solar panels -02 (12) United States Patent US 7925,552 B2 utility grid Apr. 12, N POWerPortal (45) Date of Patent: (10) Patent No.

Transcription

1 USOO B2 (12) United Sttes Ptent Trbell et l. () Ptent No.: (45) Dte of Ptent: US 7925,552 B2 Apr. 12, 2011 (54) RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMMONITOR (75) Inventors: Ben Trbell, Plo Alto, CA (US); Peter Rive, Sn Frncisco, CA (US); Chebr Ivn Cooper, Berkeley, CA (US); Rolnd Poklemb, Fremont, CA (US); Nelson Dvid Ho, Fremont, CA (US) (73) Assignee: SolrCity Corportion, Foster City, CA (US) (*) Notice: Subject to ny disclimer, the term of this ptent is extended or djusted under 35 U.S.C. 4(b) by 0 dys. (21) Appl. No.: 12/047,860 (22) Filed: Mr 13, 2008 (65) Prior Publiction Dt US 2009/O A1 Sep. 17, 2009 (51) Int. Cl. G07B I7/00 ( ) GOSC 9/16 ( ) G06F 17/50 ( ) G06F II/00 ( ) (52) U.S. Cl /30; 340/870; 705/7; 702/188 (58) Field of Clssifiction Serch... 34O7870 See ppliction file for complete serch history. (56) References Cited U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 7.336,201 B2 * 2/2008 Green et l , / A1* 7/2002 Gilbreth et l /8O 2004/01179 A1* 6/2004 Shimizu et l , / A1* 12/2009 Beekhuis /7 * cited by exminer Primry Exminer F. Zeender Assistnt Exminer Denisse Ortiz, Romn (57) ABSTRACT Embodiments of the present invention include renewble energy system monitor. In one embodiment, informtion is received in server from Solr power sttions cross net work. The informtion includes opertionl dt for ech Solr power sttion identified by prticulr power sttion identifiction (ID). The informtion is stored in dtbse nd grouped dt groups corresponding different Solr power sttions. Dt groups re processed using different models ssocited with different power sttions to control the differ ent power sttions. Softwre or prmeters my be sent to different devices in the different power sttions to control the power sttions. 18 Clims, 6 Drwing Sheets PowerSttion solr pnels SolrGurd monitor 1 6 electric pnel user electricl lods USer Internet 1 O8 112 N POWerPortl utility grid Internet

2 U.S. Ptent Apr. 12, 2011 Sheet 1 of 6 US 7925,552 B2 11 O Fig. user electricl lods 1 Internet ) USe utility grid Internet demonstrte 2O2 2001) coordinte building mximize rebte & tx permits/ interconnecton return-on incentives inspections dministrtion investment! 2O4 2O O O Fig.2 e

3 s s 4. U.S. Ptent Apr. 12, 2011 Sheet 2 of 6 US 7925,552 B2 community instlltion power purchses s s 3O8 impetus 354 certifying gency 352

4 U.S. Ptent Apr. 12, 2011 Sheet 3 of 6 US 7925,552 B2 4. O2 4O4. 4O1 PowerSttion 4O3 tion POWerSttion 405 POWerSttion -406 PowerSttion Internet PowerSttion L-407 Fig SolrGurd SerWer informtion-fed business models 414 N 400 mintennce -spot trouble -> -remedy problem monitor -power output -forecsts business tuning -System pricing -production forecsts renewble energy certifictes -ccumulte -distribute virtul utility -energy Syndiction -risk portfolio -demnd/lod mngement

5 U.S. Ptent Apr. 12, 2011 Sheet 4 of 6 US 7925,552 B2 Fig.5 5O2 Systems integrtor 506 V rrnge investors/lenders (A 508 engge credit services O collect opertionl dt 512 forecst models 504 Open-membership groups r s s t s s is s 522 s s s s is s s s s e is s es. 's st s distribute: rebtes, tx Credits, profits project mngement s s monitor/troubleshoot s?

6 U.S. Ptent Apr. 12, 2011 Sheet 5 of 6 US 7925,552 B2 VO O) L

7 U.S. Ptent Apr. 12, 2011 Sheet 6 of 6 US 7925,552 B2 VO2 wether sttion Fi C O 7 electricl usge chrge controller revenue metering 7OO 7 Seprte dt group client isitics gs V- Strems by Ho- dt by reports client Ctegories System ops 708 ccummulte power ccount single client dt by Ctegories Sttistics flgs reports ccounting generting 712 using Wu/ net export 714 used Vu/ t further nlysis chrts-grphics generted net exported chrts-grphics

