Eaton Sets Standard in Reliability, Performance with New Utility-Scale Inverters for Solar Applications
Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation introduced the Power XpertTM Solar 1500 kilowatt (kW) inverterfor utility-scale, solar applications.
PITTSBURGH … Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation introduced the Power XpertTM Solar 1500 kilowatt (kW) inverterfor utility-scale, solar applications. The Power Xpert Solar inverter converts direct current (DC) power into clean alternating current (AC) and is designed to improve plant levelized cost of energy (LCOE), maximize customers' energy harvest, operate reliably in harsh environments and adhere to high safety standards. The Power Xpert Solar 1500 kW inverter is engineered to reduce installation costs, boost reliability and improve plant uptime.
"Eaton is combining strong designcapabilities with an established product platform to deliver a solution engineered specifically for utility-scale solar plants," said Chris Thompson, solar business unit manager at Eaton. "Part of Eaton's broad offering of balance of system solutions, the Eaton Power Xpert Solar 1500 kW inverter is engineered to help lower cost of electricity by addressing gaps that designers and installers are currently facing in the solar utility-scale space. Customers will now be able to replace three small inverters with one larger one – expediting installation and facilitating operations and maintenance work. "
With a true megawatt inverter platform and unique transformer coupling approach, the Power Xpert Solar 1500 kW inverter enables a skid-less inverter station, reducing equipment requirements and installation costs. Engineered for utility-scale applications, Eaton designed the Power Xpert Solar 1500 kW inverter to use an MV pad-mount transformer, which is connected to the inverter via a direct-coupled throat connection reducing cable requirements, pad size and commissioning time.
A fault-tolerant design also helps to minimize downtime and maximize plant availability, while true reactive power (VAR) support at rated power means no power de-rating up to a 0.91 power factor range. Fault-tolerance is achieved by a unique segmented and fault isolating inverter design, which enables the system to run at partial power in the case of a fault.
The Power Xpert Solar 1500 kW inverter is outdoor-rated, 98% efficient and features a wide Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) voltage range. A proprietary Eaton control strategy and optimized filter design optimizes the inverter efficiency, while the wide MPPT voltage rangemaximizes inverter operation time to boost energy harvest.
Eaton is leveraging more than 100 years of experience and expertise in utility and industrial environments to bring tobear the Power Xpert Solar 1500 kW utility-scale inverter. Backed by a century of performance and experience with electrical power systems, the robust Power Xpert Solar inverter is engineered to optimize, reliability and cost of ownership.
For additional information on the new Eaton Power Xpert Solar 1500 kW inverter, visit www.eaton.com/solar.
Eaton's electrical business is a global leader in power distribution, power quality, control and automation, power monitoring, and energy management products and services. Eaton is positioned, through its global electrical product series and solutions to answer today's most critical electrical power management challenges.
Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with more than 100 years of experience providing energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. With 2011 sales of $16.0 billion, Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components, systems and services for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulics and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; andtruck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 73,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.