Two solar systems, one Guatemala City home

As the installation on a 4.85 kW solar system was winding down, the homeowner had one last request: install one more kilowatt of power. Never one to say no, Sersolar jumped at the challenge and with a little creativity, easily expanded the system to meet the customer’s request.

The original installation called for a 4.86 kW ballasted rooftop system with 18 SolarWorld 270-watt modules. The power generated by the modules is sent to a Sunny Boy 5000TL-US mounted in a nearby roof-access stairwell. The homeowner was especially excited about the Secure Power Supply capability of the Sunny Boy TL-US inverter, an extremely cost-effective way to still have power when the grid is down without the expense of a battery-backup system.

The Sersolar team working on the 4.86 kW array during installation.

The Sersolar team working on the 4.86 kW array during installation.

Given ample roof space, the request for an additional kilowatt proved easier than expected. Sersolar installed an additional four modules, this time using ReneSola 245-watt modules, on a separate ballasted system. Because the addition only called for four modules, their team decided this was an ideal time to try the Sunny Boy 240-US micro inverter system.

Making power from sunlight

Amid the abundant sunshine falling in Guatemala City is the desire to capture those rays and turn them into usable power. As solar installations become increasingly popular in the region, installers continue to find alternative and exciting ways to free customers from their costly energy bills.

Sersolar’s customer is running a business from home, which had has plenty of benefits like the short commute. But when the home is used as an office during the day, lowering energy bills is not typically one of the perks. After trying squeezing every last drop of efficiency from their home, Sersolar’s customer decided to install solar to offset their remaining power demands and reduce their environmental impact.

Sunny Boy 240-US micros are installed and ready to start working.

Sunny Boy 240-US micros are installed and ready to start working.

All Systems go  

“We use SMA inverters because they are the best,” said Lester Recinos, Sersolar president. “This was our first time working with the SMA micro inverters and we’re very happy with their performance and the ease of installation.”

Once registered in Sunny Portal, the owner will be able to monitor his power generation from one simple platform where total system production can be reviewed alongside individual system details, parameter settings and more. Easing system monitoring greatly increases customer satisfaction in knowing how well their investment is working.

After commissioning in mid-June, the system has performed flawlessly. Both the team at Sersolar and the homeowner have been pleasantly surprised at the amount of energy production despite rolling clouds and intermittent summer rain storms.

Customers often make interesting requests during their solar install, however this was one of the more memorable ones. Thankfully, SMA has installers covered for everything from the smallest of the small to the wild unknown.

7 Comments
  1. Lester Recinos
    Lester Recinos says:

    Thanks to the great products that SMA has, we at SERSOLAR are able to get creative with our designs and solutions. This PV hybrid system was the perfect solution for this customer in Guatemala. SMA inverters are the best and we will continue using them in our solar energy solutions for customers in the entire Central America region. Thanks SMA for the great article !!

    Reply
  2. Mike
    Mike says:

    Great job !!!
    I would like to do the same in my country, Panama. We have been using Enphase micro-inverters, but if SMA has them as well, there is nothing else to do but to install something similar here. Does SER SOLAR has any representation in Central America? Please contact if so.

    Congrats!!

    Reply
  3. Greg Smith
    Greg Smith says:

    PV hybrid installs for the win! I remember showing this type of install in our initial Sunny Boy micro presentations a few years ago and people thought it was a clever idea.

    Reply

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  1. […] SMA, la fábrica de los mejores inversores en el mundo, escribe un articulo acerca de SERSOLAR y una de sus instalaciones en Guatemala. Lea el articulo completo en el siguiente link. Articulo SERSOLAR-SMA […]

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