8 1. RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMI MONITOR FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention reltes to renewble energy industry business methods, nd more prticulrly to methods for monitoring renewble energy systems. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Resources like col, oil, nd nturl gs re not renewble, the known reserves re being consumed rpidly, nd burning them nd trnsporting them is mjor cuse of pollution nd environmentl dmge. So, mny people in generl, nd gov ernments in prticulr, re looking for wys to get renewble energy systems lunched nd into minstrem use, both for profit, nd for the environment we ll shre. Mrket revenues for solr, wind, biofuels nd fuel cell clen technologies were S55 billion in 2006 nd re expected to grow to $226 billion by 2016, ccording to industry reserch firm Clen Edge (Mrch 2007). The federl govern ment, utility providers, nd city, stte, nd locl gencies re offering incentives to mke renewble energy more fford ble for consumers. As result, the investment mrket in the United Sttes for energy efficiency is estimted to be $200 billion, ccording to the Americn Council for n Energy Efficient Economy. Photovoltic (PV) solr systems clenly nd silently con Vert Sunlight into electricl energy. System integrtors cn instll Solr pnel rrys t the point of consumption, e.g., on customer's roof or in their side yrd, to void trnsmission losses nd costs. In ddition, the electricity produced my be fed bck to the utility grid t retil rtes, which tend to be much higher thn wholesle rtes. When exposed to strong light, the semiconductor devices in the pnels produce low-voltge direct current (DC) elec tricl power, which is then converted to norml 1/220 volt utility-type lternting current (AC) by n inverter. The mount of energy produced by single instlltion cn be Substntil percentge of, or exceed, tht used by typicl household. But, the up-front investment costs re very high, nd the py-bck period is very long. The verge Americn cnnot fford the expense, nor del with ll the technicl nd legl complexities involved t the strt. Tx incentives cn soften the up-front bite, but they re difficult to understnd nd tke dvntge of nd the govern ment is forever toying with the terms of qulifiction. Mny other technicl nd legl chllenges lso exist, nd mny locl city building deprtments nd locl building trdes lck the eduction, skill nd trining necessry to permit or do the construction. So, mny potentil owners who re lening towrd instlling renewble energy system, get discourged nd do nothing. Typicl residentil systems retil for roughly $9- per wtt DC. An verge home my be ble to Support pnels cpble of supporting n instlltion of 4-5 kilowtt (kw) DC, which gives totl system cost of S4OK-50K. Commer cil systems cn rnge from 5-0 kw DC, or more. Com mercil instlltions re typiclly finnced by third prties, lesed, or the subject of Power Purchse Agreement (PPA) or energy services contrct. But, homeowners lmost lwys py csh for their systems, from svings or home equity line of credit (HELOC) or other debt-like instruments. This lrge cpitl requirement further restrict how mny homes ctully get solr system instlled. As rule of thumb, ech instlled DC kw will produce roughly 1,500 AC kilowtt-hours (kwh) per yer. Such cn US 7,925,552 B vry by ltitude, roof orienttion, wether, etc. Depending on the seson, time of dy, nd locl utility triffs, customer cn expect to py $0.05-S0.35 per kwh. Customers with lrge houses in hot climtes tend to hve significnt electricity bills due to hevy use of their ir conditioning systems; Summer bills cn esily exceed $400 per month. Utility customers cn use the solr output to reduce their use of utility power, nd in mny res cn sell bck excess power to the utility. Federl, stte, nd locl governments, utilities, nd gen cies hve put in plce significnt finncil incentives for org niztions tht instll Solr systems. Such incentives cn offset the initil cpitl investment required to get n orgniztion up nd running on Solr power. In ddition, mny sttes hve creted progrms to encourge the Switch to Solr power. Cliforni, New Jersey, New York, nd Arizon ll hve inno Vtive progrms, nd other sttes re quickly following Suit, e.g., see, Dtbse of Stte Incentives for Renewble Energy (DSIRE) ( For exmple, the Cliforni Solr Inititive (CSI) is n incentive offered to help commercil, government, non-for profit nd residentil customers cquire nd py for renew ble energy systems. The type of incentive wrded by the progrm depends upon the size of the system instlled. Most government nd non-profit orgniztions re eligible for per formnce-bsed incentives tht re pid in monthly instll ments bsed on the expected or ctul recorded kwh of solr power produced over five-yer period. The more solr energy produced, the higher the pyment. At the federl level, tx-pying system owners re cur rently eligible to relize up to 30% of the system costs tx credit ginst their federl tx. Alterntive minimum tx is not offset. The credit is generlly not vilble to foreign entities, government gencies, non-profits, nd non-us-txpyers. The credit is presently cpped t S2,000 for residences. Ech system owner is generlly lso llowed to tke five yer MACRS deprecition, with tx bsis of 85% of the system cost. But, homeowners in prticulr cnnot deprecite ny elements of their residence. The current federl tx credit is set to expire t the end of 2008, unless n extension is pssed. The Cliforni CSI progrm provides for rebtes to the system owner, bsed on the owners tx sttus nd the size of the system. Lrge systems receive Performnce Bsed Incentive (PBI) rebte over five yers, bsed on ctul kwh. production. Smller (<50) commercil nd residentil sys tems receive the rebte s lump sum in n Expected Perfor mnce Bsed Buydown (EPBB) lmost immeditely fter the system is plced into service. These rebtes re reduced in steps s more people prtici pte in the progrm. The current sttus cn be found online t Some locl municipl utility compnies do not prticipte in the stte incentive progrm, while others promote their own unique incentive structures. In other sttes nd utility districts, such s Oregon or North Crolin, incentives my include stte tx credits, while in other locles, the incentives my be bsed on the RPS incen tives or other methodologies. In both Cliforni nd Federl progrms, the system must be held by the originl system owner for t lest five yers to clim the full tx credit. Erly trnsfer my result in n IRS recpture of pro-rt shre of the credits the benefits. Dt on recent pplictions to the CA Stte progrm, (see indicte tht System integrtors, not homeowners themselves, were the lrgest residentil instll ers in Cliforni in 2007 YTD, both in terms of number of

9 3 dels nd kw instlled. The dt lso provide useful reference points on S/W rtes cross the industry; S9-/Wtt seems firly typicl. Compnies like MMA Renewble Ventures nd SunEdi son re now providing third-prty finnce Solutions for renewble energy projects. These compnies re investing in Solr, wind, biofuels, biomss, biogs, nd geotherml energy genertion. MMA Renewble Ventures sys it is ble to offer customers nd energy project developers Substntil, consis tent, relible investment cpitl to meet nd help drive grow ing demnd. Such compnies enble customers to tke dvntge of predictbly priced clen energy, nd to overcome the prohibi tive costs of instlltion nd ongoing system mintennce. In third-prty proprietry finncing model, compny such s MMA Renewble Ventures owns, opertes, nd mintins renewble energy fcilities. It sells the electricity to its cus tomers under the terms of solr services greement (SSA) tht contrcts the electricity produced t fixed rte. Other compnies prtner with top-tier investors, project developers, nd customers to build distributed clen energy genertion plnts. They then sell electricity nd, optionlly, renewble energy credits to site-host under power purchse gree ment (PPA). By offering comprehensive energy efficiency project finncing, customers void up-front costs, nd projects re often csh flow positive from the strt of com mercil opertion. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly, renewble energy monitoring system embodi ment of the present invention collects strems of inform tionl reports from remote renewble energy systems. It sep rtes the dt strems by client, nd client identifiction, in order to templte such dt strems onto models of clients equipment configurtions nd topologies. The system sorts nd groups client dt by ctegories, so worksttions cn be employed to ccess sttistics, monitor opertionl flgs, ini tite/disply reports, nd control system opertions. Prticu lr client/user informtion is ccumulted nd ssembled on per ccount bsis to issue client sttements, revenue checks, invoices, nd controls, wherein, hedqurters worksttions cn be used to ccess single-client sttistics, monitor oper tionl flgs, initite/disply reports, nd engge pybles, receivbles, nd generl ledger ccounting opertions. Selected informtion is posted to the Internet on webpge for respective users, so ech user cn query how much elec tricity they re generting/using, nd the net mount they re exporting, how much money they re sving, nd the envi ronmentl benefits. Vrious kinds of chrts nd grphics re rendered in HTML to mke the dt esy to nvigte, bsorb nd understnd. An dvntge of the present invention is tht mintennce business model is provided tht looks for opertionl nom lies tht could indicte trouble or developing problems. Rem edies re provided tht either fix the problems using remote communictions, or send repir crews to tke cre of the problem. Another dvntge of the present invention is tht sles business model is provided tht provides informtion tht cn be used to shrpen pricing formuls nd product nd system performnce forecsts. An dvntge of the present invention is tht performnce monitoring business model is provided tht is ccessible by the user to see how well one s own system is doing, nd to check on nd control their own energy production ccount. US 7,925,552 B Another dvntge of the present invention is tht renew bly energy certificte business model is provided tht ccu multes the Smll shres of qulifying energy produced by mny Smll Solr instlltions into the minimum unit sizes tht cn be certified, trded nd sold. An dvntge of the present invention is tht virtul utility business model is provided tht llows individul solr instlltions to be grouped together into coopertive or portfolio, where power production, equipment repirs nd downtime, incentives, nd energy contrcts re mnged s single entity, including ll ssocited costs, benefits, nd risks. Another dvntge of the present invention is tht busi ness tuning business model is provided tht provides the feedbck to the opertion of Solr energy instlltion nd instller tht is useful in tuning for better efficiency nd economy. An dvntge of the present invention is tht business model is provided tht Slvges the tx-dvntges nd ben efits tht would otherwise be lost by solr instlltions tht re too smll or non-qulifying into groups nd leseholds tht cn be operted on lrger scle to ttrct better construction nd opertion cpitl, nd qulify for vrious government tx incentives, clen energy progrms, ggregtion of REC's, Greentgs, nd other environmentl llownces. Another dvntge of the present invention is tht busi ness model is provided for building utomtion nd controls driven by the SolrGurd pltform. For exmple thermostt, HVAC controls, lighting controls, pplinces-control bsed on rel-time energy pricing or pek lod constrints, etc. These nd other objects nd dvntges of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinry skill in the rt fter hving red the following detiled descrip tion of the preferred embodiments which re illustrted in the drwing figure. IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is functionl block digrm of business model embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 represents n dministrtive services embodiment of the present invention, nd comprises demonstrting finn cil vlue nd coordinting rebte nd tx incentives to rrnge for finncing: FIG. 3A represents community instlltion comprising individul PowerSttions. The individul users of re bnded together in community project by system integrtor, FIG.3B represents vrition on community instlltion in which employees of n employer re provided with discounted Solr system s perquisite, nd the employer benefits from renewble energy credits (RECs); FIG. 4 represents SolrGurd system embodiment of the present invention, mny PowerSttions produce renewble energy from the Sun, nd ech hs SolrGurd monitor tht reports key operting informtion bout their prticulr sys tems; FIG. 5 represents n in-field sles method of operting Solr energy business; FIG. 6 represents n instller services business model embodiment of the present invention; nd FIG. 7 is flowchrt digrm representing monitoring system tht opertes from centrl server. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 represents PowerSttionTM embodiment of the present invention, nd is referred to herein by the generl

