Soliant Energy Receives UL Listing for Innovative Commercial Rooftop Solar Systems
Date: 07/12/2010
Company: Soliant Energy
SE-500X is First CPV Product to Receive New SU 8703 Standard from Esteemed UL Laboratories
Media Contacts for Soliant Energy:
Julie McHenry
+1 650-504-6655
Julie@comminsight.com
Ben Jamison
+1 512 -568-9027
Ben.Jamison@soliantenergy.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monrovia, CA – July 12, 2010 — Soliant Energy, the leader in concentrated photovoltaic solar energy systems for commercial rooftops, today announced that the SE-500X, its flagship product, has officially received the highly-esteemed UL Listing from Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Additionally, the SE-500X is the first product certified under the SU 8703 UL draft standard, a new comprehensive code defined specifically to test safety parameters of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) products.
UL is a global organization dedicated to providing safety testing and standards for commercial products around the world. UL has taken a leading role in developing new safety standards specifically covering use cases associated with commercial CPV systems, resulting in the new SU 8703 standard.
Key Enabler for Commercial Rooftop CPV Industry
Traditional ground mount solar systems do not typically require the same safety measures as a rooftop system on an occupied building. Commercial rooftop productsfor CPV must comply to UL safety standards so that occupants are assured of their safety, and to comply with local building and city planning codes.
“The full commercial potential of rooftop CPV will only be reached when customers can install systems with the peace-of-mind that all safety standards have been met or exceeded. This new UL standard, SU 8703, ensures that rigorous safety standards have been met and is a critical enabler to the accelerated growth of our industry,” said Terry Bailey, chief executive of Soliant Energy, Inc.
“UL’s global footprint of technical experts and our state-of-the-art facilities help manufacturers gain the compliance credentials they need to compete in the global marketplace. Safety is of critical importance to rooftop commercial solar and we are gratified to see Soliant become the first to comply with the SU 8703 standard,” said Evelyn Butler, director of UL’s Renewable Energy Sector.
Watershed Moment for Soliant Energy
“For Soliant, this is a watershed moment,” continued Bailey. “This UL listing, and meeting the stringent requirements of SU 8703, enables us to move forward with our vision of turning empty commercial rooftops into productive, highly efficient energy sources. Now we are assured that the SE-500X meets the tough safety standards set forth by state and city planners.”
To acquire UL Listing, the SE-500X underwent a year of rigorous testing at UL’s commercially focused photovoltaic testing and certification facility in San Jose, CA.
Tests fall under three general categories: electrical safety, mechanical safety and fire safety. During the testing process, Soliant worked closely with UL to define a fire test method for CPV products to be used on commercial rooftops. The Soliant SE-500X is now fire rated for installation on a class C or better roof; class C is generally the lowest quality roof allowable by code.
This is of critical importance in major urban counties, such as LA County, where commercial fire codes are extremely strict.
About Soliant Energy
Soliant Energy is the leading provider of concentrated solar energy systems for commercial rooftops. The company is dedicated to delivering the highest energy density at the most competitive price using its innovative solar products on a commercial rooftop. Soliant Energy has combined best-of-breed technology into a unique solar roof system that includes: a high-performance, high-efficiency concentrating optical system, patent-pending TipTilt Tracking™ and full compatibility with current best practices for installation. Soliant Energy solutions are designed for high-energy consuming customers and energy investors in dry, sunny locations. Early partners and customers include: GE, SunEdison, Boeing, 3M, Chevron Energy, True Generation and others. For more information, please see www.soliantenergy.com.
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