GPTech, an expert in technological solutions for the integration, management and control of renewable energy in large plants and Ampt, a DC optimizer company for large-scale photovoltaic systems and for repowering existing systems, announced a strategic partnership to deploy an innovative power solution to lower the cost and improve the performance of utility-scale PV plants and energy storage systems.

The solution combines GPTech’s SmartPV inverters and Battery Power Converter System with Ampt String Optimizers to provide PV system owners with fully integrated power equipment for advanced power optimization. Ampt String Optimizers perform maximum power point tracking (MPPT) on each string of PV modules to deliver full available power from the array at a fixed and higher voltage than systems without string optimizers. This eliminates 50% of the wiring, combiners and associated labor, and allows the GPTech inverters to have a higher power density and lower cost per watt.

When energy storage is included in a PV power plant design, GPTech deploys its battery charging converter which is also optimized to operate with Ampt at a lower cost and higher efficiency. To further enhance the solar-plus-storage design, Ampt String Optimizers allow DC-to-AC ratios of 2-to-1 or more while the GPTech inverter operates within specification. This enables the PV array to be sized to maximize the utilization of both the inverter and battery.

“With Ampt String Optimizers in the system, our inverter and battery converter no longer have to manage the variable voltage of a PV array,” said Javier Landero, CEO at GPTech. “As a result, our engineers were able to rapidly develop an end-to-end power solution that is fully optimized for cost and efficiency to deliver exceptional value to the solar market.”

In addition to lowering the cost of new PV power plants and energy storage solutions, the adaptive technology of Ampt String Optimizers also allows PV plant owners to repower their systems by replacing legacy inverters with today’s lower-cost inverters with advanced grid functions. For example, 600-volt inverters can be replaced with modern 1000-volt inverters delivering full power without exceeding a maximum system voltage of 600 volts. Similarly, 1000-volt inverters can be replaced with 1500-volt inverters. Existing PV systems can be further upgraded by using the Ampt-GPTech solution to add DC-coupled energy storage and significantly increase energy production for improved cash flow.

“The innovation GPTech brought to their power conversion products for this solution truly demonstrates the knowledge and flexibility they are known for,” said Levent Gun, CEO at Ampt. “Our partnered solution is optimizing some of the largest PV + Storage projects in the world.”

Ampt is exhibiting at Intersolar North America. Please visit Ampt in booth 8541 to meet company representatives and learn more about the GPTech and Ampt partnered solution. More information can also be found at www.greenpower.es and www.ampt.com.

News item from Ampt