Germany-based KACO new energy GmbH has just delivered 22 units of the blueplanet 92.0 TL3 to Norway. The inverters are intended for the PV system on the roof of a cold storage facility in Vinterbro, south of Oslo, which is used by the supermarket chain Rema 1000. The solar power plant has a capacity of two megawatts.
It is Norway's first commercial solar roof project using 1500 Volt technology. In addition to the inverters, the PV specialist from Neckarsulm also supplied the matching DC combiners. These have already been installed by the executing company, Solcellespesialisten from Fredrikstad. Completion of the entire system is scheduled for the end of 2019.
Significant cost reduction in prospect
Longer module strings can be formed using PV modules, cables and inverters designed for the higher voltage of 1500 Volt. This means less wiring and less work for the electricians compared to the usual 1000 Volt. Bjørn Thorud of Multiconsult, the planning agency responsible, estimates that using the 1500 Volt inverter from KACO new energy will reduce costs by ten to 15 percent (full article dated 24 June 2019 at https://www.pv-tech.org/news/multiconsult-1500v-inverters-to-become-new-standard-for-ci).
Extreme weather taken into account
The blueplanet 92.0 TL3 can be installed outdoors – and produces its full power in a wide temperature range from -25 °C to over +50 °C. This prepares the inverter for Norway's icy winters and for high temperatures on the roof in summer.
The performance at high temperatures is due to semiconductor modules made of silicon carbide (SiC). At the end of last year, KACO new energy was the first manufacturer in the industry to introduce this kind of SiC modules in serial production. The first model in this series, blueplanet 125 TL3, was recently installed in a 5-megawatt solar park in Turkey.
About KACO new energy
KACO new energy, a subsidiary of Siemens AG, is headquartered in Neckarsulm, Germany and one of the world’s largest manufacturers of inverters for grid-feed solar power. The product line-up covers the full power range, from single units designed for a family home up to complete systems for solar parks producing megawatts of electricity. Since 1999, KACO new energy has supplied inverters with a cumulative power output of 13 gigawatts. This offering has been extended to include solutions for PV self-consumption and energy storage, devices for grid management, as well as products and value-added services for utility-scale projects. KACO new energy is the first company in the photovoltaic industry to achieve CO2-neutral production. In 2014, KACO new energy celebrated the 100th birthday of the original parent company which, at the end of the 1930s, was one of first ever inverter manufacturers. More at https://kaco-newenergy.com/