Topic: As Head of PV Systems Home & Business, I am responsible for the portfolio of rooftop photovoltaic systems at Weidmüller. With more than 12 years of experience in the photovoltaic industry, I have a broad range of expertise in planning, product and service development. Together, my team and I pursue the goal of providing customers and partners with simple, fast, and safe solutions for photovoltaic installations.
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Pascal Niggemann
Head of PV Systems Home & Business
In many countries in Europe and around the world, the feed-in power of photovoltaic systems has increased significantly. This summer, for example, new output records were reported from Germany, France, and Portugal. The addition of new capacity is also accelerating rapidly. In Germany alone, it was already 34.5 % higher in the first half of 2022 than in the same period of the previous year*. In Spain and Portugal, the number of solar modules has more than doubled within the last three years**, and France is also installing more and more solar systems, albeit at a slower pace. Globally, however, the statistics are led by China, where new installations up to May 2022 were already 140 % higher than in the same period of the previous year***. In Germany, the new Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) 2023 is now focusing on a massive expansion of photovoltaics. The german expansion rates are to be increased to a level of 22 GW per year, so that by 2030 around 215 GW of solar capacity should already be reached****.
Looking at the current developments on the energy market as well as the planned expansion of subsidies, a significant acceleration of growth can be expected everywhere in the world in the near future. Although this development is positive, it poses immense challenges for the trade and craft sector. They have to meet the rapidly growing demand and carry out the installations optimally despite a shortage of skilled workers. To achieve these goals, Weidmüller is the right partner. The innovative company offers sophisticated products and solutions that significantly simplify and accelerate the safe installation of PV systems. These include the PV-Stick plug-in connector and the PV Next combiner box.
When installing PV systems, the crimp connections must be faultless. Otherwise, the system will not be able to fully perform. In the worst case, the PV connections can even start to smoulder. However, since installers usually work on uneven roofs, in wind and weather and under time pressure, a consistently high quality of crimp connections cannot always be guaranteed. Weidmüller's PV-Stick provides a remedy here. The practical connector makes it particularly easy to produce permanently reliable connections. Due to the innovative PUSH IN technology, the stripped conductors only have to be inserted into the contact opening as far as they will go, and the reliable spring mechanism ensures a secure connection – without any additional tools. This increases work efficiency and minimises error.
The installation, maintenance, and operation of rooftop PV systems are complex – and involve risks for people and technology. Weidmüller's innovative PV Next combiner boxes offer many details that make dealing with PV systems easier, safer, and more economical. In addition to robust connection technology, they feature integrated surge protection. This is becoming increasingly important due to the increase in extreme weather events with lightning strikes – and has been mandatory in the EU since 2019. The PV Next load-break switch ensures greater safety during maintenance work. It reliably prevents an electric arc from being generated by the high DC voltages when the fuse holders are opened. This minimises the risk of injury and prevents damage to the fuse holder or adjacent parts. Additional safety is provided by the PV Next fireman's switch. The supplementary module allows strings to be combined at the module in an extremely cable-saving way and to be reliably disconnected from the mains in case of fire. This reduces cable routing in the building and makes it easier to extinguish fires.
PV Next Mini: Space-saving and entirely economical
If no PV Next fireman's switch is required in the installation environment, the PV Next product family offers particularly space-saving combiner boxes with PV Next Mini, because in order to save cables, the combiner boxes are often mounted directly under the roof in PV rooftop systems. This requires PV boxes with particularly small dimensions. Weidmüller's DC combiner boxes PV Next Mini simplify installation and give users the option of integrating short-circuit and overvoltage protection as well as many other functions at low cost. They withstand ambient temperatures of up to 50 °C and comply with IEC 61439-2. The standardised design of the product range ensures the thermal and mechanical functionality of all integrated components.
PV products from Weidmüller are perfectly matched and immediately available from stock due to our worldwide distribution network and our international company sites. This applies to connectors, combiner boxes, surge protection systems as well as tools and components related to the installation and protection of PV rooftop systems. The products are standardised and have been developed with the aim of making installation projects easier, faster, and safer. PV Next combiner boxes, for example, are based on a modular concept covering a maximum number of applications with minimal components. This increases availability and reduces costs. Currently, more than 70 frequently requested designs can be ordered immediately. In order to efficiently search for the right product, Weidmüller offers a practical online selector at www.weidmueller.com/pvselector. It guides users to the right PV box in three simple steps and provides excellent support for our partners. Selection and ordering of products is possible directly via our distribution partners thanks to the intelligent ELBRIDGE interface. This example also shows: Weidmüller's consistent practical relevance and user-friendliness when it comes to offering, selecting, ordering, and availability make it the perfect partner for every PV project.
What's more, the Weidmüller PV team is available to answer questions from all partners. This creates a lively exchange of ideas and information from the field, which is incorporated into product development – an important added value for all customers in the growing PV industry.
* IWR.de, 04.07.2022
** rnd.de, 20.07.2022
*** IWR.de, 18.07.2022
**** Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection