Solar Power World

Solectria Inverters Power Largest CSP Facility

Solectria Renewables’ solar inverters will be used in the 30-MW Alamosa Solar Generating Project, the largest high concentrating photovoltaic power (CPV) generating facility in the world. The solar project consists of over 500 large CPV pedestals, solar inverters and dual axis trackers. The site is located in Alamosa, CO, and extends 225 acres. The San Luis Valley in Colorado... Read More

Delta Products Corporation Partners with AEE Solar

AEE Solar has partnered with Delta Energy Systems to become an authorized dealer of its Solivia high-frequency residential solar inverters. The Solivia NA residential string inverter has high-frequency transformers, output power of 2.5 kW to 5.0 kW, and a free monitoring system. “As an experienced solar distributor with a reputation for offering the best solar products in... Read More

A Recap of ABB’s Automation and Power World 2012

I learned something new today. The George Brown Convention Center in Houston is huge! Seriously, it’s ginormous. I know this because I practically walked the entire two miles around the whole thing looking for the door. Once I approached the loading center, I figured it was time to ask for help. Shout out to the member of the cleaning staff who helped me find my way, and... Read More

Inverter Insider: RPS TL from Bonfiglioli

Bonfiglioli is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power conversion systems solutions within the renewable energy market. With over 1200MWac of solar PV installations currently in place, including Europe’s largest power plant at Rovigo, Italy (70 MWp) and the 51MWp plant in Puertollano, Spain, Bonfiglioli has proven it has the innovative know-how and technical capability... Read More

Developments: Utility, Composite Enclosures Protect Components

Enclosures for utility-power PV applications must withstand their environment. Such enclosures protect essential systems such as power management and power distribution, sensitive instrumentation such as combiner and battery boxes, and protect solar inverters and other components from corrosion and UV damage. Though material options for enclosures include metals and plastics, composites... Read More

Developments: Commercial, A Microinverter for AC Modules

Solar modules that produce grid-compatible AC power have been a long-sought goal of the PV industry. Limitations of traditional systems with series-wired DC modules and failure-prone central solar inverters have held back performance and made rooftop solar impractical or unsuitable for up to 50% of sites. However, SolarBridge says its AC module Pantheon microinverter makes sites... Read More

Mage offers modules, mounting and more

The all-black Mage Powertec Plus module includes sleek design features. While at PV America in San Jose I got a chance to catch up with Mage Solar. The company showed of their modules, mounting systems and inverters. Modules The company says its new Powertech Plus providing high power and yield per square foot. The modules possess allowable tolerances of up to +5 watts, 10-year... Read More

REFUsol High-Efficiency Solar String Inverters Listed In New York

REFUsol, a manufacturer of high-efficiency solar inverters, announced that the REFUsol 012K, 016K, 020K and 024K inverters are in compliance with the New York Standard Interconnection Requirements (SIR) and qualify for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) funding programs. Under the Department of Public Service (DPS) for interconnection,... Read More

Power-One Contracts Chroma to Build Multiple Solar Inverter Test Systems

Power-One signed a deal with Chroma System Solutions to provide PowerOne 26 C8000 test systems, PowerPro test software and fixtures related to automate the final testing of their isolated and no-isolated solar inverters. Chroma’s C8000 test systems, software and fixtures will provide Power-One calibration and final testing for all production units potentially to UL1741 standards.... Read More

Eaton Launches Utility-Scale Inverter Technology for Solar Customers

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corp. today introduced advanced utility-scale inverter technology in its new Series 6001 energy storage grid-connect inverter, engineered to provide improved power stability for wind and solar energy customers. The Series 6001 provides high-performance conversion in utility applications for wind, solar and other heavy industrial power applications... Read More

Growatt Inverters Use Fanless Technology

While at the PV America show in San Jose, California last week I got a chance to catch up with Growatt. The Houston, Texas-based solar inverter manufacturer showed off its 3600MTL-US 4200MTL-US 5000MTL-US model which has a number of innovative features including: -Maximum efficiency 98%, wide input voltage range -Internal DC switch -Transformerless H6 topology -Compact design ... Read More

1.4-MW Solar Inverter Is The World’s Largest

While at the PV America show in San Jose, California last week I got to check out the Aurora Ultra solar inverter at the Power-One booth. The inverter manufacturer says the 1.4-MW model is the world’s largest. The model has been designed to suit large commercial and utility-scale solar power plants which, with falling technology prices and rising costs of fossil fuels, are... Read More

Solar Inverters: Advanced Energy Inverters Selected For More Than 8 MW of PV Projects

Advanced Energy Industries announced that its inverters have been selected by REgeneration Finance (REgeneration) to power more than 8 MW of U.S. distributed generation photovoltaic (PV) projects. REgeneration has deployed more than 60 of Advanced Energy’s (AE) commercial inverters, ranging in power levels from 35kW to 260kW. AE Solar Energy’s PV inverters were selected... Read More

290-MW project planned for Arizona

Construction of the 290-MW Agua Caliente solar project in Yuma County, near Dateland, Ariz., is under way. The plant is expected to be the largest operational photovoltaic plant in the world upon completion, expected in 2014. Built by First Solar, Inc., Agua Caliente will generate enough clean solar energy to serve the needs of about 100,000 average homes per year when fully operational.... Read More

Operations and Maintenance 101

The delivery of solar power without any disruption maintains the stream of economic value generated by each kilowatt hour of production, and proper service is a critical component to ensuring optimal performance while minimizing the risks of downtime. But installing solar arrays are just the beginning. Without proper operation and maintenance, those 25- year warranties won’t be... Read More