023. We’ll have 2024 next and yeah, showcasing those folks that use those different microinverter products to just do amazing things with them and yeah, we’re very proud of all those wonderful installers that gave that a try and proved it out.

Kerim: All right. Well, thank you very much for this quick summary on QT2.

Jason: You bet. Thanks for letting me talk about it.

Kerim: Yeah. Thank you.