PV inverter enclosure standardization driven by consolidation, cross-industry uses

Steven Leidig, manager of enclosure engineering at Crenlo, LLC, addresses the current status of solar inverter enclosure standards in a podcast interview with Debra Vogler, senior technical editor. What is missing and what will future products look like? Crenlo sees a lack of standards and a future of consolidation.

(October 6, 2010) — Steven Leidig, manager of enclosure engineering at Crenlo, LLC, addresses the current status of PV inverter enclosure standards in a podcast interview with Debra Vogler, senior technical editor.

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What is missing, he notes, is a standard that addresses dynamic, seismic event testing and frequency response data — such data determines whether an enclosure acts as a damper or an amplifier. Such testing methods are commonly used in the datacom/telecom industries.

Looking at customization vs. standardization, Leidig compares the solar PV industry to where the automotive industry was in its beginning. As the dozens of automotive manufacturers consolidated into the big three, customization gave way to standardization. Additionally, cross-industry uses for inverters is expected to drive standardization, Leidig says, along with end users that want the total life cycle cost taken into account. 

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