Tigo Energy, Inc., the solar industry’s leading Flex MLPE (Module Level Power Electronics) supplier, today unveiled the Solar PLC Signal Integrity Tool and expanded training material to empower solar installers and EPCs to provide high-quality solar solutions for commercial and industrial (C&I) solar system owners.
The updated TS4 Design and Installation Course now includes best practices around mitigating PLC crosstalk issues at the design stage before they can cause disruptions in the field. Image Credit: Business Wire
Following the recently announced Tigo Pure Signal™ technology, Tigo is once again leveraging its technical expertise for its customers with a design validation tool and companion training material that will help installers preemptively identify potential PLC (powerline communications) signal integrity issues in large-scale C&I solar systems.
Disturbances in PLC signals, often referred to as “crosstalk,” can result in reduced effectiveness of system communications functions in large-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems. The updated TS4 Design and Installation Course now includes best practices around mitigating PLC crosstalk issues at the design stage before they can cause disruptions in the field. The Solar PLC Signal Integrity Tool, in turn, can be used to quickly identify crosstalk risk in array plans or in systems already deployed. The new tool was designed to be vendor-neutral and can provide guidance on how to resolve PLC rapid shutdown communications issues for solar systems with either Tigo or competitor solutions.
After the Solar PLC Signal Integrity Tool process is completed, installers receive an immediate assessment of the risk of PLC performance issues in the form of a score. The Tigo TS4 Design and Installation Course, integrated into the Tigo Academy, features a section on PLC rapid shutdown system design as well as a technical deep dive into the Tigo TS4 Flex MLPE product line. Through practical guidance and best practices to ensure optimal system performance, installers can learn how to properly design, install and commission a Tigo TS4 system using any compatible solar inverter. The comprehensive two-hour course includes a certification exam worth 1.5 NABCEP continuing education credits.
“An important part of our mission at Tigo is to keep installers at the center of everything we do, and investing in tools and training is no small part of that,” said JD Dillon, chief marketing officer at Tigo Energy. “The resources we announced today represent the place at which the installer aspect of our mission intersects with our dedication to quality. As our partners in the field raise their stakes with ever larger installations, we are supporting them with things like this new PLC Tool, Pure Signal technology, and impactful continuing education to help them design and support the highest quality PV installations.”
In addition to the PLC Signal Integrity Tool and TS4 Design and Installation Course, Tigo is holding a webinar on August 17 on designing systems for PLC signal integrity. Interested parties can register for live or on-demand viewing here.