10 April 2012
MEMC Electronic Materials today introduced its Silvantis line of multi-crystalline 290 watt (W) photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, for which it has achieved a new quality and safety milestone: Tested to UL 1703 standard by CSA.
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Silvantis 290W 72-cell multi-crystalline modules are MEMC's high-power, high-performance solar PV modules. They provide the following features and benefits:
• High-power, high-performance modules with a power range of 280W-295W
• Positive power tolerance -0 to +5W
• Tempered glass with anti-reflective coating for increased power output
• Linear warranty backed by MEMC
• International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61215/61730 certified by TÜV
• 1000V UL 1703 certified by CSA
These product features pertain to MEMC product numbers MEMC-P290AMC-34 and MEMC-P290ACC-35 (1.3-metre—~4.3-foot—cable length).
Silvantis's 1000V UL rating means: more modules can be wired together in each string to an inverter; more efficient and lower cost inverters can be used, resulting in significant cost savings; and fewer combiner boxes and wiring home-runs are needed, reducing balance-of-systems (BOS) costs for large-scale installations. (In a wiring home-run, "every wire is run separately from its termination point back to a central distribution point," according to Digital Handyman.)
With this certification, Silvantis modules can be connected in series strings of up to 1000V instead of limiting such connections to the conventional 600V. This provides significant operations and maintenance savings, as well as BOS savings.
MEMC is also an ISO 9001 company and its solar module manufacturing sites in Asia and North America are ISO 14001 certified.