10 5 reference numerl 0. PowerSttion 0 is typiclly locted t n owner's home, nd comprises photovoltic Solr pnels 2 tht convert sunlight into low-voltge DC. The DC cn be stored in btteries, or it cn be further converted into, e.g., 1 VAC, 220 VAC, or 480 VAC, by n inverter 4. An electric pnel, or breker box. 6 hs the fuses nd circuit brekers tht distribute electricity to the user's electricl lods. Any excess electricl power from the inverter 4 will push bck through utility meter 8, nd cn ctully run it bckwrds. A utility grid my be under contrct or other legl obligtion to ccept nd py for Such excess power produced. Often retil rtes pply. A SolrGurdTM monitor 1 trcks the performnce of the Solr system nd reports the dt to centrl loction over the Internet. The monitoring mkes Sure the system is producing Solr energy t optimum levels, nd computed dt is mde vilble on webpge. A PowerPortlTM 112 llows users to log into secure website to check the system performnce, s reported by the SolrGurd monitor 1. Users cn find out how much power the system is generting t ny time. Ech PowerSttion 0 cn be stndrdized or unique, configured to the custom specifictions of ech user. In business model embodiment of the present invention, sys tem integrtor goes to the loction to determine the best size, mounting rrngement nd positioning for the PowerSttion 0. A detiled design nd instlltion pln cn then be engi neered. PowerSttions 0 work in prllel with the electric utility grid, llowing electricity to be generted during the dy, nd lods to drw from the grid during the night. In mny res, the system integrtor sets up net metering reltionship with the locl utility, enbling users to sell excess power bck to the utility during pek hours when rtes re high, nd to buy electricity during non-pek hours when the rtes re low. FIG. 2 represents n dministrtive services embodiment of the present invention, nd is referred to herein by the generl reference numerl 200. Administrtive services 200 comprises demonstrting finncil vlue 202 nd coordint ing rebte nd tx incentives 204 to rrnge for finncing 206. Plns re submitted so building permits nd inspections 208 cn be obtined for construction 2 of the solr system, s in FIG.1. The involved utilities re coordinted with intercon nection dministrtion 212 nd the Solr system is put into opertion 214. A return-on-investment (ROI) is mximized 216 nd mintennce 218 service my be negotited. At n end-of-life 220, or end-of-lese, the full vlue of the instll tion of the solr system is relized for the user, the lender, the system integrtor, nd the government Demonstrting the finncil vlue 202 includes sending experts to the site nd discovering how energy is used. The finncil incentives vilble re identified, including rebtes, tx, nd specil progrms tht user or their business my be eligible. The system integrtor obtins nd completes the pperwork nd follow-up required to receive stte rebtes. The finncing cn include floting rebte incentives, by only billing for the post-rebte mounts. Tx documenttion is provided to enble tx dvisor to file the pproprite tx returns to tke dvntge of the vilble tx credits nd deductions. Building permits, inspections, nd ll interc tions with locl permit offices re coordinted by the system integrtor, nd representtives re present during the finl site inspection to del with ny issues tht come up. The system integrtor further initites the necessry gree ments with the locl utility compny nd schedules the required site inspections. A pyment strtegy is tilored to meet the user's needs nd designed to mke good finncil sense well into the future. US 7,925,552 B The SolrGurd monitor 1 enbles continuous monitor ing of the key performnce vribles of the system, nd trns mit the dt through the Internet to specilized servers. If the system is underperforming, lerts re sent to cll ttention to the sitution. The collected dt is ccessible online for cus tomers or other pproved entities to view. During the investigtion nd design phse, n expert my consult on how the user cn lower their energy consumption nd increse the svings. Ech energy efficiency expert evlu tes the insultion, ill-fitting windows nd doors, old nd outdted light fixtures, thermostt settings, office equipment with go power-sve modes when not in use, occupncy sen sors tht utomticlly turn offlights when room is vcted, heting nd cooling systems, nd which utility rte schedule will be optiml. Finnce products include power purchse greements (PPA's) nd leses. Non-txble customers re provided with Solr energy power nd monthly pyments tht re often less thn their current utility bill, with little or no up-front costs nd off-blnce sheet solutions. The PPA's help gurd com pny ginst the destbilizing effects of rising utility prices. The orgniztion s riskis reduced by pying only for wht the system produces under the PPA or lese. Public nd non-profit orgniztions cn implicitly benefit from the tx incentives for which they would otherwise not be eligible, nd rebtes vilble through locl, stte, nd federl governments. These incentives re significnt, nd cn mount to more thn 75% of the totl system cost. Generting clen energy hs socil utility nd cn pro duce goodwill tht trnsltes directly into better business. One return-on-investment (ROI) on solr system comes from the voided cost of utility bills tht would hve been pid insted of Solr power. Most orgniztions see returns of 8-% on their solr investments. In Cliforni, where grid electricity costs hve consistently risen by more thn 5% per yer, the ROI cn be even better. The cost of solr instll tion cn usully be recovered within 5-7 yers, depending on where the customer's fcility is locted, nd how much elec tricity they use. Utility compnies will often bill customers with tiered rtes or time-of-use, rther thn on flt fee bsis. For tiered rte, the pln begins with bseline lloction of power. The more units of electricity customers consume bove tht bseline, the more they py per unit. Solr power replces the higher-tiered power first by tking the lod off the top. Cus tomers cn thus experience significnt svings immeditely. When users switch to solr power in certin jurisdictions, such s in investor owned utilities in Cliforni, they cn be converted to time-of-use billing system. The rtes re higher during pek hours thn during off-pek hours. The Solr sys tem will produce when the Sun is brightest nd the dy is hottest, hevy ir conditioner use nd power demnd on the grid mkes these the pek times. Any power in excess of wht they use is sold bck to the utility grid t retil prices. At night, the Solr system stops producing, but the users drw from the grid t much lower off-pek prices. During the spring nd Summer months, customers cn ccumulte credits. These cn be used to offset the customer's energy use during the winter months with its shorter dylight periods. Finnce leses, e.g., cpitl leses, conditionl sles, or dollr buy out leses, my work best if the solr power user intends to keep the equipment fter the end of the lese. The min dvntge of this type of lese is tht it gives the user the option to purchse the equipment for nominl fee. Pyment terms on finnce leses tend to lst close to the expected useful life of the equipment.

