US chip firm National Semiconductor has unveiled the solar industry's first in-panel chipset, enabling the creation of smart solar panels.

Solar systems often suffer from mismatch, significantly reducing the power output of an array.  The new SM3320 chipset can recoup up to 71% of power lost to mismatch, giving installation owners more predictable power output and increased return on investment.

 

Mike Polacek, senior vice president of National’s Key Market Segments Group, said the company’s power management electronics were already deployed in nearly two-thirds of the inverter and junction box market in the US.

 

“The development of smart panels builds on what National does best – smart power management electronics – to enable higher efficiency, more robust solar systems,” he said.

 

National’s SM3320 is the first analog-intensive power management chipset for in-panel electronics that improves the power output and reliability effectiveness of solar systems.

 

National says it will embed the chipset directly into junction boxes, which already reside on all solar panels.