When uncertain times defy innovation, new opportunities shine brightly for a long time.

This year marks APsystems’ 10^th anniversary. While the situation worldwide is facing unexpected challenges on many fronts during this very particular year 2020 with the Coronavirus pandemic, Dr Zhi Min Ling, co-founder and chairman of APsystems, shares his views on his entrepreneurial story with APsystems from its very beginning when the economic effects of the 2008 financial crisis were still strongly present to where APsystems is today, having become the #1 multi-module microinverter supplier in the world. It is as if challenging uncertainty could also be a key in building long-lasting opportunities.

2020 is the year of APsystems celebrating its 1^st decade, how does it make you feel?

Fortunate, honored and grateful. It is a major milestone for the company, especially in this very fast-changing inverter industry which is at the crossroads of high-tech microelectronics, energy and environmentally-friendly building sectors. Staying alive is one thing but growing profitably when you need to heavily invest in R&D on one side, while keeping enough agility to adapt to an ever-changing emerging market on the other side, is another challenge. The fact that we have been growing for 10 years while reaching profitability every year since 2012, is primarily down to the hard work, determination and patience of the hundreds of talented and committed people who have joined and believed in this company over the years.

What encouraged you to set up APsystems? And how has the company evolved over the years?

The company has changed dramatically for sure. We can look at the company’s development in two phases, I think. The foundation 2010 – 2012: it was the very beginning where every priority was focused on setting up our expertise in power electronics conversion designs to create a robust and cost-efficient microinverter solution. Within about two years, we managed to design, manufacture and launch our 1^st single and duo microinverter products with the YC250 and YC500 which later became the best-selling duo microinverter worldwide. We set up our headquarters in Jiaxing, China, where we still manufacture our products thanks to the help of TDG group, our main shareholder and share our R&D department between Jiaxing and Cupertino….Then the 2^nd phase was characterized by one obsession: how to make APsystems Grow Internationally with no compromise to profitability. Although we are still in this phase with constant profitability every year since 2012, I would say that over the past six years (2013-2019), and especially since Olivier Jacques joined the company in 2015, we have managed to structure ourselves by Business Units on all continents enabling us to serve our customers in more than 80 countries today.

What were the main challenges along the way?

It is quite fascinating to be able to be part of this solar revolution. Helping to make solar an affordable clean energy solution to everyone on this earth is inspiring but of course, the technological challenges are big. If you take communications for example, microinverters manage a considerable number of data points that need to be communicated back from the microinverters through the gateway and to the monitoring platform in the cloud. This means when systems like the YC1000, QS1 and YC600 apply remote firmware upgrades, this creates a demanding bidirectional data flow and traditional powerline communication isn’t going to cut it. This is the reason why we moved our portfolio to high-speed wireless Zigbee, which is up to three times faster than conventional powerline communication (PLC), creating a local 2.4GHz mesh network for fast and reliable data communication between the microinverters and the gateway.

Another constant challenge has been to adapt to increasingly complex market needs. The progressive integration of PV into the electricity networks has required Inverter manufacturers in many countries to release products capable of interacting in real-time with grid operators. Whether it is to adjust the PV production instantaneously, depending on the state of the network, or to prevent any electron from being sent back, performing such a functionality for the coming 20 years in a reliable manner with a product smaller than an A4 sheet and weighing 3kg average is a genuine achievement in technological integration, entailing very sophisticated R&D , manufacturing and testing capabilities.

How is the Pandemic situation affecting your activity?

When the COVID-19 first appeared in China at the beginning of the year, our activities were relatively spared since part of our production comes from outside China, even though a slowdown in manufacturing occurred during a period of about 1 month in the first quarter. The good news is that as we master the production infrastructure, we were able to quickly increase our production rate when the situation improved a few weeks later, ensuring a constant continuity of supply to all our customers and warehouse locations across the world.

Despite the inherent agility of our distributor partners and solar installers staying open and continuing their job as far as possible, we have inevitably been confronted by a slowdown in our sales activity worldwide this quarter. Uncertainty is the most difficult parameter to deal with when it lasts, it is the same for everyone as an individual but it is also a genuine opportunity to confront and challenge ourselves by overtaking obstacles with self-confidence. I strongly believe that the creativity and flexibility of our industry will rapidly lead to recovery during the 2^nd half of this year.

What’s next for APsystems?

APsystems is now well recognized for its leadership in multi-module microinverters solutions bringing innovative products to market that are built to last. This is the DNA of the company and will continue to be. We have several new microinverter products planned to be launched in the coming 18 months including a new native 3-phase QUAD microinverter at the end of this year, but our ambition moving forward is also to increase our position in other Module Level Power Electronics. We have recently launched, especially in the United States, APsmart, a new Business Unit that includes advanced safety products such as a Module Level Rapid Shut-Down (MLRSD) device to meet new safety regulations on MW-scale solar projects. The APsmart MLRSD System is a SunSpec Alliance Certified device which maintains constant communication between the RSD and Transmitter, constantly monitoring voltage and current. APsmart offers state-of-the-art PV module rapid shutdown devices (RSD), ideal for any new or existing string or central inverter system, and meeting U.S. NEC 2017 690.12 Rapid Shutdown requirements.

APsystems is also working on a modular AC coupled Energy Storage System (ESS) for residential where priority, similarly to every product we manufacture, is given to high quality & reliability.