11 7 True leses, lso clled tx leses, operting leses, or fir mrket vlue (FMV) leses, do not typiclly lst s long s the full expected life of the equipment. At the end of the lese, the user cn choose to hve the equipment removed without incurring further obligtions, or purchse it t fir mrket vlue. Pyments on true leses generlly tend to be lower thn those on finnce leses. The lessors hve the opportunity to resell the equipment when the lese ends. One of the min benefits of true leses is tht lessors my be ble to fully deduct their lese pyments nd clim incentives which ccrue to the equipment owner for tx purposes; these svings cn be pssed on to the lessee in the form of lower rents. In contrst, the IRS considers finnce leses little more thn instllment purchse plns. As result, lthough finnce leses let customers spred the customer's pyments over time, they re not tx dvntged in the wy true leses re, nd lessees frequently cnnot utilize the tx incentives vil ble to them. A leverged lese is tx-dvntged, sset-bsed finnc ing tht typiclly qulifies s n operting lese for ccount ing purposes, nd true lese for tx purposes. It cn provide 7-30 yers of off-blnce sheet finncing priced below the lessee's lterntive borrowing rte. In leverged lese, trust is estblished with equity nd non-recourse debt com ponents. The trnsction is structured such tht the equity investor is considered to be the owner of the equipment, both for ccounting nd tx purposes. From the lessee's perspec tive, the lese is n off-blnce sheet finncing with footnote disclosures. A leverged lese llows high-grde credit lessees to tke dvntge of their low cost of cpitl to chieve low stble rentl rtes over -25 yer term. The system integrtor rrnges high leverge debt finncing bsed upon the qulity of the lese nd user's credit rting. This ttrctive debt finncing usully results in lower cost of cpitl to the system integrtor nd therefore lower lese rte for the user. If the trnsction meets minimum size requirements nd includes rpidly deprecible items, tx dvntged equities cn be provided to the project thereby further lowering the user's lese rte. Similr to the conventionl lese, lever ged lese is usully structured to qulify s n operting lese in ccordnce with Generlly Accepted Accounting Principls (GAAP). A lese which qulifies under finncil ccounting stn drds FASB 13 s n operting lese, hs the following four criteri: (1) The lese term does not exceed 75% of the useful life of the equipment, (2) Title to the equipment does not utomticlly pss to the lessee t the end of the lese term, (3) The lese cn not hve brgin purchse option, nd (4) The present vlue of the minimum rentls must be less thn 90% of the equipment cost. An operting lese my not dd blnce sheet sset or libility, nd the rentl pyments re treted s n operting expense. A True Lese is not neces srily n Operting Lese. A structured operting lese cn men the lowest possible cost for corporte client due to its use of vrible interest rte, lck of mortiztion, nd its short term. This lese type requires the lessee to mintin complete economic control of the property s well s ccept ll economic risks nd rewrds of ownership. Unique to this structure, the lessee mintins responsibility for the residul vlue of the sset t the end of the lese. At the end of the initil lese term, the lessee cn either renew the lese t the then previling rtes nd terms, purchse the property for the initil development or cquisi tion cost, or sell the property nd generte either gin or loss bsed upon the vlue t the time the option is exercised. This lese/finncing lterntive is structured to qulify s n oper US 7,925,552 B ting lese in ccordnce GAAP. It cn lso be bsed upon fixed rte, which results in slightly higher lese rte. This lterntive is not vilble for properties previously owned by the corporte client. Consequently, sle-lesebck trnsc tions cnnot be rrnged using this lterntive. A single investor lese (SIL) is tx-dvntged sset bsed finncing which typiclly qulifies s n operting lese for ccounting purposes nd true lese for tx pur poses. Depending on the customer's position, the SIL cn provide 7-25 yers of off-blnce-sheet finncing priced below the client s lterntive borrowing rte. The trnsction is structured so the lessee is not considered the owner for either ccounting or tx purposes. From the lessee's perspec tive, the lese is off-blnce sheet finncing with footnote disclosure. Such product is pplicble for new nd used equipment, project finncings nd some forms of rel estte. Benefits to customers cn include improved ernings through lower rentl pyments, hedging ginst equipment obsoles cence, ttrctive fter-tx finncing rtes, nd diversifiction of funding sources. In business model embodiment of the present invention, typicl system integrtor purchses the mjor components for renewble energy system from lrge, estblished ven dors. Solr pnels usully hve mnufcturers wrrnty of -25 yers, nd the inverters re typiclly wrrnteed for 5- yers. Such hrdwre presently represents bout 50% of the totl system cost. A user 8 could be required to cover the cost of n inverter replcement fter the inverter's wrrnty expires. The power output of typicl Solr pnel degrdes bout 0.5% per yer, nd will likely provide useful life of thirty yers. The system integrtor or 3" prty, provides some well defined repir nd mintennce functions during the life of the instlltion. The operting performnce of ech instll tion is remotely monitored, e.g., to nticipte brekdowns nd interruptions of revenue erning. Ech project generlly requires insurnce ginst risk of theft, dmge, etc. Leses re generlly more complex thn stndrd pur chse. But, leses llow customers to relize the best possible svings on going Solr, nd they llow the customer to void Substntil upfront cpitl costs of instlling solr system. The benefit of federl incentives, which would otherwise go unclimed, cn be split between the customer, system inte grtor, nd the investor. For tx purposes, such leses must qulify s n operting lese. For generlly ccepted ccount ing procedure (GAAP) purposes, such leses cn lso qulify s n operting lese, lthough it my be possible to obtin different tretment for GAAP thn for tx ccounting. System integrtor leses re secured by the equipment, nd my be structured to be secured by lien on the underlying rel estte. Ech potentil lessee/customer is screened to meet credit cceptnce criteri. During the lese period, the cus tomer mkes lese pyments. The pyments my be flt cross the life of the lese, or they my be structured to esclte over time in step with energy cost infltion or some other index. At round $200/month, depending on system size, mny typicl homeowners will find tht they cn ct in n environmentlly nd Socilly responsible wy while spending the sme, or less, on electricity costs. Residentil customers re given fir mrket vlue buyout options, which re priced so tht they would not fil one of the cpitl lese tests. At the end of the lese, ech customer cn choose to extend the lese nd continue mking pyments, purchse the system t fir mrket vlue, or end the rel tionship nd return the equipment. Mking existing equipment more energy efficient is one wy to meet growing energy demnd. Energy efficiency

