National Semi, Suntech team up for smart solar panels

National Semiconductor and Suntech Power Holdings said they will collaborate to develop smart solar panels.

In a nutshell, National Semi will integrate its SolarMagic solar chipset into Suntech solar panels. The overall goal is to get more power output from solar power systems.

The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding in May where Suntech agreed to evaluation National Semi's SolarMagic technology. Now the companies are moving to the development phase.

According to National Semi, Suntech was able to recoup 50 percent of lost energy on average by using its SolarMagic optimization technology.

National Semi has been inking a series of partnerships to distribute its SolarMagic technology. The company is reinventing itself as a solar player.

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com