Trina Solar & Vivint Solar Partner To Install Smart Solar Modules In North America

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World solar PV module leader Trina Solar announced recently that it has partnered with Vivint Solar, a leading US residential solar provider, to install Trinasmart solar panels in North America.

Trinasmart modules are optimized to maximize energy harvest and to reduce the chance of electrical fires. Detailed analytics and alerts from panel-level monitoring are provided. The modules can communicate wirelessly through a gateway, and data can be pulled from most inverters.

In the case of a fire, the panels can be completely deactivated, so there is no voltage present. As well as residents, firefighters then would not be exposed to electricity, so they would be safer.

The way the Trinasmart modules have been designed allows for lower balance of system costs. As explained in another CleanTechnica article about the continuation of the dramatic drop in solar panel costs, “While much of the cost reduction over the last 5–10 years has resulted from polysilicon price reductions, future cost reductions will necessarily come from non panel related balance of system costs.”

As part of that, integrating electronics into modules can help to reduce costs at the labor level, because there is then less to install on a rooftop, so it takes less time and therefore less money. (Note: innovative electronics from California-based Tigo Energy are used in Trinasmart modules.)

“Vivint Solar is a solar industry leader that is delivering cost-effective and innovative solutions every day. That’s why we’re excited to partner with them and provide our high-performing Trinasmart modules for their residential offering. With Trinasmart, we can help Vivint Solar’s installation and operations and maintenance teams through faster install times, enhanced monitoring capability and advanced fire-safety features – putting them ahead of the curve in the distributed generation market,” explained Jing Tian, Trina Solar Head of Global Marketing.

This is a good news story, considering the tension at the national level between the US and China over trade issues.

Image Credit: Trina Solar