Companies selected for "Cool Vendor" report are innovative, impactful and intriguing

Ideal Power Converters (IPC), a developer of disruptive power converter technologies, announced today that it has been included in the "Cool Vendors in Solar Energy, 2012"* report recently published by Gartner Inc., highlighting the innovative companies currently in the solar market.

Ideal Power Converters has developed a revolutionary 30kW 480VAC solar inverter that weighs only 94lbs (compared to conventional 1,200lbs inverters). The Gartner report noted the disruptive capability of IPC's 30kW inverter that enables a 90 percent weight reduction and more than a 90 percent reduction in magnetic components, significantly reducing shipping and installation costs. A key innovation is that the IPC inverter provides isolation without the size, weight, cost and efficiency loss of a transformer. This enables the IPC transformer-less inverter to support grounded PV arrays, the de facto standard in the U.S. market.

"The smaller size of the inverter results in lower installation costs and less space required for a given power capacity," said James Hines, Research Director at Gartner, Inc., in the report. "As solar panel prices have fallen, the costs of the inverter, balance of system components and installation labor have become a larger proportion of overall system cost, so technologies aimed at reducing these costs have become more important."

"We are thrilled to be selected as one of Gartner's ‘Cool Vendors' for the solar industry," said Bill Alexander, CTO for Ideal Power Converters. "We believe this recognition is a testimony to the disruptive qualities that our power converter technology provides. As the cost of modules has plummeted, inverters and their installation costs consume a greater portion of the total installed system cost. Our 30kW PV inverter lowers installation costs by $0.10-$0.20/Wdc as well as improves system efficiency."

IPC's 30KW inverter is manufactured in Austin, Texas and includes a standard 10 year warranty.

About Gartner's Cool Vendors Selection Process

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Ideal Power Converters

Electronic power converters provide the infrastructure for the clean energy revolution including renewable energy generation, electrical energy efficiency, smart power grids, and electric vehicles. Ideal Power Converters has patented and is further developing a revolutionary new power converter technology that significantly improves weight, size, cost, efficiency and reliability. IPC products will include solar inverters, wind converters, bidirectional battery and electric vehicle chargers based on its Universal Power Converter Platform™. IPC has received funding from the State of Texas Emerging Technology Fund, and has been awarded $2.5M from the U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). For more information, visit: www.IdealPowerConverters.com

*Gartner "Cool Vendors in Solar Energy, 2012" by James Hines and Alfonso Velosa, April 2012