Solar Balance of System Cost Reduction

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Solar photovoltaic (PV) pricing has two primary components: hardware costs and soft costs. Hardware innovations, volume manufacturing and competition made significant effects on hardware pricing, but now hardware costs have plateaued and a fundamental change is needed to continue that downward pricing trend. While efforts continue to reduce soft and balance of system (BOS) costs, they too will plateau, especially with diverse components that require custom installations for virtually every site. eIQ believes that the industry must drive to standardized, integrated systems that offer "plug-and-play" play benefits. eIQ Energy's parallel, HVDC (High Voltage DC) electronics offers to change that by taking the output of each module, regardless of its characteristics, and normalizing it to a high voltage DC buss that can be standardized regardless of the size, location, technology or end use. Each PV-module now becomes a known, independent power building block and by removing the co-dependence of modules and integrating the module and the electronics, standard building blocks can now be realized, leading to further integration and thereby reducing fixed and labor costs. Additionally, because the vBoost now adds current instead of voltage, 2x-3x more power can be transmitted over the same wire as a maximum series string configuration, leading to further cost reduction and installation simplification. The eIQ Energy patented technology works by taking the output of the PV-module, typically 20 V to 120 V, and boosts the voltage to between 320 Vdc and 900 Vdc. This voltage is determined by the part number and the HVDC buss requirements and is typically set by the inverter or the buss attached electronics such as battery storage. On the module side, the vBoost performs maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to ensure maximum energy extraction from the PV-module. In-circuit elements control the operation of the vBoost, including safety/remote disable, arc fault protection, and, data gathering and transmission. In Phase I, eIQ successfully developed new architecture that took the existing vBoost, encased in a large, aluminum box, and reduced it so that it can now fit within the junction box of the PV-module. Prototypes were made and tested and operate as designed. Cost targets demonstrated that the vBoost electronics are now 1/5th or so of their original cost. During Phase I, eIQ worked closely with key module manufacturers, customers and businesses to develop keen interest in the PV-module integrated vBoost and has received several letters of interest. During this time, eIQ also worked with an innovative module technology company that has developed a light weight, frameless PV-module ideal for eIQ's technology. The vBoost technology is also perfect for integrating renewable energy into microgrids that operate on the emerging 380Vdc buss standard. The technology is also suitable in rural electrification, agriculture and military applications. In Phase II, eIQ will productize the vBoost. This will include optimizing the prototype design, developing the enclosure and interconnections, and working with key partners on commercialization. Once completed, the technology will be able to offer a truly plug and play solution that will standardize PV installations and reduce the BOS and other soft costs.

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