12 projects cn improve profits, help void power outges, nd dely the need for new power plnts. The nnul mrket for energy efficiency in the USA hs been estimted t S200 billion. Typicl energy efficiency projects hve pybck peri ods of five yers or less. Energy efficient equipment cn lso increse property vlues. A commercil building owner cn generte S2-S3 in dded sset vlue for every one dollr invested in energy efficiency. In business model embodiment of the present invention, system integrtor finnces, owns nd/or mnges non-resi dentil energy efficiency projects. Combined energy effi ciency retrofit projects for investment cn include heting, ventiltion nd ir conditioning (HVAC), high-efficiency lighting, motor nd pump replcements, high-efficiency refrigertion systems, energy mngement nd controls sys tems, high efficiency cogenertion systems, boiler nd fur nce replcements, etc. Up to one hundred percent of the finncing for the cpitl cost of project cn be provided so customers re not required to mke ny significnt project cpitl outlys. Whenever possible, efficiency projects re integrted with Solr or other renewble energy systems, to better mximize combined eco nomic, environmentl nd investment benefits. A power purchse greement (PPA) embodiment of the present invention includes service contrct between the system integrtor nd customer. The system integrtor grees to finnce, own nd operte Solr energy system t the customer's loction nd sell the electricity it genertes to the customer for pre-determined period. The system inte grtor grees to offlod the entire process of permitting, designing, procuring, nd instlling the system. It owns nd opertes the System, including opertions, mintennce, nd insurnce. The customer hs the option to buy the system. The customer provides n instlltion site, nd ccess to site for opertions nd mintennce, e.g., by lnd lese or recorded esement. Such projects cn be csh flow positive from dy one, s the customer only pys for power the system gener tes, nd benefits from long-term fixed energy price for the full term of the contrct. On the subject of the kinds of leses tht would qulify for tx dvntges, FASB 13, Accounting for Leses, estblishes stndrds of finncil ccounting nd reporting for leses by lessees nd lessors. For lessees, lese is finncing trnsction clled cpitl lese if it meets ny one of four specified criteri. If not, it is n operting lese. Cpitl leses re treted s the cquisition of ssets nd the incurrence of obligtions by the lessee. Operting leses re treted s current operting expenses. For lessors, finncing trnsction lese is clssified s sles-type, direct finncing, or leverged lese. To be sles-type, direct finncing, or leverged lese, the lese must meet one of the sme criteri used for lessees to clssify lese s cpitl lese, in ddi tion to two criteri deling with future uncertinties. Lever ged leses lso hve to meet further criteri. These types of leses re recorded s investments under different specific tions for ech type of lese. Leses not meeting the criteri re considered operting leses nd re ccounted for like rentl property. Operting leses re ccounted for by the lessor in three wys. The lesed property is included with or ner property, plnt, nd equipment in the blnce sheet. The property is deprecited ccording to the lessor's norml deprecition policy, nd in the blnce sheet the ccumulted deprecition is deducted from the investment in the lesed property. Or, rents re reported s income over the lese term s it becomes receivble ccording to the provisions of the lese. However, if the rentls vry from stright-line bsis, the income re recognized on stright-line bsis unless nother US 7,925,552 B systemtic nd rtionl bsis is more representtive of the time pttern in which use benefit from the lesed property is diminished, in which cse tht bsis re used. Lstly, initil direct costs re deferred nd llocted over the lese term in proportion to the recognition of rentl income. However, initil direct costs my be chrged to expense s incurred if the effect is not mterilly different from tht which would hve resulted from the use of the method prescribed in the preceding sentence. Embodiments of the present invention re not limited to these specific kinds of leses, since lesing rules cn chnge significntly in the future. The sle of property Subject to n operting lese, or of property tht is lesed by or intended to be lesed by the third-prty purchser to nother prty, is not treted s sle if the seller or ny prty relted to the seller retins substntil risks of ownership in the lesed property. A seller my, by vrious rrngements, ssure recovery of the investment by the third-prty purchser in some operting lese trnsctions nd thus retin Substntil risks in connec tion with the property. For exmple, in the cse of defult by the lessee or termintion of the lese, the rrngements my involve forml or informl commitment by the seller to () cquire the lese or the property, (b) Substitute n existing lese, or (c) secure replcement lessee or buyer for the property under remrketing greement. However, remrketing greement by itself does not disqulify ccounting for the trnsction s sle if the seller () will receive resonble fee commensurte with the effort involved t the time of securing replcement lessee or buyer for the property nd (b) is not required to give priority to the re-lesing or disposition of the property owned by the third-prty pur chser over similr property owned or produced by the seller. For exmple, first-in, first-out remrketing rrngement is considered to be priority. If sle to third prty of property Subject to n operting lese or of property tht is lesed by or intended to be lesed by the third-prty purchser to nother prty is not to be recorded s sle, the trnsction re ccounted for s borrowing. Trnsctions of these types re in effect collter lized borrowings. The proceeds from the sle re recorded s n obligtion on the books of the seller. Until tht obligtion hs been mortized under the procedure described herein, rentl pyments mde by the lessee(s) under the operting lese or leses re recorded s revenue by the seller, even if Such rentls re pid directly to the third-prty purchser. A portion of ech rentl my be recorded by the seller s interest expense, with the reminder to be recorded s reduc tion of the obligtion. The interest expense re clculted by ppliction of rte determined in ccordnce with the pro visions of APB Opinion No. 21, Interest on Receivbles nd Pybles, prgrphs 13 nd 14. The lesed property is ccounted for, s prescribed in prgrph 19() for n oper ting lese, except tht the term over which the sset is depre cited re limited to the estimted mortiztion period of the obligtion. The sle or ssignment by the lessor of lese pyments due under n operting lese re ccounted for s borrowing. Solr cn be n expensive, complex undertking if ech homeowner tries to clculte the return on mjor invest ment, find relible instller, nd lern bout inverters nd time-of-use metering. The shred knowledge nd cmrde rie of community progrm mkes ech project much esier nd more profitble.

