SunSpec Alliance Enlists Moxa’s Solar Array for Application Showcase

Moxa announced that it has opened its facility and recently-launched solar photo-voltaic (PV) array for use in SunSpec’s upcoming Plug Fest and Application Showcase on November 14 and 15. Moxa’s solar power system is one of the largest solar developments in Orange County, California, at 35,000 square feet and produces over 311 kW DC using 1,133 PV panels and a central inverter. During the Plug Fest and Showcase, SunSpec Alliance members will test and demonstrate different aspects of interoperability using the SunSpec-compliant hardware in Moxa’s system, such as live monitoring of power output by different applications and vendors.

“Moxa is in a unique position to support the SunSpec Alliance mission as both an Alliance member and the owner of a working solar PV array,” explains Eddie Lee, Director of Marketing at Moxa Americas. “We have experienced firsthand how challenging it is to work with specialized technology with no clear industry standard. As one of the founding sponsors and members of the SunSpec Alliance, we are happy to contribute to the effort to drive greater standardization and interoperability between solar PV providers.”

“Our events in Boston earlier this year were extremely successful at demonstrating the value of SunSpec Alliance open standards, multi-vendor interoperability of PV system components, and the operational continuity that solar asset owners seek,” said Tom Tansy, Chairman of the SunSpec Alliance. “Thanks to Moxa’s team and the unprecedented level of access that they have granted, we are developing their solar array to be one of the core sites for SunSpec interoperability testing and demonstration going forward, and we are excited to work with them for the upcoming showcase.”

The SunSpec Alliance Application Showcase is targeted towards industry professionals who own, manage, finance, operate, build, or maintain solar PV plants, and to IT professionals working in renewable energy or the Smart Grid. Interested parties can obtain details and register to attend at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4536244028?ref=ebtnebregn.

The SunSpec Alliance Application Showcase will feature the following:

•    Welcome reception, catered lunch, and networking reception featuring table-top displays and additional demos by member companies of the SunSpec Alliance
•    Live, on-stage demo of real-time, multi-vendor monitoring of operational solar PV power plants owned by Moxa and the City of Boston
•    Review of information technology standards in renewable generation markets and the U.S. Smart Grid by John Nunneley, SunSpec Alliance
•    Panel of experts discussing how multivendor interoperability is being achieved now in solar PV and what it means for the industry
•    2012 U.S. Solar Market Update by Frank Andorka, Managing Editor of Solar Power World