The two companies intend to jointly promote the solar power optimiser technology and developing future solutions. SolarMagic is said to use distributed electronics throughout a solar installation to recoup energy lost due to real-world conditions such as shade, debris and panel mismatch.

“Innovation in the solar industry is a collaborative process and we are excited about this opportunity to potentially combine National Semiconductor’s SolarMagic technology with Suntech’s high efficiency solar panels,” says Dr Cai, VP of Systems R&D for Suntech, based in China. “This innovative technology has the potential to improve power harvest for solar owners and thereby increase the affordability of solar systems.”