13 11 FIG.3A represents community instlltion 300 compris ing individul PowerSttions The individul users of PowerSttions re bnded together in commu nity project by system integrtor 306. Vrious equipment suppliers 308 nd 3 re contrcted by the system integrtor 306 to Supply the necessry components for the construction of PowerSttions t substntil discount. Dis counts re possible becuse of the Volume of equipment involved in single contrct, the geogrphicl proximity of multiple ccounts, nd in respect of n on-going business reltionship between system integrtor 306 nd equipment suppliers 308 nd 3. Similrly, system integrtor 306 enters into power purchse greements (PPA) with power utility 312 in which the individul users of PowerSttions sell their excess energy in lrge contrcts otherwise only possible between utilities. Community efforts go long wy towrd bringing Solr energy to the msses nd mking bigger difference in the fight ginst globl wrming. The bulk discounts men home owners benefit from economies of scle, mking it cheper to convert to Solr nd quicker to receive pybck on the investment. Consumer wreness bout Solr power increses, which ids future sles efforts. By signing up clusters of homes, the system integrtor 306 benefits from economies of scle in equipment purchses, engineering, instlltion nd permitting. In typicl progrm, community 300 tht collectively purchses totl of 175 kilowtts of Solr cpcity cn qulify for discounts off mr ket prices for equipment nd instlltion. A typicl home under the progrm would thus py round $8.00 wtt for three kilowttsolr system, compred to mrket price of S wtt for the sme Solr system. After fctoring-in stte rebte nd federl tx credits for Solr energy, nd the cost of city permits, the totl investment would be substntilly reduced. By generting their own power nd selling excess powerbck to the grid, homeowners cn shrply lower or eliminte their electric utility bills. FIG. 3B represents vrition on community instlltion 300. An employee group 350 includes individul instlltion, e.g., s represented PowerSttions The individul users of PowerSttions re employees of n employer 352 who wnts to provide perquisites to its employ ees nd benefit, e.g., from renewble energy credits (RECs). The instlltions re gthered together in group project by system integrtor 306. A certifying gency 354 empowers the system integrtor 306 to Verify energy production, ggregte prtil RECs, nd certify the REC's it issues to the employer 352. FIG. 4 represents SolrGurd system embodiment of the present invention, nd is referred to herein by the generl reference numerl 400. System 400 communictes with mny PowerSttions tht produce renewble energy from the sun. Such solr power instlltions re like tht described in FIG. 1, nd ech cn be relted to the other by loction, who ws their system integrtor, who ws their finncer, who ws their lessor, community interests, government jurisdiction, etc. Ech hs SolrGurd monitor 1 (FIG. 1) tht reports key operting informtion bout their prticulr systems. For exmple, dt reports cn be collected periodiclly bout current/voltge/power coming from the Solr pnels 2 (FIG. 1), outside tempertures t their respective loctions, operting temperture of the inverter 4 (FIG. 1), user elec tricl lods supplied by electricl pnel 6 (FIG. 1), utility meter 8 redings, condition of the utility grid t tht feed point, occupncy sensors, building temperture, etc. The informtion collected is identified by sttion ID nd forwrds through the Internet 4 to SolrGurd server 412. The dt collected is seprted nd post-processed for sev erl different informtion-fed business models. Such busi ness models include mintennce 414, monitoring 416, busi US 7,925,552 B ness tuning 418, renewble energy certificte progrms 420, virtul utility 422, performnce gurntees, insurnce, dt sles, etc. Mintennce business model 414 opertes to spot trouble in the equipment, or the wy its being operted, t ech PowerSttion Ech of the dt points being moni tored hs norml rnge, nd excursions outside these norml bnds cn be n erly signl of trouble. However, some me Sures normlly fluctute s dependent vribles on Some inde pendent vrible. For exmple, the time-of-dy nd dy-of the-yer control whether there should be ny sunlight t ll. The solr pnels 2 cnnot be expected to produce n elec tricl output between locl sunset nd sunrise. But if the solr pnels 2 re not producing during dylight hours, then there my be problem tht needs to be nlyzed or investi gted further. Solr pnel power output mesurements cn lso be compred to locl wether, other sensor mesure ments, pst mesurements, verges, nd wht other nerby PowerSttions re doing t the moment. Mintennce business model 414 opertes to remedy trouble. In some cses, the trouble might be fixed by down loding new softwre or prmeters to the respective Solr Gurd monitor 1, or inverter. In other cses, n emil or phone cll to the user might do it. In more serious or difficult situtions, repir crew cn be sent out. Mintennce business model 414 my lso collect nd nlyze long-term trends to spot equipment Supply problems, user misunderstndings, nd reclls nd retrofits. Conven tionl methods could be used in suitble mintennce pro grm. Monitoring business model 416 opertes to monitor power output from prticulr instlltions nd to help shrpen fore csts of wht these systems re relly cpble of. The dt collected cn be nlyzed nd used in Sles to tell customers wht they cn expect in the wy of performnce nd up-time, nd in power-purchse-greements to confidently contrct for mximum production commitments. Monitoring business model 416 further opertes to lod mnge power t discrete instlltions, e.g., to blnce lods mongst instlltions in n re during pek times, or to shift lods from pek times to off-pek times t prticulr loc tions. Business tuning business model 418 collects informtion to help the sles deprtment give better pricing estimtes nd fit the expected energy production to the customer's needs. Renewble energy certificte business model 420 ccumu ltes, distributes, or otherwise sells green tgs'. According to Wikipedi, renewble energy certifictes (RECs), lso known s green tgs, renewble energy credits, or trdble renewble certifictes (TRC s), re trdble environmentl commodities tht represent proof tht one megwtt-hour (MWh) of electricity ws generted from n eligible renew ble energy resource. Before the present invention, it wsn t possible or prcticl for smll individul Solr system instl ltion to prticipte in REC trding mrkets These certifictes cn be sold nd trded nd the new owner of the REC cn clim to hve purchsed renewble energy. While trditionl crbon emissions trding progrms pro mote low-crbon technologies by incresing the cost of emit ting crbon, REC s cn incentivize crbon-neutrl renewble energy by providing production Subsidy to electricity gen erted from renewble sources. Wikipedi sys, in sttes which hve REC progrm, green energy provider is credited with one REC for every 1,000 kwh or one MWh of electricity it produces. An verge residentil customer consumes bout 800 kwh in month. A certifying gency gives ech REC unique identifiction number to mke Sure it doesn t get double-counted. The green energy is then fed into the electricl grid, nd the ccomp nying REC cn then be sold on the open mrket.

