OutBack Power Technologies, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of advanced power electronics for renewable energy, backup power and mobile applications, today announced that three newly available additions to its Radian family of inverters will include GridZero energy balancing technology to ensure users get the most out of their solar power and energy storage investments, regardless of how incentives, utility policies and grid rates might shift. The new Radians and a fourth existing Radian, all designed for global markets, now also feature Advanced Battery Charge profiles for compatibility with lithium-ion and other advanced battery chemistries coming into wider usage, as well as lead-acid. Together, OutBack Power Radian inverters’ GridZero and advanced battery charging capabilities eliminate buyer uncertainty caused by changes in energy policy and give buyers the confidence to invest in solar today with a “future-perfect” system.
The new Radians announced today include the GS8048A and GS4048A, 8-kW and 4-kW inverters designed for North, Central and Latin American markets, as well as the GS3548E, a 3.5-kW inverter for Europe, Asia and other global markets, designed with GridZero and Advanced Battery Charge features. These inverters represent future-perfect installation solutions for dynamic utility environments, including those in California, Hawaii and many other locations where governments are changing solar incentives or utilities are modifying buy-back policies of surplus renewably generated electricity. In these scenarios, GridZero functionality ensures that users can store renewable generated power for future use and prioritize consumption, effectively “zeroing-out the load on the grid” while using it when needed to meet surges and spikes in demand.
“Commercial and residential customers want to know that the PV systems they buy today will deliver tomorrow, regardless of how policies change,” said Phil Undercuffler, director of strategy for OutBack Power. “GridZero ensures they can intelligently balance stored energy and utility power, so that smaller, more cost-effective systems will deliver superior performance and reduce overall grid dependency, while eliminating the solar variability that utility companies say is impacting the grid.”
OutBack’s Advanced Battery Charge profile further maximizes the investment in solar power and energy storage by incorporating charger settings for advanced battery technologies. Installers can coordinate specific charging profiles for lithium-ion, aqueous-ion, flow, fuel-cell, and other battery types now reaching the market.
Expanding the range of the already successful GS8048 and GS7048E 8-kW and 7-kW Radian Series family, the newest Radian sizes address installer needs to suit varying voltage standards and electrical load requirements in emerging countries, and provide advanced grid management options for those regions that may not support full grid-interactive operation. All models support AC coupling through a compatible OutBack Power load center to provide a cost-effective path for upgrading or retrofitting existing grid-tied systems with energy storage capability.
— Solar Builder magazine
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