Made-in-Ontario photovoltaic technology generates buzz at international solar showcase

A solar power technology developed at Queen’s University has been pegged by installers, distributors and manufacturers as a potential game-changer in the solar industry.

Publicly launched at North America’s largest solar conference and trade show in San Francisco recently, the compact, lightweight power converter – also known as a microinverter – offers a lower cost, next-generation solution to harvesting the power of the sun for household use.

The technology is the brainchild of Dr. Praveen Jain, Canada Research Chair in Power Electronics at Queen’s. Dr. Jain is also the CEO of SPARQ Systems Inc., the Queen’s spinout company that is developing and marketing it.

“The feedback we received from solar panel manufacturers, installers and power companies worldwide was that our product fills a real and pressing need in the industry,” says Dr. Jain. “It was a very exciting product launch.”

The technology was licensed to SPARQ by PARTEQ Innovations, the technology transfer office of Queen’s.

For the first time, the solar industry and consumers are offered a microinverter product that matches the lifespan of solar panels – typically 25 years or more.

Microinverters are the heart of solar installations, converting direct current, harvested by the panel, into alternating current compatible with the electric utility grid.

“Our microinverter introduces a number of innovations to the industry,” says Randall North, Chief Operating Officer of SPARQ. “Our proprietary power point tracking method enables maximum power extraction from the panels, and we have eliminated components that reduce the lifetime of existing systems.”

“We have improved the overall efficiency of solar electrical systems, even under shading, snow, dust or dirt. Our product is ideally suited to urban rooftop applications, where less than ideal sun exposure can drastically reduce the amount of energy harvested by the panels.”

Consumer interest in solar rooftop systems is soaring in many jurisdictions worldwide because of government incentives that pay owners for the renewable energy they produce. In Ontario, for example, homeowners of rooftop solar installations can earn approximately 80 cents per kilowatt hour of surplus energy produced.

“Our booth received hundreds of visitors from around the world, and we continue to receive requests to buy the product,” says Dr. Jain. “Photovoltaics is the fastest growing alternative energy technology, and demand for solar systems is growing exponentially. The timing couldn’t be better for SPARQ.”

The company is completing refinements and certification testing on the product and expects to be ready for market by early next year.

Contact:
Mary Anne Beaudette
Director, Communications
PARTEQ Innovations
P: 613. 533. 6000 xt 78238
E: mbeaudette@parteqinnovations.com

About SPARQ Systems:
SPARQ Systems Inc. is the global enabler of integrated AC modules. SPARQ microinverters are highly reliable, lightweight and compact, giving the user faster return on investment and increased flexibility.