14 13 According to the Green Power Network, prices of REC s cn fluctute gretly (2006: from S5-$90 per MWh, medin bout $20). Prices depend on mny fctors, such s the loc tion of the fcility producing the RECs, whether there is tight supply/demnd sitution, whether the REC is used for RPS complince, even the type of power creted. While the vlue of REC's fluctute, most sellers re leglly obligted to deliver REC s to their customers within few months of their genertion dte. Other orgniztions will sell s mny REC's s possible nd then use the funds to gurntee specific fixed price per MWh generted by future wind frm, for exmple, or mking the building of Solr power home finncilly vible. The income provided by REC's, nd long-term stbilized mrket for tgs cn generte the dditionl incentive needed to buildrenewble energy systems. One of the few non-profit U.S. orgniztions tht sell RECs, Bonneville Environmentl Foundtion ws instrumentl in strting the mrket for RECs with their Green Tg product. They use the profits from Green Tgs to build community Solr nd wind projects nd to fund wtershed restortion. Another non-profit currently selling RECs is Conservtion Services Group, which sells Climte SAVE RECs generted from wind, solr, nd hydropower. The virtul utility business model 422 llows for the org niztion of energy syndictions, risk portfolios, nd demnd/ lod mngement. Some or ll of the PowerSttions cn be brought together in collective in which they produce nd demnd power in coordinted fshion. The collective cn enter into energy shring nd usge contrcts with the locl utility, nd thus be ble to buy off-pek power nd sell on-pek power t ttrctive rtes tht re better thn ny individul or single business could mnge on their own. In risk portfolio, the PowerSttions cn ll be brought together in form of group insurnce tht protects ech one of them from individul equipment filures nd loss of production. The expense nd risk of point filures is shred by ll. In demnd/lod mngement model, virtul utility con trcts with utility to limit individul point demnd or totl demnd from utility. It my gree to rolling outges, etc. Controls cn be instlled t ech site to shed lods tht re optionl or discretionry, on request, or utomticlly. FIG. 5 represents method of operting business, nd is referred to herein by the generl reference numerl 500. A systems integrtor 502 is engged in the business of selling, instlling, nd operting renewble energy systems for indi vidul users 504. For exmple, typicl user 504 would be the resident of single-fmily home in the suburbs. The system opertor 502 prerrnges investors nd lenders in nticiption of sles, in step 506. Credit services re engged in step 508 tht would llow the system integrtor 502 to secure lending nd/or investment commitments, e.g., over the phone, while in the field t user's home. These could be supported by portble computers nd wireless Inter net ccess. The system opertor 502 hs n on-going pro grm, in step 5, to collect operting dt bout the per formnce of its previously instlled systems, e.g., s described in connection with FIG. 4. Such dt is nlyzed to produce forecst models in step 512 for vrious proposed systems. Open-membership groups re creted in step 514 tht would llow new user 504 to join-in on preexisting virtul utility, PPA, community instlltion, etc. In step 516, new user 504 shows interest nd/or inves tigtes the purchse of solr system, e.g., s in FIGS The system integrtor 502 mkes n in-field sles cll 518 in which the costs/benefits re described, nd pro-form sys tems configurtions nd performnce/benefit forecsts re US 7,925,552 B demonstrted. For exmple, with the help of portble per sonl computer nd wireless Internet. If sold, the user 504 mkes commitment 520 nd signs contrct 522. Credit services 508 re used on-the-spot in the field to fund/close the del, nd the new user 504 joins the open-membership group to shre in their collective benefits. Method 500 genertes ll the necessry contrcts, rebte coupons, renewble energy certifictes, tx credit forms nd Supporting documenttion, in step 524, nd distributes these nd the profits to the vrious stkeholders. The Solr system, e.g., is instlled in step 526 with project mngement 528 provided by the system integrtor 502. Dur ing use 530, the system instlltion is monitored in step 532 nd troubleshooting is used to ccess ny nomlies. Repirs 534 re effectuted, e.g., by service clls 536. FIG. 6 represents n instller services business model embodiment of the present invention, nd is referred to herein by the generl reference numerl 600. A first group 6 of solr instlltions is represented by user systems These re instlled by smll instller 616. A second group 620 of solr instlltions is represented by user systems These re instlled by nother smll instller 626. Instllers 616 nd 626 do not operte on lrge enough scle to hve significnt degree of brgining power with Suppli ers, utilities, investors, finncil institutions, etc. They my lso lck the Sophisticted tools, models, nd monitoring fcilities tht lrge system integrtor 630 hs. So, system integrtor 630 provides or coordintes finncil, legl, busi ness, nd other services tht they hve brgined for with finncil, legl, business nd other institutions 632, 634, 636, etc. Ech smll instller 616 nd 626 my be supplied by their own suppliers 640 nd 642, but the mrket power exerted by lrge system integrtor 630 llows it to use specil reltion ship or greement with Supplier 642 to provide specil equip ment t ttrctive discounts. FIG. 7 represents monitoring system 700 tht opertes from remote loction, such s centrl server, to monitor renewble energy system opertion, nd is similr to model 416 in FIG. 4. Monitoring system 700 opertes to monitor power output from prticulr instlltions in the field. The individul owners hve ccess to their own monitored dt through webpge posted on the Internet, nd the system integrtor cn view individul or combintions instlltions. In one ppliction, such collected dt is used to help shrpen forecsts of wht the renewble energy systems re relly cpble of. The dt collected cn be nlyzed nd used in sles to contrct with customers wht they cn be gurn teed in the wy of performnce nd up-time. The results re useful in power-purchse-greements to set mximum pro duction commitments. Embodiments of monitoring system 700 cn mnge power lods t discrete instlltions, e.g., to blnce lods mongst instlltions in n re during pek times, or to shift lods from pek times to off-pek times t prticulr loctions. In FIG.7, monitoring system 700 is sent or queries dt nd informtion provided by mny sources including SolrGurd monitors 1 (FIG. 1). Such comprises wether sttion, elec tricl usge, chrge controller, inverter, nd revenue metering reports from mny Subscriber clients ech specific to the prticulr client. A step 702 collects these strems of infor mtion, e.g., every fifteen minutes, using n Internet web server. A step 704 seprtes the dt strems by client, nd client identifiction is used to templte such dt strems onto models of the clients equipment configurtions nd topolo gies. A step 706 is then ble to sort nd group client dt by ctegories, e.g., on n nonymous client bsis. A common denomintor cn be pplied, like ll client systems using

15 US 7,925,552 B2 prticulr brnd/model of inverter, or those belonging to certin virtul utility or community project. WorkSttions cn then be used to ccess sttistics, monitor opertionl flgs, initite/disply reports, nd control system opertions. A step 708 ccumultes prticulr client/user informtion 5 into their respective power ccounts. A step 7 cn ssemble Such informtion on per ccount bsis to issue client stte ments, revenue checks, invoices, nd controls. Hedqurters worksttions cn be used to ccess single-client sttistics, monitor opertionl flgs, initite/disply reports, nd engge pybles, receivbles, nd generl ledger ccounting oper tions. A step 712 posts selected informtion to the Internet on webpge for the respective user. Ech user cn see how much electricity they re generting/using, nd the net mount they re exporting. Vrious kinds of chrts nd grphics re ren dered in HTML to mke the dt esy to nvigte, bsorb nd understnd. A dtbse 714 is used to store the informtion collected, 20 nd is prticulrly useful for storing event logs. Such dtbse cn be studied to see if ny long term trends re t work tht could ultimtely result in System degrdtion or point fil le. Solr systems cn Supply typicl home s needs for elec- 25 tricity for decdes. But even months before it is noticed, unforeseen events nd hidden problems like fllen limbs, tripped circuit brekers nd eroded wires, cn quietly cripple systems performnce. System 700 constntly monitors nd reports dt on system performnce, providing dditionl 30 ssurnce tht Solr investments remin productive nd effec tive throughout their expected life. In one commercil embodiment, The SolrGurd TM moni toring system collects, monitors nd displys criticl perfor mnce dt from Solr systems, like production levels nd 35 locl wether, nd trnsmits tht informtion to webservers every fifteen minutes through the Internet. Specilized ppli ction softwre nd technicins evlute the dt for perfor mnce chnges, nd will cll customers nd help fix problems should they rise. Often, before the customer is even wre 40 tht there is problem. A customer-ccessible Web portl provides live dt feeds nd other informtion on the sttus of their system dy nd night. Competitive providers usully chrge n dditionl fee for monitoring systems, but in one business model, SolrGurd is 45 included with ech system instlled becuse its functionlity is criticl to long-term system performnce nd customer goodwill. The SolrGurd Web portl llows customers to see their Solr investments in ction. Wtching meter spin bck wrds used to be just bout the only wy one could see 50 grid-connected solr system t work. But with SolrGurd, customers cn wtch online their Solr dt being collected on whole new level of interctivity nd informtion. Inside the web portl, customers cn see how their systems operte by viewing such dt s output over time, wether informtion, 55 nd environmentl svings equivlents, like crbon dioxide emissions voided. All re displyed in n esy to use nd esy to understnd grphicl formt. Monitoring nd reporting services cn provide vluble systems informtion using grphics, live system performnce 60 dt, lerts notifiction, nd environmentl benefit tllies. These cn ll be ccessed with ny web-enbled device. Auto mted lerts on system issues help remotely dignose systems nd conduct preventive mintennce to ensure systems re performing s designed. Issues cn be resolved more quickly, 65 system performnce optimized, on-site visits reduced, nd better customer stisfction. 16 Sles tems cn use webpge views s powerful sles tool to showcse your Successful instlltions nd close more new dels. Live system views encourge customers to visit your website frequently to see how much energy their sites re generting, creting stronger sense of vlue delivered. Webpge views cn be brnded with compny logos or enhnced with relevnt dvertizing. Systems integrtors cn generte performnce reports nd collect criticl field dt to crete regionl nd ggregte dt reports to benchmrk system performnce overtime. The dt is nlyzed to understnd the best wys for instlltion nd how to improve system qulity. The instlltion sites cn ll be controlled using common site mnger. Administrtors cn get quick ccess to simple or detiled web views of ech site, nd remotely monitor system helth nd performnce efficiently. Emil notifictions cn be sent when system fults OCCU. Although the present invention hs been described in terms of the presently preferred embodiments, it is to be understood tht the disclosure is not to be interpreted s limiting. Vrious ltertions nd modifictions will no doubt become pprent to those skilled in the rt fter hving red the bove disclo Sure. Accordingly, it is intended tht the ppended clims be interpreted s covering ll ltertions nd modifictions s fll within the true spirit nd scope of the invention. Wht is climed is: 1. A computer implemented method comprising: receiving informtion from plurlity of Solr power st tions cross network in t lest one server, the infor mtion comprising opertionl dt for ech Solr power sttion, wherein informtion from ech Solr power st tion is identified by prticulr power sttion identifi ction (ID), ech Solr power sttion comprising: one or more Solr pnels; n electricl pnel coupled to utility grid nd to elec tricl lods, wherein electricl power flows from the utility grid nd to the utility grid through the electricl pnel; n inverter coupled between the one or more Solr pnels nd the electricl pnel, the inverter configured to convert direct current (DC) voltge into lternting current (AC) Voltge; nd device for monitoring nd controlling the Solr power sttion, storing the informtion in dtbse; grouping the informtion into t lest first dt group corresponding to first plurlity of Solr power sttions nd second dt group corresponding to second plu rlity of Solr power sttions; processing the first dt group using first model ssoci ted with the first plurlity of solr power sttions nd processing the second dt group using second model ssocited with the second plurlity of Solr power st tions; nd controlling the opertion of the first plurlity of solr power sttions bsed on the processing of the first dt group nd controlling the opertion of the second plurlity of Solr power sttions bsed on the processing of the sec ond dt group, wherein controlling comprises: sending first softwre or first prmeter to first device in the first plurlity of solr power sttions to control opertion of first inverter, nd sending second softwre or second prmeter to second device in the second plurlity of Solr power sttions to control opertion of second inverter. 2. The method of clim 1 wherein controlling the opertion of the first plurlity of Solr power sttions comprises cou

