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Autarco launches made-in-Europe microinverter
PV specialist Autarco has developed a microinverter which, it says, outperforms traditional inverters in terms of yield per module, flexibility, safety and reliability. It combines “ultra-reliable components with a distributed architecture that makes for a more resilient power plant”, according to Autarco sales director Lloyd Lawson
Lawson said that as the solar industry matures, it’s moving away from large scale open plants and towards local roof-based power plants. Today, even building integrated (BIPV) systems are starting to be competitive alternatives in some scenarios. But from an inverter perspective the built-up environment poses challenges, like complex shadows and orientations.
“The Autarco microinverter is not limited by the lowest performing module in a string and therefore has a higher yield per module, up to 3.1% more than leading DC-optimized string inverters,” said Lawson. “It is proven to produce more at dawn, dusk and in low light conditions. The total cost of ownership is lower and return on investment is better with microinverters than string inverters when considered over the lifetime of a PV installation. Microinverters are shadow tolerant and allow for easily scalable systems that provide ultimate reliability with a design life of over 25 years.”
Lawson said that all other microinverters have a so-called ‘potted design’. This means that the internal chamber of the enclosure is filled with an encapsulating compound which effectively makes the entire product a solid block.
“The Autarco XSX microinverter is designed with the crade-to-cradle philosophy in mind,” said Lawson. Its PCB is coated with a layer of transparent conformal coating rather than potting. This more modern technique is lighter and easier to inspect, test, and repair. It also allows all durable materials to be 100% recyclable.”
Lawson add that the Autarco XSX300 microinverter is the world’s first solar inverter with built-in wireless Z-Wave functionality. “Z-Wave is far more reliable than WiFi and it is the leading protocol for wireless machine-to-machine communication and internet-of-things applications,” he said. “It easily integrates in the Autarco Smart Home platform, which allows users to not only generate their own energy, but also take the next step towards a more energy efficient home or business by maximising self-consumption.”
Autarco said that it is the first brand that integrates individual components in complete single-branded solar energy systems. All systems come with a kWh guarantee. The company is based in Shanghai and Eindhoven and has worldwide sales.
