The C&I solar segment continues to rally as part of a global effort to install more solar. As the cost of PV modules continues to fall while efficiencies and outputs rise, the return on investment (ROI) for businesses adopting solar energy is improving.
On the inverter side of the equation, Huawei has a new offering for the C&I segment via its FusionSolar C&I Smart PV Solution SUN5000 Series, featuring the SUN5000-150K inverter, and MERC optimizers at two different power ratings: 1,100 W and 1,300 W.
One key difference for the new solution – designed by Huawei to address the unique demands of C&I solar projects – is integrating power optimizers with inverters. Optimizers are well-known at the residential level, but applying them to C&I uses is less well known, although optimizers offer clear benefits in certain scenarios to maximize yield and ROI. In addition, Huawei brings together key features for safety and to streamline operations and maintenance (O&M).
Latest model
The latest string inverter from Huawei, which has been ranked among the top three inverters by companies like Wood Mackenzie and S&P Global for almost a decade, is combined with the company's optimizers designed for C&I installations. This targets the growth in applications that mix rooftops with more complex installations in unconventional locations, such as on carports, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and ground-mounted and rooftop systems on sprawling industrial campuses. While “the more solar the better” is often the right approach, diversity can lead to challenges, mainly when panel orientations are inconsistent, or installations are in difficult environments.
Some highlights of the new SUN5000 solution include a maximum AC output power of 165 kVA, a nominal power of 150 kW, and a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) range of 200 V to 1,000 V. The MERC optimizers are applied to each module to increase performance, and each string of up to 12 can have a maximum input power of 20 kW, with 1,100 V maximum input voltage and maximum short circuit current of 66 A. The concept of full optimization applies.
The overall package of inverters and optimizers from Huawei has three key features: ProfiLink, SafeLink, and SmartLink. These features focus on key concerns and targets for business, starting with safety.
Ensuring safety with SafeLink
Safety is a critical concern in the PV industry, particularly in large-scale C&I installations. The SUN5000 Series integrates advanced safety features through its SafeLink system, which connects Rapid Shut Down (RSD) and arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) technologies to enhance both property and personnel safety.
One key challenge in ensuring safety is managing the interaction between AFCI, which requires precise detection of high-frequency signals on DC cables, and power optimizers, which can introduce noise on these cables. Huawei’s solution to this challenge is a systematic design that includes intelligent frequency selection to minimize interference, thereby reducing the risk of false arc detection. The result is a reliable AFCI and RSD system that lowers rooftop voltage from 1,100 V to under 30 V within 30 seconds, significantly enhancing safety during both operation and maintenance.
Maximizing energy yield with ProfiLink
Despite PV modules falling in price, a typical installation will see them as the most expensive component, often accounting for around half of the system's total cost. Conventional systems typically lack real-time monitoring of individual module performance. This makes the actual details of energy generation, particularly in shaded or complex environments or with unusual soiling, a matter of guesswork.
Huawei addresses this with what it calls ProfiLink. This makes the most of the combined power optimizers and inverters to ensure each module operates at its maximum power point, independent of the performance of other modules in the array. This approach mitigates issues such as shading and module mismatch, enabling the installation of PV modules in previously unsuitable areas, including those with variable shading. According to Huawei, this optimization can increase energy yield by up to 30% in specific scenarios.
Streamlining O&M with SmartLink
O&M challenges multiply when PV applications become more diverse, especially when dealing with installations on different roof pitches or in varying environmental conditions. The new SUN5000 includes a SmartLink feature to address these challenges before installation.
During the design phase, SmartLink uses a 3D modeling tool that factors in geographic location and basic system information to identify shaded areas and optimize the placement of modules, inverters, and optimizers. Once commissioning is complete and the installation moves to the operation phase with maintenance as an ongoing requirement, SmartLink offers comprehensive management capabilities, with real-time monitoring at the module level, accessible via both computers and smartphones. Issues are covered with detailed alerts and diagnostic reports, for more helpful troubleshooting.
OASIS
With the rapid decline in the cost of PV power generation and the growing consensus on the development of renewable energy worldwide, the C&I PV market is expanding rapidly. C&I enterprises have high energy demand and large rooftop areas, which are key factors in promoting the application of PV power, plus they strive to achieve carbon neutrality goals.
As a key part of the energy transformation, PV systems can allow thousands of industries to realize flexible and diverse business goals and paths via an “energy oasis.” Huawei envisions empowering thousands of industries with technological innovations, so that green energy can fully be used and electricity can fully be utilized. Therefore, Huawei has upgraded the C&I Smart PV Solution and has renamed it the Huawei FusionSolar C&I OASIS Solution, which is a one-stop solution for customers.
OASIS features optimizers, inverters, energy storage systems (ESSs), and chargers, focusing on four core values: system-level active safety, enhanced green power supply, enhanced power grid support, and lifecycle intelligence. Huawei believes that ubiquitous PV+ESS, ubiquitous safety, and ubiquitous intelligence will be the future trend for C&I.
This article appeared in the Huawei Corporate Edition 2024. You can access and read the entire edition here.
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