Innovations continue to take place in the solar power industry.
One of the newest combines the panels with the inverters.
Every photovoltaic system on a roof has to have to components -- the solar collection panels and something called an inverter.
"The job of PV panel is to convert the sun solar radiation into direct current and the job of the inverter is convert the direct current into alternating current,” said Natalee Stewart of Hawaii Home Expo.
That's the kind of current you need to run household appliances or heat water. A company called AUO solar has created a solar panel array with the inverter built right in.
"Typically what you'll find on the market today is the PV panel and the inverter as two separate units. But what AUO solar has done has merged the two into one highly efficient unit,” said Stewart.
Stewart says homeowners can benefit in several ways from the new technology.
"There are several advantages to the technology. One is that you're going to be saving time and money on the installation because it is already one integrated unit. That's beneficial to the contractor as well as the homeowner. And then, you're dealing with one company when it comes to warranty,” said Stewart.
There are several advantages to the AUO system, according to the company. For one thing, according to company claims, this system can produce 30 percent more power than other traditional systems. As for being green, AUO was named a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index last year.
"They also have come out with film capacitors which are used in the inverter. They are very reliable components versus the failure-prone titanium capacitors and electrolytic capacitors,” said Stewart.
If you installed one of these systems, how long would it take for the system to pay for itself?
"It's usually four to five years. Especially, HECO raises their rates an average of 6.4 percent each year so your payback is becoming shorter and shorter,” she said.
