Conergy Australia Managing Director David McCallum has seen several peaks and troughs shape Australia’s solar industry over his seven years of involvement in solar with Conergy. Mr McCallum notes that it has been an exciting and buoyant ride; despite 2012 being a tough year, Conergy has made strong progress, and the industry is entering a new phase in 2013.

Reinforcing this upturn was the announcement from Bloomberg New Energy Finance in 2012 that Conergy holds the Tier 1 position as the highest-ranked European brand for solar modules most frequently used in large developments.

“The Australian solar industry has established itself exceptionally well within the global market; rebates have been utilised and gradually retracted over a number of years, and we are now focusing on solar array generation for consumers and business, rather than purely focusing on the cost of purchasing a system,” Mr McCallum says. “The market mindset – not only in Australia but globally – in regard to perspectives on the performance of a system has changed, progressively moving away from ‘how cheap can I buy one?’”

Conergy sits well within this new phase, Mr McCallum contends, because of the company’s position as an early adopter and market leader in Australia, having entered the Australian market in 2005. Far from resting on its laurels, the company is looking ahead to future growth areas.

“We are positioned well within the Australian market, but we’ve gone through changes. Like all businesses, if you’re not moving, searching and seeking the next step, you’ll find yourself no longer in the industry,” he notes. “We’re always on the lookout for where the market will turn to next, and where Conergy’s next position will be within that market to best service our customers and the end user.”

The direction Conergy Australia is taking in 2013 is different to past years. Whereas previously the company was readily available to everyone in the market, in order to meet the requirements of that market’s ‘intensive distribution’ configuration, it is now restructuring to create dedicated networks with exclusive distribution partners.

Since early last year, Conergy has worked to develop a network of exclusive Conergy PowerPlus Partners for its German-made PowerPlus solar module. These partners have exclusive territories around Australia, selling Conergy’s premium product for domestic and commercial applications. PowerPlus partnerships primarily service the domestic market, and on the back of this, Conergy has entered a wholesale market partnership with Rexel Energy Solutions to service a wider installer network, allowing smaller photovoltaic (PV) businesses to access Conergy products as well.

Rexel Holdings Australia, Australia’s largest electrical wholesale group, incorporates several brands in every state and territory and has more than 170 branches. Mr McCallum says that in distributing Conergy products, Rexel will enable installers to pick up a single component of a product or system, or to order kits from their local store.

Mr McCallum adds that times of past years where small, medium and large retailers were ordering and being supplied bulk container volumes of inventory have reduced, in terms of the number of clients operating in that capacity with the capability to receive large volumes into their own warehouse.

“A PV installer or retailer can now go to any Rexel store nation-wide and place orders for PV kits, and Rexel will provide Conergy modules, inverters and mounting systems along with all of the ancillary electrical equipment required. If the installer has sold five systems this week, he or she can call into Rexel next week and order the five systems.

“Working capital-wise, and business management-wise, for the smaller installers and retailers this will provide a significant advantage and benefit to them in terms of how they are able to access inventory without having to purchase it in large pallet or container volume quantities.”

Rexel Energy Solutions Executive General Manager Michael Power agrees, pointing out that installers can “get on with business, dealing with their customers and lining up work, and they can rely on us to get the products to them as and when required”.

“Their focus becomes more about the customer interface and installation aspects, rather than having to worry about supply chain issues.”

Mr Power adds that Rexel has business development managers in each state, who can support installers with product awareness and general advice on Conergy products.

“We can depend on Conergy to back us technically, and we provide the access points across the country to provide services for their products, meaning Conergy can get on with developing solar farms and continuing major investments in the PV market,” Mr Power explains.

“We have three solar experts within Rexel that can provide advice on installs – one in Sydney, one in Brisbane and one in Darwin. If the local branch doesn’t have an answer, they know who to access to get a quick and easy response back on any query.”

Mr McCallum adds “Behind Rexel, we provide engineering, design, installation and grid connection support, plus other procurement and construction services.”

Mr Power says that what Rexel can offer over and above what an installer would have received dealing with Conergy directly is that with the Australian solar market maturing, the size of the market is maturing, and installers need other projects to work on.

“Within our offering, we not only do renewables such as solar, we also do energy efficiency products – and we can help installers understand how they can get into energy efficient lighting applications, sensors, motors and drives, heating and ventilation, pool pump power-savers, power-quality equipment, monitoring systems and more.”

Rexel is bringing a new energy monitoring system to Australia in mid-2013 from its business in the United Kingdom, which Mr Power points to as an example of a product that installers could offer as a value-add to their previous PV customers.

“These customers would obviously have an interest in power consumption, as they’ve done something about it previously by installing solar,” he says. “We can offer a cloud-based system where home or business owners can measure energy use – right down to the appliance – to make decisions and change behaviour to further reduce their power consumption. The system requires installation, so for businesses who are installing solar, we can train them to install these products as well.”

Source: ecogeneration.com.au

This technical article relates to the increasingly important topic of electrical surges, which can damage sensitive electrical and electronic equipment. Surge protection devices (SPDs) play a vital role in protecting sensitive electrical and electronic equipment from damage caused by overvoltages or other electrical power surges or spikes. But what are the issues, and how do surge arrestors work? Voltimum managing editor James Hunt reports:

Overvoltages, electrical power surges or spikes are fast, short duration electrical transients in an electrical circuit. An overvoltage is a voltage pulse (or wave) that is superimposed on the rated voltage of the network, and it can disturb equipment and produce electromagnetic radiation. Moreover, the duration of the overvoltage causes an energy peak in the electric circuits which could damage or even destroy equipment.

