Factory-Built AC Modules Coming to Australian Solar Market

SolarBridge Technologies Announces Australian Certification and Availability of SolarBridge Microinverters

Austin, Texas February 27, 2013


SolarBridge Technologies (SolarBridge), the leading provider of integrated microinverters for AC modules, announces that it has achieved Clean Energy Council (CEC) approval for its SolarBridge Pantheon II microinverter in Australia. SolarBridge also received a Certificate of Suitability for its microinverter from the New South Wales Office of Fair Trading.

The approval of SolarBridge products in Australia is an important milestone for the company, whose microinverters are currently being deployed in AC module installations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Taiwan and the Philippines.

A fundamental difference between SolarBridge and other microinverters is that SolarBridge exclusively partners with PV manufacturers to create TrueACTM modules and factory fit – rather than retrofit – their products with DC modules. "Factory integration reduces time on the roof, simplifies purchasing, delivery and support, and crucially, allows us to work in partnership with PV manufacturers to ensure the highest level of quality control possible in a factory environment," said Ron Van Dell, president and CEO, SolarBridge Technologies.

SolarBridge has a growing number of module manufacturer partners in Australia who will bring AC modules factory-fitted with SolarBridge microinverters to market. In the highly competitive Australian solar industry, differentiated products offer an advantage to solar retailers. AC modules also provide access to new market segments, the ability to maximize energy production on difficult roofs and provide far greater levels of information on system performance to consumers. AC modules from SolarBridge qualified partners have been selling in the U.S. since 2011.

With electricity rates among the highest in the world at AU$0.25/kW (US$0.26), Australia has already reached socket parity with solar energy at residential rates. More than 900,000 homes in Australia have already installed PV with almost 2.2GW of cumulative capacity, according to the Clean Energy Regulator. Despite fluctuations in regional incentive programs, Australia is currently ranked the world's 8th largest PV market and has had extraordinary growth in recent years. As another round of electricity price rises approaches, an increasing number of homeowners will turn to solar for relief, and AC module systems with pre-installed microinverters provide a simpler, safer and more reliable solution that also generates more power per home.

"We've introduced our technology to Australia because of the unique climatic challenges and the need for innovative solar solutions here," Van Dell said. "Our product was built from the ground up to withstand extreme temperature swings and thermal spikes, and to match the reliability of the world's leading PV modules. That's why we are here, working with module manufacturers to offer AC modules with a 25-year-warranty."

The SolarBridge Pantheon II microinverter was evaluated by Austest Laboratories to AS4777.2, AS4777.3, AS/NZS 3100, AS/NZS 60950 and AS 60529. In addition to these inverter safety standards, SolarBridge performs additional reliability tests to simulate the extreme rooftop conditions experienced by PV modules, particularly in Australia.

Technical product support for end users and partners will be managed by a dedicated SolarBridge support centre based in Melbourne, Australia. "We know that high-quality, timely support is a key element to providing great service," Van Dell noted. Complementing their technical support centre, an Australian web portal will provide 24/7 access to performance data for local customers.

About SolarBridge Technologies

SolarBridge Technologies, a leader in integrated microinverter technologies for the solar industry, is accelerating the adoption of solar energy in residential and commercial applications. The SolarBridge AC Module System – featuring the SolarBridge Pantheon II microinverter, Power Manager and Power Portal – dramatically increases the efficiency and reliability of PV systems, while reducing the cost of solar energy. The SolarBridge microinverter matches the lifetime of solar modules, enabling module manufacturers to provide a 25-year warranty on their AC modules. The company is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Dong Guan, China, and Melbourne, Australia. For more information, visit http://www.solarbridgetech.com.

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