December 2, 2025
by in News

Revolutionising retail: power of real-time energy visibility with SolarEdge ONE for C&I

As retail evolves, supermarkets are under pressure to boost efficiency and sustainability. The key enabler of this transformation is SolarEdge ONE for C&I – a comprehensive platform that delivers real-time energy visibility and management for commercial and industrial (C&I) environments.

SolarEdge ONE for C&I integrates advanced solar PV, storage, and energy analytics, providing retailers with a unified “single pane of glass” to monitor, control, and optimize energy flows across their entire estate. This platform enables supermarkets to harness solar energy during peak hours, store excess power, and intelligently manage consumption, reducing reliance on the grid and lowering operational costs.

With the rise of electric vehicles and increasing electrification, supermarkets face growing energy demands. SolarEdge ONE for C&I addresses this by combining real-time data from solar panels, refrigeration, lighting, HVAC, and EV chargers. The result is a holistic view of energy usage, allowing retailers to identify inefficiencies, prevent asset failures, and take targeted actions to reduce waste and costs.

CSS-OD WG Solar Germany

Millions of sensor readings in real time

A standout feature of SolarEdge ONE for C&I is its edge-based computing, capable of processing millions of sensor readings in real time. This empowers retailers to visualize and analyze data instantly, even across hundreds of stores, warehouses, and logistics centers. The platform’s scalability means that even large retail chains can centralize energy management, ensuring consistent performance and rapid response to anomalies.

The financial benefits are significant: retailers using SolarEdge ONE for C&I have reported substantial reductions in energy costs – such as a 4.5% drop in lighting expenses – translating to millions in annual savings. The system also supports flexible energy pricing strategies, enabling retailers to shift consumption based on tariff changes, avoid penalties, and even participate in energy trading or arbitrage.

SolarEdge ONE Controller for C&I

SolarEdge ONE for C&I sets retailers on path to future

By leveraging SolarEdge ONE for C&I, supermarkets are not only meeting their sustainability goals but also gaining a competitive edge in a dynamic energy market. The platform’s advanced analytics and automation prepare retailers for the future, allowing them to optimize energy use, comply with carbon reduction targets, and unlock new revenue streams.

In summary, SolarEdge ONE for C&I is transforming retail energy management. Its real-time visibility, intelligent controls, and scalable architecture empower supermarkets to operate more efficiently, sustainably, and profitably – setting a new standard for the industry.

Find out more: SolarEdge ONE for C&I: optimizing all energy assets | SolarEdge

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June 27, 2025
by in News

Satellite dishes get new life, hosting solar panels for data center

A Swiss telecom service provider converted unused satellite dishes into solar dishes, powering its data center’s rising energy needs. Smart energy tech firm SolarEdge provided its DC-optimized inverter solution, overcoming the challenge of shading.

CKW, a Swiss provider of integrated energy and building technology solutions, has transformed disused satellite dishes located on the premises of telecom service provider Leuk TDC. The project was developed in collaboration with smart energy technology company SolarEdge, highlighting the potential of repurposing infrastructure for solar.

Instead of disposing of the parabolic antennas, they now host photovoltaic systems. Axpo’s subsidiary CKW fitted two satellite dishes in Leuk, Switzerland, with 307 solar panels each.

The new design for the complex, constructed in 1972, enables meeting the energy requirements of Leuk TDC’s power-hungry data centre. Each dish generates an estimated 110 MWh of clean energy per year. The telecommunications firm has also installed a rooftop solar system on the main building of the computing and data centre, for a further 555 MWh.

The data centre is powered by hydroelectric plants as well, so its electricity demand is covered with 100% renewable energy.

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SolarEdge systems maximizing output of each pair of PV panels in satellite dishes

Given the complex orientation and inclination of the solar panels on the satellite dishes, shadows threatened to reduce the efficiency of the solar system. With traditional string solar inverters, they reduce the overall performance of the solar array to match the weakest-performing panel on the string, meaning one shaded panel could reduce energy yield considerably.

In a string structure, a photovoltaic unit in a satellite dish wouldn’t be cost-effective

SolarEdge’s DC-optimized inverter solution was used with Power Optimizers, attached to the underside of every pair of solar panels. It enables the solar system to mitigate the impact of module mismatch on the satellite dishes. Inverters turn the direct current (DC) from PV panels into alternating current (AC).

“Having design flexibility with a solar installation is a huge benefit for installers. In complex cases such as these, with uneven surfaces, without the use of power optimizers we simply would not have been able to achieve anywhere close to the level of energy being produced today. I recommend that others planning similar solar installations allocate sufficient time for planning and collaborate with trusted personnel to overcome any technical challenges,” said CKW’s Deputy Head of Solar Technology for Central Switzerland Manuel Jossi.

