Exciting solar advances

Enecsys has the technology to ensure that the region is at the very forefront of the solar energy sector, reports Mike Scialom.

Solar energy will be a major player in energy discussions

It’s 9am on a Monday morning and Enecsys’ Danish ceo Henrik Raunkjaer is in ebullient mood.

“There’s no one else in Europe with our technology,” he tells me in the firm’s Harston Mill space as people get set up for the week ahead.

“There’s only one other company – in the US – doing this. Here in the UK people are now starting to be aware of it and I’m very positive.” Indeed he is. And rightfully so, as Enecsys’ micro-inverter technology is finally getting the recognition – from the public and the installation trade – it deserves. As we speak – actually as Henrik speaks since he’s clearly in the zone and I’m playing catch-up via coffee – there’s a huge media furore raging about the way the Government’s feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme is allegedly being abused by commercially-organised solar farms who are taking big chunks out of the £400m set aside to help convert the nation’s homes to solar power. But Henrik’s already on an unstoppable roll.

“We’re right now looking for investors to take us to the next level and due diligence is ongoing.” I can see the vision and the mettle shining in his eyes. “We’re expecting to close third round funding at the end of March and we’ll be using that for the US, expanding our operations and bringing costs down.” Henrik’s right, of course. There’s no such thing as bad publicity and the row over how the £400m should be divvied up brings the topic of renewable energy back into the public consciousness at an absolutely crucial time for the world’s energy markets. And Enecsys, whose new micro-inverter technology went on sale last year, is now perfectly positioned to be a global player.

“We are now hiring a lot of people. Why? Because this technology is fantastic and we have the chance to change the game globally.” The key development has been to shift from string inverters to micro-inverters. To harness solar power you need a solar panel and Enecsys’ box of tricks to convert the sun’s rays for use in the national grid. With a string inverter you collect all the energy harvested from the panels into one box which then feeds the current into the national grid. But the micro-inverter means that each panel has its own inverter, so each panel feeds separately directly into the grid, so less power is lost, because previously if one panel went down (maybe it was in the shade for a while), it would slow down the collective feed-in.

Henrik Raunjaer

That was one development. The second has been that Enecsys has ditched electrolytic capacitors and now uses film capacitors in their place. These capacitors are crucial in being able to store electrical energy and the new type is fluid-free so space is reduced and consistency – one of Henrik’s bugbears – is much improved. “With film capacitors, one of my concerns about being able to build a converter for 25 years has been proved wrong.” So that’s that then. Enecsys has developed uber-reliable photovoltaics which will work to maximum capacity in all conditions for 25 years. And customers will get a fee for the electricity they put into the national grid. It’s all systems go for the photovoltaic industry in the UK, Europe and – in due course – anyplace the sun shines.

Henrik started at Bang & Olufson after getting his electronic engineering degree. For the last eight years he’s been in the solar inverter business, first as founder and CEO of Powerlynx and subsequently, after Danfoss acquired the business, as managing director of Danfoss Solar Inverters A/S. He’s been ceo at Enecsys since November with a brief to move the firm on to this next level and he’s happy that the FITs are finally kick-starting the shift to renewable energy in the UK.

“We need help to get the ball rolling and the incentive is important for us as a UK company. It has to continue for a number of years but will gradually be reduced. We need volume to get the prices down. Until now the renewables industry in the UK has been focused on wind but now everyone realises that photovoltaics can be a source.” The role of the university in this sector should not be underestimated. Enecsys’ founders were PhD students and the university has supported the firm as it developed the technology. It’s only now, ten years after the firm was founded, that it is selling its shares, and the outcome will be that 20-25 per cent of the firm will be owned by employees, including Henrik.

“The UK is a great home market and will have a great renewables sector here – and we expect and hope that Enecsys will have a relatively large share.” Let’s just say you’ll be hearing a lot more about this technology as the year progresses.