The future demand that we’re smarter with energy, and Enteligent is at the forefront of the intelligent energy transition, paving the way for a more cost-effective and sustainable future. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, Enteligent has developed the Enteligent™ NMax Rapid Shutdown Device (RSD) with Optimization, a game-changing solution for maximizing the potential of solar energy. By integrating and building upon the advanced microprocessors and PLC transceivers from Texas Instruments (TI), Enteligent has created a truly smart system that not only optimizes energy production but also enables real-time monitoring and performance analysis at the panel level.
As Enteligent Head of Product Brian Reeves put it, “Enteligent is delivering a clear path to renewable energy that opens the electrification market more cost-effectively, diversifies revenue streams, and fully leverages technological capabilities in a way that helps our partners and customers achieve their sustainability goals.”
Two components have become particularly important to the design of the Enteligent NMax Rapid Shutdown Device with Optimization: TI’s microprocessors and power-line communications (PLC) transceivers.
“Texas Instruments has a well-earned reputation for bringing reliable components with advanced capabilities to the market, and our Enteligent development team is especially skilled at extracting the best functionality from this technology,” said Reeves.
TI’s C2000 microprocessor is crucial for managing the real-time response of Enteligent’s NMax devices. For instance, with the NMax RSD with Optimization, the microprocessor continuously monitors the PV module’s (solar panel’s) current and voltage output to determine whether to instantaneously engage the optimization circuitry to correct for shading or other causes of suboptimal solar generation. The C2000 also provides the processing horsepower to negotiate optimal PV string current to achieve maximum power production tracking (MPPT), all the while adjusting load response to diminishing the inferior effects of the solar inverter’s MPPT schema. The microprocessor also administers daily health condition monitoring routines to diagnose any internal malfunctions of this critical safety device.
The microprocessors are also used in the accompanying Enteligent NMax Rapid Shutdown Transceiver to ensure asymmetric communications per channel to minimize crosstalk and false arc-fault issues that plague other Rapid Shutdown systems. The microprocessor-based optimizers collect and transmit performance data for each panel, making Enteligent’s system truly smart.
Enteligent also utilizes PLC transceivers to send data over the power lines without requiring additional wires or complicated wireless networks. In addition to performing standard RSD communications to industry-standard SunSpec™ RSD Certified requirements, these transceivers alsotransmit performance data for each individual panel collected at the rooftop to the ground-based transmitter, an intelligent and proprietary data transport standard developed by Enteligent. This panel-level insight allows installers and consumers to monitor and optimize panel performance to manage energy costs and reduce the amount of labor, time, and maintenance costs for needed repairs.
Led by a team of seasoned innovators with expertise in complex automation, power, and clean tech products, Enteligent takes a comprehensive system-level approach to solar power optimization. The team incorporates best practices from the tech sector, then analyzes the interplay between various components in a system to identify optimal strategies for enhancing energy output and performance.
By combining this approach with the full capabilities of TI’s PLC transceivers and microprocessors, Enteligent is driving the next phase of the energy transition, when stakeholders must be able to monitor and optimize electricity and eliminate as much electrical loss as possible.
