As part of the partnership, eIQ Energy has contributed a dozen vBoost converter modules to the Boots on the Roof solar training program. This new equipment will now be featured in the school’s commercial PV construction training program and added to the design exercises in its commercial PV design course. By incorporating the modules into the curriculum, Boots on the Roof students will gain experience creating systems with the company’s Parallel Solar technology.

In traditional series architectures, an underperforming solar panel can affect the electricity output of an entire system, like a bad bulb in a string of Christmas lights, says eIQ Energy. With its patent-pending Parallel Solar technology, panels are connected in parallel, allowing each panel to operate at its own peak performance while a vBoost module steps up the voltage to create a constant output that enables the system’s inverter to run at optimal efficiency, says the company.

“We’re excited to be adding eIQ Energy’s vBoost modules to our training lab,” said Dale Weber, lab manager at Boots on the Roof. “This technology increases energy harvest, while the simplicity of the Parallel Solar architecture significantly reduces installation time and material costs, making this a great product to train our students on.”

“Parallel Solar represents the future of solar energy power management,” said Oliver Janssen, eIQ Energy’s chief business development officer. “We’re pleased to be working with Boots on the Roof and that they are using our technology to train the next generation of solar energy contractors, electricians, and designers on how to improve the overall economics of a solar power system.”

For more information about eIQ Energy, visit www.eiqenergy.com. For more information about Boots on the Roof, visit www.bootsontheroof.com.

Publication date: 02/06/2012