OMRON Selects Ampt DC Optimizers for Integrated Residential Solar Power Solution

Solar Power International — Ampt LLC, a global leader in power conversion technology, today announced their DC power optimizers have been selected by OMRON Corporation to be part of OMRON’s integrated power solution for residential solar. The OMRON solution combines their PV Smart Inverters with DC optimizers powered by Ampt to bring cost, performance, and rapid shutdown advantages to the residential market.

OMRON, the world leader in residential solar, has shipped more than 6.5 gigawatts and one million inverters to the market. According to IHS Research, OMRON has been the number-one single-phase PV inverter manufacturer in the world for the past three years. OMRON is now leveraging Ampt’s technology to continue delivering innovative solutions to their customers.

OMRON’s solution comes in a range of power levels suitable for broad residential use and includes its PV Smart Inverter and DC optimizers powered by Ampt. The Smart Inverter is cost and performance optimized for use with Ampt DC optimizers and features a patented multi-level topology as well as PID prevention technology. The Smart Inverter is packaged with either a single Ampt string optimizer or multiple Ampt module optimizers with rapid shutdown functionality that satisfies the National Electric Code’s (NEC) 2014 shutdown requirements.

The solution with an Ampt string optimizer provides low-cost, code-compliant rapid shutdown while placing maximum power point tracking (MPPT) out in the array to simplify the inverter operation. For systems with heavy shade, Ampt module optimizers can be used instead to perform module-level MPPT and code-compliant shutdown.

“We are pleased that a highly regarded company like OMRON has selected Ampt’s technology and products to advance their product portfolio,” said Levent Gun, CEO of Ampt. “OMRON’s solution demonstrates the value and flexibility that our patented technology makes available to inverter manufacturers and their customers.”

In addition to serving channel partners like OMRON, Ampt works directly with developers and EPCs to provide higher power DC string optimizer solutions that lower the cost and improve the performance of large commercial and utility-scale PV systems.