Making use of existing ability to track sun’s movement

The combination of PV and hydropower provides Leuk TDC with more financial stability by reducing its dependency on variable grid electricity costs. “The satellite dishes were becoming obsolete, so we always knew we wanted to make use of them in some way or another,” the company’s Chief Executive Officer John Harris explained.

One other advantage is that the parabolic antennas follow the sun’s path throughout the day, maximizing the solar power output.

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May 6, 2025
by in News

Landmark report demonstrates safety, cybersecurity, higher yield of SolarEdge PV systems

VDE Renewables found in its new report that SolarEdge’s advanced safety capabilities minimize photovoltaic system risks and effectively prevent fire hazards, while exceeding international PV safety regulations. SolarEdge has robust cybersecurity mechanisms, essential to mitigating risks associated with cyberthreats, and its solutions bring higher energy yields for both simple and complex roofs.

A new report by VDE Renewables, a subsidiary of the VDE Group, has demonstrated that SolarEdge’s inverter and Power Optimizer-based PV systems deliver measurable advantages in advanced safety, cybersecurity and higher energy production across a wide range of installation types.

In its in-depth assessment of Module-Level Power Electronics (MLPE) topology and SolarEdge’s approach to PV systems, the report highlights how SolarEdge’s advanced safety features reduce PV system vulnerabilities and exceed international PV safety standards. Reviewed and validated by VDE Renewables, the integration of multiple protective mechanisms including Sense Connect proactively identifies and addresses faulty connections long before abnormal temperature is reached.

SafeDC™, rapid shutdown, and module-level monitoring was reported to provide a proactive approach to risk mitigation to ensure a significantly higher level of protection for system operators, maintenance personnel, and emergency responders.

Photo: SolarEdge’s inverter + Power Optimizer solution shown to produce higher energy yields for both simple and complex roofs (4% and 10.5% more power, respectively)

Unsecure PV systems becoming more vulnerable to cyberthreats

The VDE Renewables report also emphasizes cybersecurity as a top priority in PV systems, noting that as solar technology becomes increasingly digitized and interconnected, unsecure PV systems also become more vulnerable to cyberthreats.

With PV systems now integral to energy infrastructure, the consequences of cyberattacks can extend far beyond individual installations, raising wider concerns around grid security and resilience. In this context, VDE Renewables validated SolarEdge’s strong cybersecurity credentials, recognizing its comprehensive, built-in defence architecture and highlighting its robust cybersecurity mechanisms that mitigate risks associated with cyberthreats.

These mechanisms comply with leading international cybersecurity regulations, including IEC 62443, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and ISO/IEC 27001. Additionally, SolarEdge’s solution includes encrypted communication protocols, secure remote firmware updates, multi-level access control, continuous monitoring, and penetration-tested system architecture.

SolarEdge provides residential solutions bolstering output on complex roofs by 10.5%

VDE Renewables also validated the performance of SolarEdge’s residential solution against leading traditional string inverter systems, even when using multiple MPPTs. The report confirms results that show a 4% increase in energy production on simple (single facet with no shading) rooftops and an impressive 10.5% increase on complex rooftops.

These gains are attributed to SolarEdge’s use of MLPE-based Power Optimizers and advanced Buck and Boost technology. The VDE Renewables report highlights the SolarEdge ONE energy optimization platform that helps maximize saving potentials with support for both fixed and dynamic electricity tariffs, as well as design advantages such as the ability to use longer strings, enabling lower BoS costs and larger systems within the same roof area – further contributing to overall energy yield.

Gruenewald: SolarEdge’s technology demonstrates its strategic market position in safety, cybersecurity, and performance

The report was sponsored by SolarEdge to evaluate its Power Optimizer-based PV system.

Arne Gruenewald, Project Manager Batteries and Energy Storage Systems, VDE Renewables: “Our assessment shows that SolarEdge’s technology demonstrates its strategic market position in safety, cybersecurity, and performance – criteria that are essential for the technology’s long-term viability and trust.”

VDE Group offers quality assurance services for the global renewable energy sector.

Christian Carraro, General Manager Europe, SolarEdge: “We welcome VDE Renewables’ validation of our technology, being a trusted partner for quality assurance, risk minimization and certification. As the solar industry grows and evolves, it’s essential that we continue to prioritize not just performance, but also safety and cybersecurity. This report encourages us to keep raising the bar and deliver technologies that support more powerful and secure energy solutions.“

About SolarEdge

SolarEdge is a global leader in smart energy technology. By leveraging world-class engineering capabilities and with a relentless focus on innovation, SolarEdge creates smart energy solutions that power our lives and drive future progress.

SolarEdge developed an intelligent inverter solution that changed the way power is harvested and managed in photovoltaic systems. The SolarEdge DC-optimized inverter seeks to maximize power generation while lowering the cost of energy produced by the PV system.

Continuing to advance smart energy, SolarEdge addresses a broad range of energy market segments through its PV, storage, EV charging, batteries, and grid services solutions.

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