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GE 1-Megawatt Solar Inverter Certified by CSA

September 14, 2011 by Jeff Shepard

GE announced that its Brilliance™ solar inverter has been certified to a CSA certification, an industry standard for safety and performance. GE’s inverters are based on the power electronics of the company’s 1.5MW wind turbine, the most widely deployed in its class, and the new certification by CSA further recognizes the advanced design of GE’s solar equipment.

GE’s 1-MW Brilliance solar inverter passed a series of tests to become certified under CSA 22.2 No. 107.1-0. GE states that its 1MW solar inverter is one of the first inverters rated for 1000Vdc to have achieved this certification. In addition, the unique controls implementation also preserves GE’s exceptional voltage ride-thru performance.

Factors that are tested in the certification process include how the inverter responds to extreme environmental conditions including temperature, as well as voltage and grid fluctuations that the equipment might experience in the field. In fact, GE’s inverters exceeded the certification tests by demonstrating full reactive power capability and full power operation at extreme temperature and grid conditions.

"As a leading provider of renewable energy technology, we recognize the importance of seamless integration into the electric grid, especially as the need for cleaner energy surges. Receiving CSA certification for our 1-megawatt Brilliance solar inverter shows that our product conforms to the highest standards in safety and reliability," said Danielle Merfeld, General Manager of GE’s solar business.

Solar inverters convert direct-current power generated by solar panels into usable electricity. To ensure that solar power plants stay online during grid disturbances, GE’s Brilliance inverters include control functions that enhance integration. Similar to GE’s wind turbine controls, which have been designed to meet evolving grid codes in the wind industry, GE’s suite of solar plant monitoring and controls can manage voltage in anticipation of future regulations. The Brilliance inverter also comes enabled with SunIQ™, GE’s monitoring and controls platform of grid-friendly features that allow a large-scale solar system to operate similar to a conventional power plant.

The Brilliance inverter system utilizes GE’s Mark VIe UCSA Controller, which has been deemed Achilles Level 1 certified.