American Electric Technologies Announces First 1 MW 1000V UL 1741-Tested Inverter System
American Electric Technologies, Inc. announced that the company has received notification from TUV Rheinland that its 1MW 1000V Integrated Solar Inversion Station (ISIS™) has successfully passed the solar inverter tests as outlined in UL 1741-2010. UL1741-2010 is the UL Standard for Solar Inverter equipment and other solar products for use with Distributed Energy resources.
According to the company, as the U.S. utility-scale solar market develops, North American utilities and Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) firms have attempted to move from 600V solar project designs to 1000V solar designs for increased efficiency and lower costs. However, the lack of a certified 1MW 1000V solar inverter has been a major hindrance to moving the industry to the next level.
In becoming the first 1MW integrated solar inversion station tested to UL 1741-2010 at 1000 Volts, financiers, developers, utilities and EPCs will now be able to build utility-scale solar farms and achieve higher ROI when designing with higher voltage 1000V UL-tested photovoltaic (PV) panels, yet retain all of the solar farm electrical safety and lifetime reliability benefits of legacy 600V UL-tested systems.
"AETI has shipped more than 1GW of power distribution and conversion systems into the world’s harshest environments during our 65 years in the energy industry," said Charles Dauber, AETI President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our industry-leading expertise in multi-megawatt power conversion systems was pivotal in the design of the industry’s first 1MW 1000V solar inversion station tested to the UL 1741 solar inverter requirements. We are excited to offer financers, utilities, developers and EPCs this innovative solution from a company with a strong pedigree."
Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) is responsible for the development of the UL 1741 Standards. UL is an independent safety certification organization that has been testing products as a Nationally Recognized Test Laboratory (NRTL) and writing standards for safety for more than a century. The United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and California Energy Commission have approved a select few NRTLs including TUV Rheinland to perform testing to UL 1741 standards as part of their solar inverter testing process. TUV Rheinland validated compliance to UL 1741 design test for AETI’s 1MW ISIS for all UL 1741-2010 requirements.
"We are excited to be able to deploy the world’s first 1000V 1MW solar inverter tested to UL1741. With AETI’s 65 years of experience, reputation, and bankability it was an easy decision for us." said Peter Mathey, Chief Executive Officer, Ignite Solar.
ISIS utilizes 1000V input voltages as well as what is said to be the industry’s highest input current levels, that when used with today’s 1000V UL-tested PV panels, can convert up to 15% more watts per string than 600V solar inverters.
The company says that the ISIS is the most reliable solar inverter on the market with the widest operating temperature range. The system’s multi-tiered smart cooling architecture utilizes liquid-cooled power electronics with computer-controlled air cooling to deliver a very low tare loss solution. ISIS’ harsh-environment system packaging enables what is described as the industry’s leading operational range of -40 to 50°C without output power de-rating, and operation to 60°C with normal power de-rating.
ISIS assures successful grid integration with utility systems by:
– incorporating all the necessary utility grid integration components into a medium voltage utility interconnection system, including breakers, relaying and revenue metering to meet specific regional grid interconnect requirements;
– incorporating the world’s widest power factor compensation capabilities (down to 0 pf) that addresses regional utility requirements for dynamic VAR compensation; and,
– meeting IEEE-519 <3% TDD power quality requirements.
More news and information regarding the latest developments in Smart Grid electronics can be found at Darnell’s SmartGridElectronics.Net.
