Centrosolar Debuts Lightweight Glass Module and EMS

Centrosolar will present two new products at this year's Intersolar Europe trade fair. The first is a glass/glass module, which combines the lightweight aspect of a glass/foil module with the durability of a glass/glass module. The second is a new energy management system (EMS) that will reduce the barriers to entering the Smart Grid.

Centrosolar will debut these products in Hall B4, Booth 210 at the Intersolar EU 2012 exhibition, which will take place on 13-15 June 2012 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich, Germany. The Intersolar EU 2012 conference will run on 11-14 June 2012 at the International Congress Centre (ICM) in Munich.

The glass/glass module is equipped with a sheet of glass on both the front and the back of the module. While the thickness of the glass used in conventional glass/glass modules makes them extremely heavy, Centrosolar uses a new durable thin glass pane (2.3 millimetres thick) in its module. This glass makes the module highly robust and resistant to environmental factors. The lifespan of this module is also longer than that of foil-laminate-based modules. Its higher degree of mechanical rigidity makes an aluminium frame unnecessary, which means that snow and dirt slide off more easily. With this new glass technology, Centrosolar combines the benefits of a glass/glass module with the lightweight characteristic of a standard module.

The new glass/glass module consists of 54 solar cells and generates an output of up to 225 watts peak (Wp) for polycrystalline cells or 235Wp for monocrystalline cells. The back of the new module is grey, which allows it to blend in with the rest of the roof. The module is an addition to Centrosolar's existing range of roof-integrated modules. Roof-integrated systems are increasingly in demand in France and Italy and Centrosolar sees strong sales opportunities in Germany. The glass/glass module will be available in October 2012.

Centrosolar will also introduce the Cenpilot Energy Management System at the Intersolar EU trade fair. This EMS makes comprehensive household energy consumption management easier. Cenpilot also contains numerous functions for controlling and measuring electronic appliances within a household and for integrating a household itself into the Smart Grid, in addition to performing the basic functions of a data logger. Systems operators can run Cenpilot either directly (the box is approximately 20 centimetres—almost 8 inches—in length) or on a PC via the corresponding online monitoring portal, Cenview. As an alternative, operators can run the EMS on a mobile device, such as a laptop or smart phone. Cenpilot is manufacturer-independent and is capable of using all standard inverters.

Cenpilot serves as the control and communications nerve centre for all household appliances. Some of the device's basic features include recording the yields produced by the photovoltaic (PV) system, generating a visual representation of this information and informing the system's operator of malfunctions. Moreover, Cenpilot can be linked to electric household appliances. The device measures the individual appliances' power consumption and can manage them automatically. All energy flows within a household can be captured. The EMS evaluates the yield and consumption data and reports back with the optimum operating times for each device. This intelligent management system allows the household to significantly increase its own use of the solar power it has generated. The system's time-based management of consumers makes it easier to meet the high self-consumption quotas mandated by legislators. The device will be available starting in September 2012.