New GreatWall Energy Inverters with Ampt Mode Lower the Cost of Solar PV Systems
China Electronics GreatWall Energy, one of the world’s largest solar inverter manufacturers, recently announced the availability of the Satcon® Equinox™ 750kW inverters with Ampt Mode®. Using these inverters with Ampt String Optimizers lowers the total system cost while improving lifetime system performance to deliver more value than can be achieved by traditional systems without Ampt.
The Equinox inverter platform offers industrial-grade engineering and a rugged design with advanced utility-ready features. With Ampt Mode® Equinox inverters operate in a narrow input voltage range that is closer to the maximum system voltage to increase the inverter’s rated output power. For example, the Equinox 750kW inverter with Ampt Mode® has a rated output power that is 50 percent higher than the same inverter operating in standard mode, which is equivalent to a 33 percent cost per watt savings. Since inverters with Ampt Mode® are used with Ampt String Optimizers, more system-level value is unlocked.
Ampt String Optimizers are DC-to-DC converters that use Ampt’s patented String Stretch® technology to double the number of modules per string, which removes 50 percent of the electrical balance-of-system (EBOS) components. Ampt String Optimizers also put dual maximum power point trackers (MPPTs) on each string to improve the system’s lifetime performance. Combining these benefits with the lower cost Equinox inverters with Ampt Mode® delivers a lower cost and higher performing system.
“Our customers can achieve unprecedented value by using Ampt String Optimizers to take advantage of the built-in capabilities of the Equinox inverter platform,” said YC Yu, vice president of operations and international sales at GreatWall Energy. “In addition to our compatible technologies being a natural fit, the immediate and significant customer demand from multiple continents made offering this solution with Ampt a logical step in serving the global PV market.”
GreatWall also has joined the HDPV Alliance, an industry-wide initiative focused on lowering the cost and increasing the performance of PV solar systems. The addition of GreatWall forwards this mission and is representative of the Alliance’s growing member base overseas – and among varied industry verticals within PV, including inverters, storage, mounting and tracking systems, electrical components, O&M providers, EPCs and others.
“GreatWall’s leadership in the Asia-Pacific market as well as their global resources and capabilities make them a strong addition to the HDPV Alliance,” said Mark Kanjorski, director of marketing for Ampt and HDPV Alliance chair. “We’ve already collaborated on large-scale solar projects and have tens of megawatts of Ampt String Optimizers deployed in the field with Satcon inverters.”
