GE announced it has installed the first unit of 1,500-volt solar inverter in Japan, the first such feat in Japan’s solar market.
The inverter was installed in Looop solar power plant, located in Ibaragi prefecture, last month.
The LV5 inverter from GE’s Power Conversion can provide broad-ranging benefits compared to the last generation of 1,000-volt inverters.
The technology reduces costs associated with infrastructure, deployment and operation expenditures, which can lead to up to a 3 percent lower system cost and up to 15 percent less in maintenance costs.
“Looop strives to make renewable energy become the central pillar of the electricity generation in Japan. We embrace advanced technology that leads to more cost-effective and thus, more viable, solar energy production. The partnership with GE has strengthened our confidence to achieve the goal,” said Soichiro Nakamura, president of Looop.
Based on the agreement, GE was chosen to provide two, LV5 1-megawatt (MW), 1,500-volt inverters to Looop.
“GE was the first to introduce 1,500-volt solar inverter technology into the global market. Today, GE has achieved a global installed base of more than 2 gigawatts, allowing customers to enable more cost-effective solar plants worldwide,” said Paul English, APAC region sales leader, GE’s Power Conversion.