About: admin

By Monique Merino, RFI Product Manager (IoT)

As solar installations continue to increase and we move more towards smart grid solutions which require more connectivity, having a reliable connection for your solar system is essential. Modern solar inverters require connectivity to communicate data back to an internet connected portal.  RFI has the innovative solution to for this (and many other) solar applications.

If you have ever had a solar system installed, or are an installer yourself, you will have come across the situation of having to run a hard-line RS485 cable from your inverter to your meter unit through impractical or almost impossible terrain when connecting your inverter to a meter. While this is the recommended solution from many inverter manufacturers it is often impractical, expensive or impossible to lay a hardwired cable for RS485. This calls for a more innovative approach to achieve communications between a meter and inverter.

Communications in solar installations is often seen as a mysterious and complex part of the install, but it doesn’t need to be. Using a pair of Maxon Datamax LoRa terminals a wireless RS485 link can be established within minutes. As small outstation devices, the terminals are fitted with RS485 (and RS232) serial connectivity, this allows for direct connectivity to the inverter comms interface through the RS485 serial connector commonly found on solar inverters. The terminals are then programmed to talk to each other over LoRa radio through paired device IDs, matching frequency and data rate. With supply from RFI terminals can be supplied pre-programmed with settings appropriate for your device to further simplify setup.

So, what are the advantages of using the Maxon Datamax LoRa terminal solution for inverter communications? LoRa is a LPWAN communications protocol, this means that it is low power consumption solution that can communicate over a long range. This makes it better suited to these sorts of applications when compared to other protocols that have been tested for this use case, such as WiFi, which are designed for high-power short-range solutions. LoRa’s embedded end to end encryption and redundancy for packet finality also make it a desirable and versatile solution. The ease of installation of the product and the low power, low cost of the LoRa terminals also makes them an economical solution when compared to the cost of running long cable runs.

Since a large range of solar inverters and meters can be connected by RS485 or RS232 this makes this solution compatible with a wide range of devices and brands. This illustrates the flexibility of the Maxon Datamax LoRa terminal solution for wireless solar communications.

For any additional information, please contact the sales team at enquiry@rfi.com.au.

Monique Merino, Product Manager (IoT)

Our Maxconnect portal is a cloud-based IoT/M2M management portal which allows you to access, monitor and control 3G/4G devices securely.

With Maxconnect you can access real-time data from your devices, monitor their status and location. Utilize complete functionality by controlling your devices anywhere, anytime. This one-stop portal is an access point to manage your 4G assets securely and remotely.

*6 months free access to the Maxconnect portal with the purchase of any Universal Hub modem. At the conclusion of the 6 month free trial, annual fee for Maxconnect access is $12.00 ex GST per month or $120.00 ex GST if billed annually.

On the product front, solar installers will also get their first viewing of the Ground-breaking REC Alpha, the world’s highest power solar panel in a 60-cell format, producing over 20% more energy than conventional panels.

Visitors to the RFI stand will also get the opportunity to see the world’s first 2-in-1 EV Inverter/Charger from SolarEdge.

Want to learn more from our technical and sales experts on any of our new releases? Want to find out how you can become a member of the Power Partners program? Book an on-stand meeting with our team NOW.

RFI will also be introducing the 365W Alpha Solar Panel. The REC Alpha Series delivers industry-beating power, making this the world’s most powerful 60-cell solar panel. Based on proprietary panel design with revolutionary cell technology, the new product is already acknowledged by a granted design patent.

Full details on this innovative new REC panel series will be shared in line with its mid-October Australian launch.

Founded in Norway in 1996, REC Group is a leading vertically integrated solar energy company. Through integrated manufacturing from silicon to wafers, cells, high-quality panels and extending to solar solutions, REC Group provides the world with a reliable source of clean energy. REC’s renowned product quality is supported by the lowest warranty claims rate in the industry. REC Group is a Bluestar Elkem company with headquarters in Norway and operational headquarters in Singapore. REC Group employs 2,000 people worldwide, producing 1.5 GW of solar panels annually.

If you want to grow your commercial business, RFI & SolarEdge has an offer that may interest you. From July to October, SolarEdge is offering commercial installers a free comparative PVsyst report as part of its premium service package to ensure your solar project runs smoothly. This is what you get:

Take this opportunity to see for yourself how SolarEdge technology provides greater yields and lower BoS costs compared to a traditional string inverter. It will also highlight how you can use SolarEdge’s flexible design principals to add more panels, generate more energy, and offer more competitive proposals.

This offer is valid for any commercial installer looking to install a solar project of 15kW or larger before October 30, 2019.*

All you have to do is register your details on the link below and the RFI & SolarEdge commercial team will begin the process.

*For first-time installers only and subject to availability. Free site commissioning support is restricted to installation sites within 50KM of Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

Talk to your RFI account manager for the best offer
on all your commercial requirements!

The RedEarth BlackMax is an all-in-one integrated power standalone system- maximising solar power and harvesting & providing reliable power for applications such as sheds & workshops.

Each system includes:

Modern emergency vehicles are also running out of space to install more antennas. The CD30 covers both VHF and UHF bands in one antenna.

Our low profile designs offer up a pleasant aesthetic by blending into almost any environment,
with a minimal trade-off in performance.

This innovative new range is available NOW at RFI in the following versions:

The 5KW version is available now with the 6KW version arriving in the next few weeks.