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Based on years of research, EUPD has developed an annual evaluation model to focus on aspects of successful brand management. The results of the research data collected from installers form the basis of this fully independent evaluation, and more than 10 individual factors were taken into account in the Analysis of the APsystems brand.

“EUPD Research has more than 15 years of experience conducting interviews with installers in the sector. This constant dialogue is unique in the PV market. We are delighted to award APsystems the “Top Brand PV seal” in the category of inverters on the French market. This unique seal is the result of analysis and interviews carried out with more than 100 installers based in France at the end of 2019.” has declared Saif Islam, Senior Consultant at EUPD Research.

The seal is designed to present a complete view of the brand, in which the aspects related to brand awareness and satisfaction are involved as well as its presence in the distribution and its ability to become, for installers, a reference brand in their customer recommendations. The technical properties and characteristics of the brand’s products obviously play a role in this appreciation from solar professionals.  APsystems has built expertise in module-level power electronics (MLPE) for more than 10 years, with over 110 patents on its products and has become the world’s number one manufacturer in the multi-module microinverter segment for solar.

Offering the widest range of microinverter solutions with the YC600 and QS1 in single-phase for residential and the YC1000 in three-phase native for large roofs, APsystems continues to be a leader in photovoltaic innovation serving its clients in more than 80 countries around the world with a team and a local office, close to its French customers, based in Lyon

 

 

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

ANAHEIM, USA – September 24th, 2018 – APsystems unveils the QS1, a four-module, single phase microinverter for residential applications at the Solar Power International trade show in Anaheim, USA. A new design for APsystems, the QS1 offers 75% faster installation time, while offering the highest peak output power and up to 3X faster data transmission speed than PLC. A wider MPPT voltage range will result in a greater energy harvest for homeowners.

The first of its kind, the QS1 is designed to accommodate today’s high output PV panels up to 375W, offering 300W AC output per channel, the highest among microinverters. The unit also significantly reduces installation time and costs, taking the place of four conventional microinverters per each QS1 installed while still providing four independent MPPT.

The QS1 utilizes a common AC trunk cabling with the dual-module YC600, offering flexible mix-and-match compatibility on the same circuit to enhance site design capability and maximize circuit capacity. Both microinverters also utilize the same gateways; installers can choose from the ECU-R, for single or multi-residential installations, or the ECU-C, for applications requiring consumption monitoring and advanced contact/relay features.

“Compatibility with the existing YC600 microinverter system gives the QS1 an unprecedented advantage,” said APsystems Chief Technology Officer Dr. Yuhao Luo. “Mixing dual and quad microinverters in the same system adds design flexibility while offering a strong inventory and installation labor advantage over conventional microinverters.”

Today’s solar systems require a more robust communication architecture to manage significantly more data points and in-field software updates. A 2.4GHz wireless Zigbee mesh network offers enhanced data transmissions speed, up to three times faster than conventional powerline communication (PLC).

The QS1 builds on the successful APsystems line of multi-module microinverters, offering reduced logistics costs, integrated communication and connection features, and a wider MPPT voltage range for greater energy harvest during low light conditions.

The new microinverter will be on display at the APsystems booth #2838 at Solar Power International, USA.

SUBSOL selects APsystems’ micro-inverter technology for a large scale social housing project supplying solar energy to more than 680 homes in the metropolitan area of Vienne, France.

More than 280 residential and small commercial roofs with an average power of 8 to 9 kWp will be equipped with innovative micro-inverter solutions from APsystems.

  LYON, France – 18 September 2017 – APsystems, the world leader in microinverter technology for the solar industry, today announced that it has been selected by SUBSOL, a design office and developer of roof integrated solar power plants, to be its partner in providing micro-inverter solutions for over 12,000 sqm of solar roofing, an unprecedented project in the metropolitan area of Vienne, Isère, France. A portfolio combining individual and collective multi-residential social housing projects and some small commercial public buildings will be able to provide approximately 2MWh/year, equivalent to the annual consumption of 680 households.

“It is a project put into place by the mayor, financed by local authorities and citizens, and developed above all to bring added value to the territory. SUBSOL is committed to these socially responsible projects and wishes to develop awareness of energy efficiency among tenants.” Said Jean-Baptiste Rouquerol, CEO of SUBSOL.

“We chose APsystems because of its extensive range of micro-inverter solutions, making it possible to easily address single-phase residential projects as well as small commercial buildings with a native 3-phase microinverter solution. The fact of having a local team to support us throughout the project, from the study phase to the ongoing installation phase, has reinforced our decision to work with APsystems.”.

The project is scheduled for completion by July 2018 at a rate of 45 installations per month. Thanks to APsystems’ complete solution that includes 1 micro-inverter for 2 or 4 panels, cables and accessories and an ECU communication gateway used to commission the system, enabling access to online energy monitoring anywhere, anytime via the EMA portal, the installation team, an average of 3 people, is able to complete an 8 or 9kWp installation in only 2 days, ensuring that each site meets its completion date.

“We are delighted to take part in such an avant-garde project. The innovation not only comes from the business model it is based on but also from the social dimension it carries. Solar energy in urban and built-up areas allows room for more innovative, safe and productive solutions, such as APsystems microinverters. We are convinced that this solar operation in Vienne will be a great success, and that it will be a source of inspiration for other cities,” said Olivier Jacques, Executive Vice President, APsystems.

See related coverage articles in the specialized European press :

Photon here

PES Solar here

Renewable Energy Magazine here