Voltage spikes or surges are fast, short duration electrical transients in an electrical circuit. Fast, short duration electrical transients in the electrical potential of a circuit are typically caused by lightning strikes, tripped circuit breakers, short circuits, power outages, power transitions in other equipment on the same power line, malfunctions caused by the power utility, storm-damaged powerlines, and electromagnetic pulses in the 100kHz – 1MHz frequency range.

Up to 80% of such transients are generated from internal sources such as inductive load switching and normal equipment operations, while at least 20% of transients are generated from external sources such as lightning and power utility switching.

Overvoltage types:

Various types of overvoltage can disturb electrical installations. These include the following:

Power-frequency overvoltages –These are of the same frequency as the network caused by a permanent change of state in that network – for example, after an insulation fault occurs, or the breakdown of the neutral conductor.

Switching surges – These are high-frequency overvoltages or burst disturbances caused by a change in an electrical network steady state – typically because of switchgear operation. The switching off of lighting and the starting and stopping of AC motors can be the cause of this type of surge.

Electrostatic discharge – This causes very short overvoltages (a few nanoseconds) of very high frequency caused by the discharge of accumulated electric charges. An example of this can be a person walking on a carpet with insulated soles, who can become electrically charged to several kV.

Lightning strike – This can produce extremely large pulsed electrical energies of several thousand amperes (typically 2000 – 400,000A) and many tens or hundreds of thousands of volts at high frequency (typically around 1 mHz) over micro- to millisecond short duration. Lightning damages electrical and electronic systems such as transformers, electricity meters and electrical appliances. It can also cause damage or disturbances to computers, telecommunications networks, and cause faults in programmable logic controller (PLC) programs and other control systems.

Some surge arrestors designed to protect three-phase systems against lightning strike are said to be able to pass currents of 320,000A/phase (equivalent to 1,200,000A total).

The overall result of various overvoltages can be cumulative equipment damage and possible premature failure, expensive system resets and down time and data losses. It can even result, especially from lightning strike, in catastrophic equipment failure resulting in immediate shutdown, as well as longer term disruption of businesses, plus expensive equipment repair and replacement costs. Lightning also causes a large number of fires, mostly in agricultural areas, but high-rise buildings are especially at risk.

To continue reading the rest of this technical article on Voltimum click here.

Link: http://www.voltimum.com.au/news/17758/cm/voltimum—how-to-overcome-surge–spike-and-lightning-strike-problems.html

Senator Don Farrell, Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water, presented certificates to the Trust and major NSW-based companies including AusGrid, Essential Energy, Savills Australia and Westpac, in recognition of them joining the national FluoroCycle recycling scheme.

“FluoroCycle has the very important aim of reducing the amount of mercury entering the environment from the disposal of mercury-containing lighting,” Senator Farrell said at the Opera House today.

“Having the Sydney Opera House on board is a huge boost for the scheme. One of the world’s great sights is seeing the Opera House lit up at night. Now, lighting from this landmark building will be recycled and the mercury prevented from entering the environment.”

Senator Farrell said 135 organisations nationally have signed up to the initiative and urged more companies to show the same commitment to protecting the environment.

“Joining FluoroCycle is an ideal way for businesses to do something practical to help the environment,” he said. “The Australian Government’s support of FluoroCycle includes $600,000 in funding for the first three years of the scheme and is part of our commitment to reducing the impact of waste disposal on the environment and improving the efficiency of resource use.”

(Source: Voltimum http://www.voltimum.com.au/news/17724/cm/sydney-opera-house-lights-to-be-recycled.html#.UDb_SsFlQRk)

From April 2012, this included an import ban on 50 Watt extra low voltage 12 volt tungsten halogen multifaceted MR16 dichroic reflector lamps. The average measured wattage for these lamps is now required to be no more than 37 Watts. This means 35 Watt and other new technology lamps may still be used.

The QLD Government recently issued a statement saying that the Solar Bonus Scheme feed-in tariffs  in Queensland will decrease from 44 cents per kW/h to 8 cents per kW/h as of July 10th 2012.

What does this mean exactly?

Well, depending on the amount of energy you use and the amount of energy your system generates,  feed-in tariffs are what you are paid by your energy provider for the extra power you may produce from your solar system. So once your system generates enough to fulfil the energy requirements in your home, your energy company will buy any extra energy your system creates.

Interested in installing a solar system?

If you have ever thought about getting a system installed, then now is the perfect time. We recommend you get in contact with Eco Power Savers, they can help you get started on how to get your system installed before the deadline. They can talk you through the process and how to get the best system for your home and even find a contractor to do the job for you.

Call Eco Powers Savers now on 1300 32 66 32 or visit their website www.ecopowersavers.com.au

For more information on the Solar Bonus Scheme changes, please follow this link: http://www.cleanenergy.qld.gov.au/demand-side/solar-bonus-scheme.htm

Cooper Bussmann, the leader in critical circuit protection, power management and electrical safety, has strengthened its industrial IEC fuse link and fusegear business following the acquisition of GE Industrial Systems’ British Standard fuse-link product portfolio.

The acquisition now means that familiar brands such as ‘Red Spot’ fuse holders and ‘Safeclip’ will join Cooper Bussmann’s already comprehensive range of overcurrent circuit protection products for IEC markets.