Centrosolar has been in the news recently because of two innovative programs, the CentroLease leasing program and the CentroData data monitoring system. Centrosolar Group AG is one of the leading publicly traded solar companies in Europe, with revenues of EUR 403M ($540M) in 2010 and over 1000 employees in 21 locations. Centrosolar has production facilities in Germany for its PV modules and components including solar glass. Centrosolar America, Inc., offers complete PV packaged kits—CentroPack®—along with branded PV modules, PV rooftop racking solutions and other balance-of system components like switchgear and inverters with full-scale distribution facilities in Arizona, California and New Jersey serving a national value-added integrator network for the residential and commercial channels.

Firstly, the CentroLease Program, aimed at lowering financial barriers for homeowners.

Available first to installers in select states including Arizona, California and New Jersey, CentroLease is a leasing program designed to support the installation of Centrosolar’s proprietary, German-engineered ‘solar-in-a-box’ system—the CentroPack, which comes standard with best-in-class components, an industry-leading warranty, and a national service and logistics support network maintained by Centrosolar across the United States.

CentroData generates real-time reporting on PV system performance.

With solar representing a major investment for most homeowners, leasing options have traditionally been available only through private financing or from installing firms that are product-agnostic. With the CentroLease program, homeowners now have an OEM leasing option backed by a leading global solar manufacturer.

The CentroLease program is a multi-year lease-financing product that includes:

• Online tools that generate a customized lease proposal for homeowners
• Straightforward application and convenience associated with point-of-sale financing
• Training and support for installers during the sales process
• Standard CentroPack product platform including long-term monitoring solution
• On-time delivery to installers from Centrosolar’s nationwide distribution network

Centrosolar’s CentroData is a hardware and software application that generates real-time reporting on PV system performance. Installed near the PV system power inverter unit, and connected to a wall inside or outside of the home in a NEMA 3R enclosure, the system continuously monitors the solar system’s performance, while sending real-time data wirelessly using Ethernet over power line. This has generally proved much more reliable than using consumers’ WiFi or other wireless technologies but for remote locations a cellular system is also available. Previously able to send data only to an internet-connected device, CentroData has now been updated to a commercial grade energy meter and web-enabled portal that is designed to collect, store, and upload a wide range of energy data.

With a standard monitoring system, an accuracy of +-5% means that the system will monitor with result in measurements between 95% and 105% of actual production. The revenue grade CentroData energy meter will monitor a PV system with measurements between 99.5% and 100.5% of actual production. This enables solar installers and homeowners to monitor their solar system much more accurately than before, enabling them to measure return on their solar investment and energy savings in new ways. CentroData is also capable of monitoring and recording energy usage at the home or business. This means that a user can see not only how much their PV system is generating, but also how much electricity they are consuming.

This is critical for accurate revenue projections, especially when multiple installations are being monitored.

With CentroView™, CentroData’s web-based portal program, homeowners can access their individual system solar performance data from the convenience of any computer, anywhere and at any time. By going to CentroView.net and using their login and password, they can view their data on-line in a computer-friendly dashboard screen format. Users can also create customized charts that track data ranging from the system’s daily output of solar generated electricity to the amount produced monthly, seasonally or over a full year. The equivalent dollar amounts of energy savings provided by the system as well as a measurement of the lessened impact on the environment made possible over the lifetime of the installation can also be tracked.

This summer, CentroData will offer homeowners the opportunity to view their solar system’s performance at their fingertips with a newly created mobile device App for iPhone and Android that, with a push of a button, allows the user to track real-time how many watts of energy the system is generating, that day’s output and usage, the annual savings realized, and much more.

The CentroData system automatically provides the output data needed to simplify the task of reporting the data required for solar renewable energy tax credits and project financers. The system generates real-time system diagnostics, as well, and sends alerts when the PV array performance drops below a target performance threshold, whether caused by excessive debris, unplanned shade, or adverse weather conditions. Benchmarking of performance against other CentroSolar locations in the same area is another powerful diagnostic tool that can be employed.

So these systems can help finance your system, monitor its health and manage the revenue generated!