Azuray Technologies Inc., a company developing optimization electronics for solar power panels, emerged from stealth operations this week with the announcement of two separate collaborations.
The Portland, Oregon-based company formed a partnership with Renhe Photovoltaic Technology Co, Ltd., which is said to be China's largest solar panel junction box manufacturer with a 70% market share. Azuray's Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) DC-to-DC converter electronics will be incorporated into Renhe photovoltaic junction boxes.
Azuray is also one of three companies working with Suntech Power (NYSE: STP) to explore the development of "smart" solar panels.
Azuray says its new product, the Azuray® AP300 power optimizer can yielding up to 25% improvement in energy harvest for any type of crystalline solar panel that is underperforming due to mismatch, shade or other "real-world" conditions.
The technology is a direct competitor to SolarEdge which announced it will ramp up production following a $25 million funding round announced this week. Both companies are also working to carve out some of the microinverter niche owned solely by Enphase Energy over the last two years.
Like the systems made by Enphase and SolarEdge, Azuray's system includes communications that allow for monitoring of individual panel output.
Other competitors in the growing microinverter space include Enecsys and SolarBridge.