16 17 pling electricl power from the utility grid to the electricl lods or coupling electricl power from the one or more Solr pnels to the utility grid. 3. The method of clim 1 wherein controlling the opertion of the first plurlity of solr power sttions comprises lod blncing between the first plurlity of solr power sttions. 4. The method of clim 1 wherein the plurlity of solr power sttions re group locted in the sme geogrphic proximity. 5. The method of clim 1 wherein the plurlity of solr power sttions re n employee group of the sme employer. 6. The method of clim 1 wherein the informtion com prises Solr pnel output mesurements for ech Solr power sttion, nd wherein ech Solr power sttion hs nominl rnge for the Solr power output mesurement, nd wherein excursion of first Solr pnel output mesurement for first Solr power sttion outside first nominl rnge signls problem with the first solr power sttion. 7. The method of clim 1 wherein the informtion com prises Solr pnel output mesurements for ech Solr power sttion, the method further comprising compring first Solr pnel output mesurement for first Solr power sttion to second mesurement to detect problem with the first solr power sttion. 8. The method of clim 7 wherein the second mesurement is locl wether, pst mesurement, n verge, or Solr pnel output mesurement of nother nerby Solr power sttion. 9. The method of clim 1 wherein the informtion is sep rted by client using plurlity of client identifictions, nd wherein opertionl dt for prticulr Solr power sttion is presented to corresponding client on webpge.. The method of clim 1 wherein the opertionl dt comprises Voltge, current, or power from the Solr pnels. 11. The method of clim 1 wherein the opertionl dt comprises outside temperture t loction of Solr pnel, operting temperture of n inverter, user electricl lod, utility meter reding, or condition of utility grid t prticulr Solr power sttion. 12. The method of clim 1, wherein: the first model comprises equipment configurtions or topologies for the first plurlity of Solr power sttions, nd the second model comprises equipment configurtions or topologies for the second plurlity of Solr power st tions. 13. The method of clim 1, wherein the first model com prises first plurlity of models nd the second model com prises second plurlity of models. 14. The method of clim 1, wherein the first model nd the second model comprise mintennce business model, wherein sending comprises: sending the first softwre or the first prmeter to the first device in the first plurlity of solr power sttions for mintennce of the first plurlity of solr power sttions, nd sending the second Softwre or the second prmeter to the second device in the second plurlity of Solr power sttions for mintennce of the second plurlity of Solr power sttions.. The method of clim 1, wherein sending comprises: sending the first softwre or the first prmeter to control the conversion of DC voltge to AC voltge for the first inverter; nd US 7,925,552 B sending the second softwre or the second prmeter to control the conversion of DC voltge to AC voltge for the second inverter. 16. A non-trnsitory computer-redble storge medium contining instructions for controlling computer system to be operble to: receive informtion from plurlity of solr power sttions cross network in t lest one server, the informtion comprising opertionl dt for ech Solr power st tion, wherein informtion from ech Solr power sttion is identified by prticulr power sttion identifiction (ID), ech Solr power sttion comprising: one or more Solr pnels; n electricl pnel coupled to utility grid nd to elec tricl lods, wherein electricl power flows from the utility grid nd to the utility grid through the electricl pnel; n inverter coupled between the one or more Solr pnels nd the electricl pnel, the inverter configured to convert direct current (DC) voltge into lternting current (AC) Voltge; nd device for monitoring nd controlling the Solr power sttion, store the informtion in dtbse; group the informtion into t lest first dt group corre sponding to first plurlity of solr power sttions nd second dt group corresponding to second plurlity of Solr power sttions; process the first dt group using first model ssocited with the first plurlity of solr power sttions nd pro cessing the second dt group using second model ssocited with the second plurlity of solr power st tions; nd control the opertion of the first plurlity of solr power sttions bsed on the processing of the first dt group nd controlling the opertion of the second plurlity of Solr power sttions bsed on the processing of the sec ond dt group, wherein controlling comprises: send first softwre or first prmeter to first device in the first plurlity of solr power sttions to control opertion of first inverter, nd send second softwre or second prmeter to second device in the second plurlity of Solr power sttions to control opertion of second inverter. 17. The computer-redble storge medium of clim 16, wherein the first model nd the second model comprise mintennce business model, wherein controlling the com puter system to be operble to send comprises controlling the computer system to be operble to: send the first softwre or the first prmeter to the first plurlity of Solr power sttions for mintennce of the first plurlity of Solr power sttions, nd send the second Softwre or the second prmeter to the second plurlity of Solr power sttions for mintennce of the second plurlity of Solr power sttions. 18. The computer-redble storge medium of clim 16, wherein controlling the computer system to be operble to send comprises controlling the computer system to be oper ble to: send the first softwre or the first prmeter to control the conversion of DC voltge to AC voltge for the first inverter; nd send the second softwre or the second prmeter to con trol the conversion of DC voltge to AC voltge for the second inverter.