Solar inverter's shining efficiency

A report jointly issued by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) and Bureau Veritas shows that AEG Power Solutions’ Protect PV.250 solar inverter offers remarkable efficiency. Energy conversion efficiency testing conducted according to European Standard EN 50530 yielded a very high efficiency grade of 98.7%.

Energy conversion efficiency testing was conducted at eight different power levels, nine DC voltage levels and for two module technologies (thin film and crystalline technology, both used in solar farms). MPPT testing, performed by ISE according to the same European EN 50530 standard, yielded a Maximum Power Point (MPP) efficiency grade of 99.99%. ISE also reported that the PV.250 inverter, launched in Sept. 2009, successfully complied with EN 50530 dynamic requirements.

Testing was conducted by Fraunhofer ISE, the largest solar energy research institute in Europe, and by Bureau Veritas, an international group specialized in the inspection, analysis, audit, and certification of products, infrastructure and management systems according to regulatory or voluntary standards. Designed for power plants generating from one to several hundred megawatts, the AEG Power Solutions Protect PV.250 inverter was developed and is manufactured in Warstein-Belecke, Germany.

Orders totalling 40 MW were already booked at the end of the second quarter, mainly for Germany, the Czech Republic and Italy, but also for Belgium and France. Certification for Italian grid operator ENEL has also been achieved. This means PV 250 will soon be included in the ENEL listing, a very promising achievement for AEG
Power Solutions on this market.
One of the first Protect PV.250 installed is part of the equipment of the solar farm of the city of Hungen in Germany. “The performance of the solar park is considerably higher than what the forecast and the efficiency study calculated. We are very satisfied.” Technical Manager Thomas Weichmann comments; "With the PV.250 technology in general, and especially with the infrastructure of the plant in Warstein-Belecke, AEG Power Solutions is very well positioned to fulfil all photovoltaic power plant requirements – today and in the future, in Germany and elsewhere,” said Enrique de la Cruz, VP Solar Strategic Business Unit . With DC voltage capability up to 1000 V, the Protect PV.250 enables customers to achieve optimal power efficiency thanks to its field-programmable gate array (FPGA) control system. Specifically engineered to meet the requirements of utility-grade applications, the Protect PV.250 can be customized to each application thanks to a range of available options and its unique container design.

AEG PS has started developing solar activity and products based on its sound power expertise two years ago. Its sales in solar inverters should be multiplied by 10 this year.