Akeena charges direct to AC

Akeena Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKNS) says it's taken a step toward streamlining the solar panel installation process while boosting efficiency and cutting costs.

The Los Gatos-based company already makes an integrated solar panel, called the Andalay, which features built-in wiring, grounding and racking. Akeena announced in February 2009 a partnership with Petaluma, Calif.-based Enphase Energy to make Andalay panels that operate with AC wiring, eliminating the need for the DC-to-AC conversion.

"This is a very clear way to reduce the cost of systems," Akeena CEO Barry Cinnamon says. The AC panels have the potential to lower total installation costs by about 25 percent, while increasing efficiency by between 5 percent and 25 percent, he says.

Enphase, which in September 2008 received $15 million in investments led by Boston-based RockPort Capital Partners, will supply microinverters to be built into Andalay panels. The microinverters convert module-generated DC power to grid-compliant AC power, eliminating the need for a separate DC-to-AC inverter to be installed with a PV system. The microinverters increase efficiency by allowing panels to perform independently, whereas in a traditional system output is limited by the weakest panel in a string, which may be compromised by shade or debris, Cinnamon says. Microinverters also allow for individual monitoring of panels through a Web-based interface.

As part of the deal, Akeena will purchase at least 10,000 microinverters over the next two years, Cinnamon says. The company plans to begin shipping and installing the AC panels in Spring 2009, with a complete transition to AC panels by the end of the year.